As of tomorrow, there will be a brand new tourist trap in New York City – located inside what is already one of the biggest tourist attractions.
The new Apple Store, nestled inside Grand Central Terminal, will be a mammoth part of the city’s transit hub which is otherwise dominated by tiny knick-knack shops and ticket machines, is set to officially open its doors at 10 AM for the grand opening.
A massive 23,000 square feet have been set aside for the store. The rent is rumored to be as much as $1 million or more. In addition, Apple had to pay $5 million to buy out the remainder of a lease that belonged to the previous Grand Central tenant that occupied the space.
Apple had some logistical difficulties to work out, which included negotiating its way into making minor adjustments to the historic landmark, but in the end it was able to build the new retail haven in a matter of months. Pretty impressive.
“Beyond the balcony overlooking the expansive Main Concourse, the Apple Store Grand Central offers rooms dedicated to some of our most popular services, including the largest area in the world dedicated to Personal Setup. In the Personal Setup room, customers who buy an iPad, iPhone, iPod or Mac can get up and running before they leave the store,” described Apple in a press release.
There are no special sales or promotions tied to the new store opening, and there won’t need to be. Grand Central has one of the highest concentrations of consistent year-round pedestrian foot traffic in the world.
