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After last week's news that the Old Georgetown Board rejected a design proposal for an Apple store along Wisconsin Avenue for the fourth time, rumors are floating around that the computer manufacturer's iconic store might end up elsewhere in the District.
The Examiner's Harry Jaffe wrote on Friday that frustrated city officials looking to land the city's first Apple store might actually be helping find a location somewhere other than Georgetown:
My sources say [Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Neil] Albert is already working with Apple to look beyond Georgetown. "We want them," Councilman Jim Graham tells me. Graham represents Ward 1, in the city’s core along 14th Street north of downtown. “We can put them on U Street, or Adams Morgan or Columbia Heights. We have Metro access. We’ve got locations where they can truly prosper.”Would we be surprised if our first Apple store ended up somewhere else in town? Not at all. The design aesthetic that has made the stores as recognizable as they are would surely fit in better in Chinatown than it would in Georgetown. As for Adams Morgan or U Street, that seems more like wishful thinking from Graham. There's always the up-and-almost-coming H Street NE, right?
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Um, U Street/14th St/Columbia Heights not centrally located. Metro Center China Block? Central! I vote there.
build the store on Roosevelt Island, or possibly at the bottom of the Potomac.
@Cuberat:
If Apple cared about the store being centrally located, they wouldn't have tried to put it in Georgetown.
I really feel for the real estate brokers on this deal...for a big deal like this to be so close to closing in such a down market, only to be repeatedly torpedoed by the Old Georgetown Board (who apparently prefer the look of a vacant store with "FOR LEASE" signs in whatever windows aren't boarded up) has to just be eating those folks up.
Georgetown IS centrally located--its in the midst of lots of shopping for rich people. No where else in the city has as much rich people shopping. The only place that comes as close in terms of foot traffic is China block. Hence the logic.
While thats a great suggestion McGillicuddy; I think the end result would only be greater praise on the maker of the Jesus Phone for being so innovative that they would even dare to build a store on the floor of a river!
MLK AVE!!!!
They should put it where the CVS use to be in Chinatown. That would be a perfect spot.
I heard that space was going to be a CVS again, they're just remodeling, but that was about a year and a half ago.
I agree. Their products are made in China so they might as well be sold in Chinatown.
downtown ward 7!
seriously, this is screaming to be placed somewhere on 14th street, between thomas circle and florida.
Put it in the middle of the reflecting pool. Only people who can walk on water could then access it (read: Obama).
BloMi
Apple is a true destination store, so location isn't really important. People rarely walk by and say "Hmm since I'm walking by this computer store I'll go buy a new mac!"
I'm all for putting it on H Street!
MLK & Good Hope SE.
Why not put it on 14th Street and G downtown in the old Washington National Bank building? It's the last unused building downtown and is already cube-shaped to make it easy for Apple to move right in.
because the armenian genocide museum of america is moving in there.
because the armenian genocide museum of america is moving in there.
Well that will generate a lot of foot traffic...IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
Like DC needs more genocide museums. I'd rather be locked in the American Museum of Musical Goatses after hours, when the Phantom of the Goatse Opera plays his goatse organ and the ventilation is busted so you pass out from the fumes. Then you wake up on the bathroom floor to discover it was ALL A DREAM and you've just been mixing ammonia and bleach again.
you been mixing more than that—maybe!
Y'know, I bought a pair of shoes at the closing sale for "Hahn Shoes," a.k.a. future site of the Armenian Genocide Museum at 14th & G. That was in 1992. The site has been vacant for 17 years. The Armenians need to let it go!! WTF?
Apple locates freestanding stores in existing shopping districts with heavy foot traffic - I can see them doing a 7th St store or maybe one on F, but 14th St is a real longshot and I don't think anywhere else in the District would even be a possibility.
Why not put it on 14th Street and G downtown in the old Washington National Bank building? It's the last unused building downtown and is already cube-shaped to make it easy for Apple to move right in.
Why not put it on 14th Street and G downtown in the old Washington National Bank building? It's the last unused building downtown and is already cube-shaped to make it easy for Apple to move right in.
Darn it -- sorry for the multiple comments. The comment system needs to be more clear when a comment goes through :/
There's a perfect empty space on 14th St. near the semi-new Garden District and Mitchell Gold-Bob Williams stores.
@EdTheRed,
You feel sorry for the real estate brokers? That's not a comment I was expecting here and am guessing that you are joking (did I miss the clues?). There are some good brokers out there surely, but my experience is that successful brokers are skilled in subterfuge. I am guessing that this story is partly driven by the brokers, regardless of whether or not Apple is seriously considering other locations.
Even though it's meaningless, my vote is for 14th St.
Further, I am sure that Apple will find a spot in the District and the G-town spot will ultimately be rented. So I think the both brokers will be fine.
14th St is not a long shot. It has the right amount of foot and car traffic. Parking is not a problem (in the garage) and the metro is right there. You also have 3 anchor tenants.
