Sheri Kaplan picked a green apple, an appletini — and a chance to send a message directly to Steve Jobs aimed at bringing a retail Apple to downtown New Haven.
Kaplan (pictured), director of operations at the Shubert theater, was one of a few dozen city enthusiasts who gathered at Artspace Thursday for an evening of courtship. The man they were wooing, Apple’s CEO, didn’t make it to the party. So city staff, with digital cameras, videotaped messages to send to him from people in the crowd.
The offbeat event was sponsored by the city and other local partners who’d like to see an Apple computer store move downtown.
Kaplan was told that because she picked a green apple, it was her time in the video-spotlight. A theater denizen, she had no fear. She looked into a handheld camera.
“This is your opportunity,” she told Jobs.
Kaplan described herself as in a “between” generation: Born in the time of 8‑tracks, but not too old to learn how to shuffle an mp3. She said she might be willing to learn — if there were an Apple store closer to home.
Off-camera, she told of how she came close to buying an iPhone — but veered away after a lesson from a friend.
“My friend got an iPhone,” she said. She programmed her numbers in and showed off the flashy display. But when it came time for an incoming call, ring ring! “We couldn’t unlock it,” Kaplan said, laughing. “We tried to hit it, shake it, we couldn’t figure it out.”
A couple days later, the friend was at a Broadway show. She thought she had put it on vibrate. Then, just at a serious moment of drama, ring ring! “She couldn’t turn it off. She’s running down the aisle, handing it to the usher. He couldn’t turn it off. She said — just take it. I’ll be back for it.”
After her friend’s Broadway slip-up, Kaplan was hesitant to buy the new gadget. She said she doesn’t have any Apple products, but she just might be willing to switch — if she didn’t have to schlep on the highway to find an Apple store.
The nearest Apple store to New Haven is in Farmington, near Hartford. City economic development officer Richard Yao wants to see one downtown. So he pulled together some donors — apples from Lyman Orchards, a space from Artspace, and an iPod from the Economic Development Corporation. The videos will be edited and sent to Steve Jobs as well as Apple’s director of retail, Yao said.
He recruited Phil Lique of 116 Crown to shake up $6 appletinis, made with cider, simple syrup and bisongrass vodka.
Robin Swartout (pictured) showed up with an iPhone named Robin. She’s a senior development associate at Becker + Becker, the developers of the Shartenberg site just around the corner from the gallery. Becker + Becker co-sponsored the event. (Click here to see all the sponsors.)
“We would love to see an Apple Store in town — especially at our site,” said Swartout. The Shartenberg project, aka 360 State, will have room for a grocery store, and a medium-sized retail store such as a bike shop. If a second phase of the development is carried out, it would include a prime retail spot on the corner of Orange and Chapel Streets. Swartout said the developers sent Apple some info about the business opportunity, but they haven’t yet heard back.
Construction began last week on 360 State, and is expected to be complete in about two years.
Meanwhile, Daisy Abreu (pictured), interim director of the Town Green Special Services District, showed Kaplan a few tricks on her red razor iPod. She showed her how, as she turned the gadget 90 degrees, Bjork‘s head turned, too. Then they left for some quality face time, over dinner at a downtown restaurant.
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!