It's got two subway stations, is two stops away from a major regional transit hub, is connected to an underground tunnel system to avoid harsh winter weather, and is surrounded by some of the busiest foot traffic in the country. That's a favourable and fairly uncommon combination for an urban mall.
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Sources: Apple to Expand Crowded Eaton Centre Store in Toronto, More Evidence of Yonge-Bloor Flagship Emerges [Updated]
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Yup, it's Mapleview. Nice store, not too busy. About the same size as the Eaton Centre store if I recall.
The Eaton Centre store is tiny, and always insanely busy. A second downtown store would be a huge asset. They really need one in the east end as well. Scarborough Town Centre would be fantastic, as would Fairview Mall, both having subway AND highway access. If you live downtown, TEC is the only store easily accessible. Yorkdale, Square One, Sherway, and Markville are all way out of the way.
Fairview Mall has had one for quite a while now.
I have further information.
Apple negotiated aesthetic rights to the common area in front of their store. What this means is that Apple can install their tree planters and trees in front of the store rather than Eaton Centre’s plantings and furnishes.
Second: Apple’s new ground level space goes all the way to the western edge of the mall on to James Street. Currently, Abercrombie uses the back of their store for stock rooms. Apple might be looking ahead at a time when Old City Hall is redeveloped into the Museum of Toronto and James St is closed to traffic and becomes a pedestrian street or public square. Apple’s flagships have public plazas with seating, tables, and entertainment and other programming.
Finally, the biggest unknown is whether Apple will vacate their existing store. The space below the existing Apple Store matches the edge of the consolidated space where Apple is going. The south edge (Scotch & Soda) lines up with the second floor Apple Store. The northern edge of Abercrombie matches the edge of Lulu Lemon. Incidentally, Lulu Lemon has also been confirmed to be vacating its space. Ann Taylor is the only remaining space in between. If we find out that that store is closing as well, then there’s a very good case to to be made that Apple Eaton Centre will be a two story flagship.
This is so awesome. Having an outdoor facing entrance would make so much sense, especially there! There is already significant foot traffic along James Street and from an urbanistic point of view, having outdoor facing units is always better than just interior. Malls are being transformed everywhere from fully enclosed to being more integrated to their surroundings. Thanks for the info!
Not sure if Bloor and Yonge is realistic since that's now occupied by Nordstroms.
BTW, nice to see fellow Torontonians here.
Nordstrom is on the opposite side at the South East corner. This is at the base of the new tower being built on the South West corner.
One of the reason why I hate stepping foot into an Apple store, especially the Eaton's Centre location. So much cringe.
I've been in this store. It'll be interesting to see it after the change. This will be my first Apple store that I've been to before and after a change.
Everything old is new again.
When I was a little kid, I sadly watched all my favorite open air shopping plazas get converted into shopping malls to compete with the new malls being built in the 80’s. I finally became fond of those malls, but the ones that weren’t turned into Walmarts and Home Depots are being turned back into open air plazas.
All the Millennials and younger think this kind of open air plaza shopping is so new and trendy and I just marvel at how familiar it all seems.
However, it is a bit new to have residences mixed in among the shopping in some of these places. That’s an interesting modern touch. I prefer country living so I couldn’t live like that myself, but I can see how it would be appealing to outgoing, energetic people.
Lol! True. But I do have fond memories of my mom and I dashing into her favorite clothing store to get out of the rain or a freezing wind.
About forty minutes from my house there's an open air shopping district. It's actually called a mixed use development and they have an outdoor ice rink fairly centrally located that adds some festive seasonal cheer among all the shopping. It's taken down in the warm months and considering that we are technically a southern US state, I am impressed they make the effort. We usually don't get very long to enjoy it.
That is a very nicely designed shopping center.
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I have fond memories of doing this with my parents when I was a wee little child, too. It isn't fun when you're older! Thankfully we had a "warm" winter here even for this part of the state. High 40s beats the mid-low 30s from last winter. Or that prickly feeling once you leave a store that was set to 78*.
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I think New York does this, too. They setup a temporary rink during the winter in front of Radio City Music Hall or whatever they call it.
That's Rockefeller Center. It's a beautiful and absolutely iconic rink, I've been there and seen it.
We've got a similar rink in front of City Hall, right by the Eaton Centre. It even caught the eye of Japanese animators.
Yes! I wasn't sure but thought I had it right because it sounded "right." Thanks for the correction!That's Rockefeller Center. It's a beautiful and absolutely iconic rink, I've been there and seen it.
We've got a similar rink in front of City Hall, right by the Eaton Centre. It even caught the eye of Japanese animators.
It is nice. However, Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto and most Canadian outdoor rinks, have free admission.
It's still there and as small and packed as ever. Smells like dirty socks most of the time too...
This sure isn't a quick process. My closest store has been closed about 8 months now for these renovations, with no mention of when it might reopen. Luckily there is another store not too far away.
There were lots of articles about that new one in Chicago, a city Toronto surpassed a few years ago. We've got this tiny one downtown that people having been waiting a long time for an upgrade on.