Perfect. There's already a new Bang and Olufsen there. Apple would be a good addition.
Ever wonder why the B&O store has a doorbell you have to ring just to gain entry? Come to think of it, so does that fancy-ass carpet store further south on 14th. What's with that?
Oh right, my neighborhood is full of shit bags.
What's with that Bang and Olufsen store anyway? People go in there and look around, but nobody EVER buys that overpriced, nonfunctional shit. I'm convinced that Bang and Olufsen is a front. Looks like the sort of place where rich people go to discreetly buy coke.
Virginia, I think you may be on to something. Maybe the doorbell is really a test. One ring coke, two rings heroin, three rings, cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war. Maybe!
I don't think apple or colubmia heights are quite ready for each other, close but not quite. Still, you never know.
Can we please get over this Apple vs. Georgetown battle?
It would be great if they located downtown, but Apple tends to put their stores near other high-end retail. If they don't choose Georgetown I see them building up Wisconsin Ave. in Friendship.
We have a couple open spots in Cleveland Park...jes sayin
A Georgetown Apple store seemed like an odd choice to me in the first place, considering there's already one just across the bridge in Clarendon.
Georgetown shot itself in the foot with all of it's greedy landlords. High rents chased out all of the interesting stores, and now only national chains can afford to be there. The result is that georgetown now offers the exact same shopping as any suburban mall, but with shittier parking. NOW they want to have standards on what kind of stores they let in? Boo Fucking Hoo georgetown -- it's too late to close that barn door, those horses are long gone.
A Georgetown Apple store seemed like an odd choice to me in the first place, considering there's already one just across the bridge in Clarendon.
Georgetown shot itself in the foot with all of it's greedy landlords. High rents chased out all of the interesting stores, and now only national chains can afford to be there. The result is that georgetown now offers the exact same shopping as any suburban mall, but with shittier parking. NOW they want to have standards on what kind of stores they let in? Boo Fucking Hoo georgetown -- it's too late to close that barn door, those horses are long gone.
A Georgetown Apple store seemed like an odd choice to me in the first place, considering there's already one just across the bridge in Clarendon.
Georgetown shot itself in the foot with all of it's greedy landlords. High rents chased out all of the interesting stores, and now only national chains can afford to be there. The result is that georgetown now offers the exact same shopping as any suburban mall, but with shittier parking. NOW they want to have standards on what kind of stores they let in? Boo Fucking Hoo georgetown -- it's too late to close that barn door, those horses are long gone.
I'm glad to hear that Apple was listening to my advice.
If Steve Jobs is still listening to my advice, my recommendation would be Penn Quarter or Chinatown. If you want something a little more moneyed than that, consider Dupont Circle or Friendship Heights. If you want something a little "hipper", and your schedule allows for a little bit of gentrification time before the store opens, Columbia Heights, Barracks Row, or U Street aren't necessarily out of the running. Adams Morgan, Cleveland Park, Navy Yard or H Street NE are not good suggestions. And I should be given a new Intel Mac.
and if mr. jobs is really ready to ride out the gentrification wave, there's a nice little bit of commerical space up in woodridge that would be PERFECT for an apple store.
sorry about those multiple posts... are they ever going to fix the system here where it works instead of just hangs?
What about Friendship Heights? Not as much foot traffic as Chinatown, but you've got the few remaining "I've got too much money" shoppers, it's Metro accessible, and it would be near Chadwick's so you could booze it up after buying iWhatever. It could go in the old Linens n Crap location.
problem is that the bethesda apple store is just a few blocks up the street. apple hasn't reached the point where they can saturate the landscape that much yet...
It is? Hmmm - I mostly hit the Montgomery Mall Apple store, which is douche central for the neighborhood (and yes, I'm counting myself amongst the douchy.)
careful—using the word "douche" over at hill rat's blog will get you called a misogynist!
I once heard rumors of an Apple Store in Union Station. I think that would be a great location. Does anyone know if its dead?
A Union Station Apple Store would be constantly full of loud teen loiterers looking at porn, yelling at the screen, and stabbing eachother. Kinda like the Tysons Corner store except, y'know, more stabby.
The property managers presented the future plans (redesigning traffic control and removing those ugly hedges, making the front more pedestrian friendly, etc) to a neighborhood association and the plans had Apple as a possible new shop, as well as Nike.
Adams Morgan, Cleveland Park, Navy Yard or H Street NE are not good suggestions.
Stop hatin' on H St.! The Auto Zone on H St. would be a perfect location for an Apple Store. They already have their own parking lot and it's right across the street from Granville Moore's and Sticky Rice, that's a match made in heaven. I also like the Union Station idea.
I ain't hatin', yo, and if I am I'm hatin' on the game, not the playa. Those neighborhoods just aren't good matches for Apple.
Adams Morgan is too drunken and litter-strewn. Cleveland Park doesn't have the foot traffic. Unless the Nats get unaccountably better, Navy Yard just won't develop within Apple's time frame. H Street NE won't work because I don't have a car.
