It may sound like the definition of #firstworldproblems, but some residents of New York’s Upper East Side aren’t happy that they’re about to get a gorgeous new Apple Store on their doorstep, according to a petition.
In fact, they’re mad as hell — and they’re not gonna take it anymore!
As we reported recently, Apple is currently planning to add a new iconic retail store to its already impressive list of NYC real estate properties, with the conversion of a beautiful former bank building and art gallery dating back to 1921. Located at 940 Madison Ave., the 9,000-square-foot building (along with a handy vault in the basement) is set to open in late 2015 — unless protesters have their way, that is.
What are the protesters rebelling about? Well, to quote Marlon Brando’s character in The Wild One, “What have you got?”
In a long laundry list of complaints, the Upper East Siders describe the upcoming store as “fundamentally the wrong store in the wrong place.” In particular, they are concerned about “long lines of customers, as has happened at other Apple stores,” the arrival of “mobs” of would-be iPhone buyers, the disruption of delivery vans, and the nuisance of people “camping out” to be the first to get their hands on the latest Apple product:
“At each Apple ‘launch’ of a new ‘i’ product, people have lined up for days in advance, with chairs, sleeping bags, clothing, and food packages, to be the ‘first’ to buy the new product. Apple ‘i’ products are rapidly becoming a cult phenomenon. (There is now an ‘iPhone 6 Mini’ on the way.)”
Even seemingly positive benefits of Apple Stores, such as free classes and concerts, provoke ire. “To attract more customers, the Apple stores hold regularly scheduled daily workshops and other events, such as classes on the use of its movies, creation of ‘icloud’ accounts, and development of soft-wear [sic] programs,” the complaint reads. “In a world that is becoming covered in code, there is no telling how extensively Apple will develop in the future, or at what expense to its ‘neighbors.'”
On the live music front, the critics note how, “With no announcement, or permit, an in-store rock concert was recently held one evening at the Apple Prince Street store, and it attracted hundreds of teen-agers [sic] screaming for the band.”
Then it’s on to complaints about the actual building itself, with shock and disgust at the fact that “the flagpole attached to the building will now not display a flag but instead will have a huge banner with the Apple logo.” Mud is also flung at Apple for apparently beginning interior construction work before any of the required permits were issued.
“When issued, Apple then failed to have any permit displayed on the building or sidewalk fence, as required by both the Building Code and the Landmark Commission Rules, and as required by the permits themselves. Complaints about these violations were made and Apple’s contractor was forced to post permits,” the complainants write.
The accusations then end with the group likening a new Apple Store to McDonald’s, asking if “a large eat-in and take-out fast food store on the corner of Madison Avenue and 74th Street, would that ever happen? No way! It would never be permitted to open its doors! Why should Apple?”
So far, the petition has gained 325 signatures, although organizer George Osborne says he expects to reach 500 signatures soon. While the group has no intention of bringing a criminal public nuisance proceeding against Apple, it is planning to stage a sidewalk demonstration in front of the future store entrance on East 74th Street — “perhaps a few hours each Saturday.”
You can read the whole complaint against “teen-agers”, “rock concert[s]” and “soft-wear programs” here (.pdf).
Via: ifoAppleStore
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
29 responses to “Some New Yorkers are mad as hell about new Apple Store”
I get it but don’t Apple stores also usually bring buttloads of new business due to increased traffic to the area. The people in grand central complained about the rent breaks Apple was getting until their traffic went up like 40% or something.
That’s the key. The upper east side doesn’t want more business. They want their neighborhood to remain primarily residential.
I can’t say I wouldnt feel the same way if this happened in the middle of my neighborhood..I guess I would need to consider if my NIMBYness was rational and fair… and in this case I think it is.
What a bunch of damn whiners.
It’s a more affluent area where they don’t want too many people disrupting their neighborhood. I can’t say I agree or disagree with them, but I do know that they OBVIOUSLY have concerns and some sound valid, at least from THEIR point of view. Apple has to figure out how to integrate into certain areas and if there are enough wealthy people in that area, they know how to get laws passed to meet their needs.
Lets say you dumped millions of dollars on a house/condo and right across the street there were lines of people camping out, which could affect the property value since it might be harder to sell your house/condo when the time comes because of that. Wouldn’t you be concerned about it? Retail stores in the area can affect property value and may disrupt your life in the area that you live in. THINK ABOUT IT.
Yeah, but these people only really live there 4 or 12 weeks out of the year anyway. Ever drive up Madison, 5th or Park at night? Take notice of all the dark windows, which probably means nobody’s home? I have, I used to live in the hood. The old folks there are generally nice, but they fiercely resist any change big or small, good or bad.
Apple usually does a good job of improving the aesthetic of the neighborhood. Yes – for 24 hours it might be a zoo; but rest assured that after the line goes away, the streets and sidewalks will be cleared and cleaned. But if the nice wealthy condo owners don’t like it, we can repurpose the site for a tall, ugly, low-income housing project.
Improve the aesthetic of one of the fanciest neighborhoods in Manhattan? Ever been to the Upper East Side?
If it only happened for a few days and only every couple of years? No, I wouldn’t be that concerned. Life ain’t perfect every day … esp. in a large city like NYC.
Bunch of old rich ladies and old rich codgers afraid of the inevitable future, chock full of wiz bang electronics and technology. I can’t wait to see their picket line. Bunch of old people in wheel chairs and oxygen tubes quietly napping in from of the construction site.
They’ll just buy some politicians to change laws. That’s typically how the RICH do things. Poor people picket, rich people buy politicians to change laws in their favor. Wake up. :-)
I know quite a few RICH and none of them are able to “buy some politicians to change laws.” You obviously know little about the rich. Don’t automatically assume that rich means evil.
Who live in the neighborhood and are exercising their rights.
Let me get this straight. With all the problems in this country, and in NYC alone, these people are getting bent about an Apple Store? Talk about your 1st world problems. Ridiculous.
The closer the issue is to where they live, the more they will give a crap. Would you like it if the area where you live automatically got a LOT busier because of a store opening up? Take your bias towards Apple out of the picture for a second.
There are already shops up and down Madison including “eat-in and take away.”
Whiners kicking people off “their” hill.
Yes, for the money paid.. it IS their hill. It’s owned property, and they have to pay for maintenance as well. They are also responsible for the upkeep. You can bet that if it were me living there, and there were nasty cardboard boxes lined up on my property, with people camping out in them, rubbish and food spills all over, on what was once sterling, I’d have a water hose turned on them real fast.
I totally agree with this protest. Nobody deserves hundreds of anal retentives camping on the pavement, and all the other disturbance claims, except perhaps other anal retentives. Mind you we are talking about New York here and it is my own opinion that anyone who would like to live in that infernal place has to be completely off the rails to start with. Q.E.D.
What the hell is the iPhone 6 Mini!??!
It runs the latest soft-wear.
Wow with 350 on the petition , I think apple is doomed. If I was them I would go and file for bankruptcy right now.
And… and… get off my lawn!!!!
The Upper East Side has been waging a war against the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries for years.
Wow, that complaint describes New York City to a T. What’s the problem.
These a-holes realize they live in NEW YORK F**KING CITY, right?
Its hard to argue that these residents didn’t know any better. When buying property in an area so busy as NYC for multimillion dollars its just common sense to look at the zoning codes in the immediate and surrounding area and know that in a free market society any company that wishes to purchase that building has the right to do so as long as they meet all the city ordinances and codes. If they want to fight this battle they need to fight it on what those codes and ordinances are instead of individually against a company.
Apple could flip the property, sell it to Redmond and turn it into a MicroSoft store. Problems solved.