After years of anticipation, I finally set foot in the new Boylston Street Apple Store in downtown Boston yesterday. Upon stepping through the glass doors, I fell to my knees on the imported Italian stone floors and wept unabashed tears of joy. I’m pretty sure they won’t be inviting me back anytime soon.
It’s impressive, to say the least: the largest Apple Store in the US. The all glass facade out front stretches over all three floors, with a prominent glowing Apple logo suspended on the third floor. Apple senior vice president of retail Ron Johnson introduced the store to a cadre of media, explaining that it had taken eight years to get this store built, and that its position in Boston was largely the result of favorable timing for both Apple and Boston.
The store boasts a number of interesting features, including a green turf roof and a rainwater collection system that will help rebuild Back Bay’s water table. Boston’s Mayor, Tommy Menino, gave props to Apple for the new store, which brings 165 new jobs to the area.
Most striking to me, however, is the spiral staircase in the middle of the store, which spans all three floors, wrapped around a central glass column. The top of the column is open, and as I remarked to Shawn King, it was really only a matter of time before kids started chucking change, keys, and pretty much anything else they could get their hands on down there. And man, once they’re down there, they’re gone, man.
If you’re feeling the need to truly immerse yourself in new Apple Store info, you can grab more details from my story over at Macworld, take a look at the pictures I snapped, or listen to me gab over on the latest episode of Your Mac Life.
The store opens to the public tonight at 6PM ET, when the thronging crowds will no doubt attempt their best to see how many people it will take to collapse the spiral staircase.
cool. can't wait to check it out!