(Union Station is an interesting idea, though. I am prepared to consider it in more detail; Apple, my bill for this additional consulting work will be a new iPod to go with my new Intel Mac.)
But if the Apple Store takes over the Auto Zone, where will I go to run my illegal car repair service? There are cheap gullible bastards all over NE counting on me to "fix" their hoopty using toiletpaper tubes, bailing wire, and pieces of feces.
Or maybe I should just start running an illegal computer repair service in the parking lot?
run it out of the autozone near 5th and rhode island...
I'd like it in Union Station, Columbia Heights, U St, and Chinatown, though in Columbia Heights, they'd have to put the store within a two block radius of 14th & Irving... I don't think the rest of the neighborhood has gentrified enough to the point where Apple would want to locate there just yet.
Friendship Heights is unlikely, since the Apple Store on Bethesda Row is very nearby and is slated to move into a larger space.
I would have thought Dupont Circle would have been a good locale
It belongs in HELL! But the bottom of the Potomac River would be my second choice.
It belongs in HELL!
So you're in favor of Georgetown?
We need to put it in a disposable location far removed from Downtown or any desirable area, so the hordes of Apple lemmings will gravitate away from the rest of us.
Thank goodness, because Gtown has been obnoxious about it (surprise surprise?). Its the sort of thing that benefits from foot traffic. I'd say Dupont or U Street. If they do U Street, I think it could totally take on a similar vibe to the SoHo location in NYC.
"build the store on Roosevelt Island, or possibly at the bottom of the Potomac."
hahah exactly.
There are a couple of for sale/lease buildings at 14th and T, next to Muleh. ONe is the old Georgetown Refinishing store (for sale or lease) and the other is the vacant store next to ICON. Those stores are incredibly large. THen you'd have Apple on one side and Room & Board on the other, enough to drive the Yuppie-hatin-Yuppies nuts.
Whoa, whoa, WHOA! You mean there's still only TWO places off 14th and T where I can get a $9,000 leather couch? WTF? When did SoYu go all ghetto?
I dunno, it seems like Apple's to blame on this - there are rules on how buildings can look in Georgetown because it's historic, the Old Georgetown Board kept telling Apple not to submit a big glass facade, and they kept doing it - 4 times. Other hip stores like Puma and Adidas did cool things with the interiors of their stores while keeping the outside Colonial, why can't Apple?
I know this post is late, but there is one point that I don't think anybody has brought up.
There is probably a popular perception that it's the Georgetown hoity toity snobs that are keeping Apple out.
The Old Georgetown Board is part of the Commission of Fine Arts, so they're part of the federally appointed aesthetic police.
I don't know, but it is entirely possible that the members of the Old Georgetown Board don't even live in Georgetown.
http://www.cfa.gov/georgetown/index.html
I know this post is late, but there is one point that I don't think anybody has brought up.
There is probably a popular perception that it's the Georgetown hoity toity snobs that are keeping Apple out.
The Old Georgetown Board is part of the Commission of Fine Arts, so they're part of the federally appointed aesthetic police.
I don't know, but it is entirely possible that the members of the Old Georgetown Board don't even live in Georgetown.
http://www.cfa.gov/georgetown/index.html
capitol hill! eastern market to be specific. thank you.
H St?! Last time I walked along H Street I was more worried about being mugged than finding an Apple store--what part of H street is "up and coming"?!
Anyway, my vote goes for Columbia Heights as far as the most logical choice, that's where a lot of yuppies like myself are living and shopping (and working out and ...) these days, and we're a large base of Apple customers. Chinatown (or China-block) would be a questionable place to put it, unless it could go in at the same site as the Bed Bath & Beyond and Regal Cinema.
U-St is a poor choice (in my humble opinion) because U (along 14th) is mostly known for clubbing and night life, not particularly for shopping (although I have never been there in day light, so I could be wrong about that!) The only way an Apple store would do well in that area is if they had a cash bar and were open late. *laughs*
Columbia Heights? Last time I walked along 14th Street I was more worried about being mugged than finding an Apple store--what part of 14th Street is "up and coming"?!
Bring the Apple Store to Columbia Heights, which is actually located in the heart of Washington, DC, it has a Metro station, lots of bus lines, and its surrounding neighborhoods are full with lots of computer savvy people, not just pretentious rich-wannabe old fashioned Georgetowners. I can see that store being successful... really.
It seems to me that Dupont is the obvious second choice -- it's close enough to GW, Georgetown, and AU that the college kids can all buy their computers there, it's close enough to downtown areas to be accessible(ish) to commuters, and it's predominantly populated with people who make enough money to afford to buy all the latest products. Chinatown strikes me as another good location but I imagine that Apple would want a prominent storefront on 7th St and I can't off the top of my head think whether there is a good spot for them available right now.
Please, please, please Apple -- come to Dupont!
go on ahead and put it near the Columbia Hts Metro...at least I don't have to walk so far to deal with those douches at the genius bar