New Haven Independent

Posted by: snootchiebootchie | October 10, 2008 9:42 AM

They're not going to put an Apple store in town just because you beg. They would, if anything, evaluate the market and determine whether there is any money to be made. Perhaps with Yale's presence you'll get their ear. But really Yale nor Apple needs such a setup. Apple enterprise salesman can offer far more services than a local retail outlet anyhow. And I bet Yale has IT staff to fix their own computers. Having a local retail shop service them wouldn't make any sense.

You can be sure if Yale doesn't campaign hard for the store, you'll never get one.

New Haven is done son! Get out while you can!

Posted by: New Haven resident | October 10, 2008 10:16 AM

New Haven needs more real jobs - not more retail. Retail is low pay, bad hours, and no benefits. It is tough to support a family with a job in retail.

This city needs more professional jobs, light manufacturing, etc. We need jobs that pay 40, 50 and 60k salaries with benefits. Retail just creates more traffic and consumers with more debt on credit cards.

Posted by: retro | October 10, 2008 11:20 AM

Pishposh newhaven resident

the apple facade looks pretty + it will make people feel like they are living in a "real" city.

Posted by: JSJ | October 10, 2008 11:37 AM

Cute, but meanwhile, I can't find a place downtown to buy a pair of sunglasses to replace the ones I just lost. Paul, if I grab a beach blanket, a pile of sand and a margarita, would you mind meeting me by the Green with your video camera?

Posted by: Alphonse Credenza | October 10, 2008 12:19 PM

An Apple franchise is a Dunkin Donuts for the IT crowd.

Posted by: Bad Press | October 10, 2008 1:55 PM

The worst part about the begging nature of this pitch from E.D. is that it makes New Haven look needy and deserving of Snootchie Bootchies comments...regardless...New Haven is not "done".
It's just beginning. We'll write you a post card Snootchie Bootchie and let you know how it goes - CYA.

Additonally, this is an inefficient use our tax dollars. Richard, can we have a refund?

Posted by: Jay | October 10, 2008 2:29 PM

There's not the first with this idea. It was floated by the city's economic development departmenrt more than a year ago. Our downtown didn't fit the Apple profile. Almost all their stores are in large malls.A pity......

Posted by: JP | October 10, 2008 2:51 PM

They looked down town 2 years ago at the corner of chapel and orange but decided the bus stops made it to low brow for an apple store.

Posted by: pedro | October 10, 2008 4:06 PM

Apple is not really any sort of "trailblazer." They like to insert themselves into high-end retail districts around other high-end retail, hence their presence in the Stamford Town Center and the West Farms Mall.
Upper broadway, near to J.Crew and Urban Outfitters might be a good fit, but I think that a more likely spot would be if they put an upscale mall in the new 10th Square development, or, much more likely when gateway moves and the entire district from IKEA all the way down to Church Street Extension is opened up for development.

Economy aside, this area is definitely in need of a retail district that can accomodate a large variety of retailers.
I think that a multi-use area such as Blue Back square in West Hartford might be an excellent development to place in one of several areas near downtown, both filling in empty space and expanding downtown itself.

Posted by: elm-lovingbulldog | October 10, 2008 4:10 PM

An Apple store would be a very positive development for New Haven's downtown. Beyond its most obviously apparent benefit--providing those interested in Apple with goods and services--an Apple store would also add greatly to downtown's vibrancy.

An Apple Store would contribute to job creation. An increasingly vibrant downtown will encourage more people to live in New Haven. Greater numbers of downtown residents will spur not only further retail development and increased tax revenue, but also it will add to New Haven's already impressive human capital. Some of these new residents may in fact turn out to be those providing new professional jobs and jobs in light manufacturing.

On another note, stores such as Apple would do well to start thinking out of the box. Sure, the usual model of an Apple store (a store of X size in a shopping mall) has worked well for the company in the past; sure, the "big box" model has worked well for other chains in the past. However, these past successes do not imply that future successes cannot be had with new models. As an Apple fan, Yale student and proud New Haven resident, I firmly believe that Apple could be extremely successful in downtown New Haven. (Trader Joe's would also do well to look into downtown.)

Great event and great ideas!

Posted by: pedro | October 10, 2008 4:59 PM

These are all such great ideas. I wish I could have attended this event. I think what is really needed is to get the attention of a retail developer, similar to what happened with Blue Back (which is essentially a partnership of several companies and the city), or even someone like CBL (the milford marketplace folks). Heck, maybe we even should get back in contact with William, Jackson, and Ewing, (who were going to redevelop the Chapel square mall) and try to get them on board (http://www.wjeinc.com/ get those emails going!).
A retail district needs a developer who has the national pull to bring retail into their development. If we can find one who wants to set foot into New Haven, similar to the myriad of residential developers setting foot here, we'd be much further along the path than we are currently.

Posted by: DAFeder | October 10, 2008 7:51 PM

I've never been able to figure out why Apple wouldn't jump to put a store in New Haven, even with the challenges mentioned here. In addition to being useful (I'm buying a Mac next week), having an Apple Store downtown would add to our hip, cosmopolitan air. But honestly -- I'm just as happy to know New Haven has a resident named "Snootchie Bootchie!"

David

Posted by: Ian C | October 10, 2008 10:05 PM

Apple store first then a Ben and Jerry's next

Posted by: Alphonse Credenza | October 11, 2008 1:42 PM

And after Ben and Jerry's and then any other mind-numbingly boring pseudo high-end national corporate franchise that Americans flock to for want of imagination and taste.

Go find the local creative independent businesses and patronize them. They do more for the growth of a genuine community than any of these cookie-cutter nouveau-riche fantasies.

Posted by: susan | October 11, 2008 8:13 PM

I've heard that Trader Joes is coming to North Haven soon, where exactly I haven't heard. I'd rather see it downtown, but they typically look for lower rents in strip malls.

Posted by: David Streever | October 12, 2008 1:59 AM

This was a fun event--I don't own any apple products, but I do think it'd be a great way to bring more people into downtown from surrounding areas.

Posted by: A reader | October 12, 2008 1:28 PM

I guess it's a good thing that New Haven is actively trying to bring businesses into town, but really, all this for an Apple store? Yes, it will look pretty, but what does it really add to the daily experience of living and working downtown? You know what would make me feel like I live in a 'real city'? How about a restaurant (besides Mamoun's) that will serve me dinner past 10 p.m.? How about a downtown grocery store? How about a clothing store that doesn't cater to 22-year-old shoppers with more money than brains or middle-aged suburban ladies?

(If I may digress for a moment: Enough obsessing about Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, already. Are we so insecure that we need an approved 'cool' grocery store just to make us feel good about our city? A regular old IGA -- anybody remember those? -- would do the job just fine. )

By the way, I say all this as someone who rather enjoys living in New Haven.

Posted by: new haven biker | October 12, 2008 2:00 PM

OMG Streever! But if they bring in more people from surrounding areas, that means more cars! Nooooooooooooooooooooo!

Posted by: David Streever | October 12, 2008 11:43 PM

for groceries, limon is a short bike trip away, and edge of the woods does just fine....

New Haven Biker:
ZOMG! How can we handle it! What about people who take the train in, bike in via the newer routes that will connect westville to downtown, & those who will park at satellite parking lots and walk/mass-transit in, and, finally the bus crowd?

Let's think positive! Make incentives to come, & when people realize the disincentive (how hard it is to drive here) maybe they will take other methods?

Just for the record, I'm not anti-car ;-)