Top This Microsoft! Apple's Newest, Baddest Store Rocks NYC Saturday

[Michael Essany]

It was a spectacle to behold.

The grand opening of Apple's "biggest, baddest" new retail store surprised even some of Apple's most frequent critics. On Saturday morning in Manhattan's Upper West Side, the official unveiling of New York's newest Apple store was, to put it mildly, an "event."

Located at 1981 Broadway, the grandiose, cube-like building with spectacular glass staircases officially offers the single largest physical presentation of Apple products anywhere in the world.

Indeed, it's a showy store for sure, as confirmed by a review from Notebooks.com:

The grandeur and scope of Manhattan’s fourth Apple store may seem strange to some. Likewise for Apple’s new “significant stores” strategy, with it’s emphasis on flashy stores in major markets. In a time where many consumers are turning away from brick-and-mortar stores, and many companies are cutting costs, Apple appears to be moving in the opposite direction.

Apple's new store is more than just an offering of products and services. It is also billed as a destination. This weekend, in fact, the store boasts a series of "Apple Adventures" for the whole family. Tomorrow's Youth Day, for example, will allow younger visitors to the Apple Store to create songs, movies, photo albums, and a host of digital presentations on location in one of the coolest environments conducive to technology and good old-fashioned creativity.

Last month, Microsoft Corp opened its first retail store in Arizona. But good luck catching up. Apple currently operates a network of 280 retail stores in 10 countries with an additional 40 to 50 retail stores planned for next year. But before anyone looks to the future, thousands of Apple fans are first planning to visit the 8,500 square foot new store in Manhattan for an "experience" rather than a shopping excursion.

According to Gothamist.com It's also the first time an Apple store has had a roof made entirely of glass – one supported by 45-foot marble walls that reflect sunlight and enhance the customer experience.

The new store is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Image via Notebooks.com

[Vandam500]

It looks so damn nice! I want to see a video of the outside/inside!!!

[xxfr0stbytexx]

apple is always about looks... but it does look great and i would rather go there than a store with white brick walls..

[battlecrushr]

This is ballin

[goodgod2]

yeah apple always have the look down. From ipod,iphone.mac,laptop. Their design are all amazing, how can i say this it's all so simple and yet so beautiful

[Epoxyburn]

Fancy store to mask their wack cust. service.

[PlatoTheForms]

Top This Microsoft!!! hahahahh lmaooo that was funny

[Zeal]

i WANNA THROW ROCKS AT IT.

[plcrules]

i should check it out
i love being a new yorker

[mikerlx]

First off,a beautiful looking store. As many iphones I have owned and laptops i have purchased online, I have never been in an apple store.

[awesomeSlayer]

Lookin' good!

[PhoneLine]

i should check it out
i love being a new yorker

Ditto! And get away from the crowds at the 5th ave store. I've been going to Prince St mostly. Pretty easy to move around in there.

Must check out this new store.

[nighthawk283]

Using a lot of money just to build that, while people really just go for the product not the way it looks,

[audi20fsi]

how is their customer service wack? I'm curious to know about your experience.

[tudtran]

That's beautiful.

[NessLookAlike]

i WANNA THROW ROCKS AT IT.

Yup.

From this single picture it looks like another case of Apple's look (excel) vs. functionality (lack), and the inner PC in me cringes at the shallowness of such a presentation (imagine, for instance, a McDonald's where the store is just one really big golden M arch or something tacky), but its still very impressive and I'm sure it has merit somehow. Wish there were more pictures.

[ipt3user]

im going im going omfg i am soo going to that it looks so sick im going to NYC for thanksgiving! totally stopping by there!

[rhekt]

i WANNA THROW ROCKS AT IT.

your a monstrous whale>>>>hahahahhaa...didnt your mother teach you to play nice?

[bbillh77]

Looks good hopefully they do a 360 video tour

[Poseidon79]

Fancy store to mask their wack cust. service.

Ever tried to get customer service for a PC?! Goes like this... Call Microsoft... after sitting on hold for countless hours they say "Uuuuh... this seems to be a hardware issue... you're gonna need to contact HP/Dell/Sony... etc.". Call your hardware manufacturer.. sit on hold the rest of the day... just to get told "This seems to be a Microsoft issue.. please call them." Happened to me all too often so I started to build my own systems.

Apple takes ownership of both their hardware AND operating system and has real people you can sit down with for help. Top that Microsoft!