Apple Store Toronto Opening May 21! - Page 19

MannyP Design · May 13th, 2005, 03:42 PM

Gmark... your powers of observation and deduction are scary.

Thusenth · May 13th, 2005, 03:45 PM

Good catch! I wish Apple would hurry up and announce the opening already.

gmark2000 · May 13th, 2005, 04:08 PM

I wouldn't call myself scary. When I saw the store last week, it looked good to go. Ohenri's pics show some huge holes in the floor.

I am surprised that there aren't more photos by others. We need to find out and confirm the true the opening date.

macgeek · May 14th, 2005, 12:25 AM

I am hoping for the 28th. I am from the states and have Monday off as a holiday. If I do come I will bring chocolate. Go to my site so you all can see what I look like so you can recognize me and I will reward you with chocolate. www.thedishongs.com
Also go here www.dddhome.com and listen to my podcast.
I really want to know the date so I can make hotel reservations. Any one know a good hotel close to where the store is?

Thanks,
Darrin

epsilon · May 14th, 2005, 12:44 AM

not sure what you classify as 'good'

Holiday Inn's are usually pretty good though --> http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hd/YYZTY (it's just west of the mall)

gmark2000 · May 14th, 2005, 02:23 PM

Here are the latest pictures from this morning. My mobility was hampered by the stroller I was pushing, but my toddlers were patient in my silly excursion.

First, the exterior of the Apple Store. The hoarding has been disconnected from the walls and this morning there was major work to be done on the bare wall on the left side. Apple was not satisfied with the look and requested it be redone. This section of wall is done with limestone slabs not stainless steel as previously reported. The workman said that this re-do is going to cost Apple a lot of money.

Here is a photo showing the limestone slabs to be installed.

I spoke with one of the workmen and he told me that all of the construction has to be completed with a drop dead of the 19th (this Thursday).

I ventured to attempt a frontal picture from the glass doors but a drywall partition blocked me from getting any closer.

As you can see there are makeshift coverings of cardboard to try and obscure the otherwise wide open cracks. This is the best picture I could take under the circumstances. I could observe that workers were completing the point-of-sale cabinets at the very rear of the store and, that the floor that was previous jackhammered a couple days ago has been repaired and replaced. The tables are still askew from their final positioning.

Continued....

gmark2000 · May 14th, 2005, 02:41 PM

I ventured down the rear service corridor to satiate my curiosity, pushing my stroller defiantly into the 'backstage' recesses.

It was about 50 metres to reach the light... the open door of the Apple Store.

I spoke with another workman who told me that the opening date is indeed May 21st with no uncertainty. (Clearly the reported signage of the June 4th opening was a bluff by either the construction guys or some of the Apple staff.) The Avaya phone system was being installed today.

I also spoke to a construction foreman who asked if I was from Apple to which I informed him that I was a contributor to an Apple website. He then said he knew who I was and cheerfully told me "you aren't going to step in the Store today".

I was made.

Here's a closer view.

Nevertheless, I could see the employee lockers, the microwave oven and the back room corridor where the stock will be cleverly stored in a rolling shelf system that would look somewhat like this:

Ohenri · May 14th, 2005, 02:42 PM

Amazing work agent gmark2000. We look fwd to your safe return...

H!

adagio · May 14th, 2005, 02:54 PM

gmark, you're amazing!!

Thanks for keeping us so well informed.

Looks like I'll be up in the wee hours of the 21st and on my way to Yorkdale.

How are we going to recognize each other? Will one of you bring a sign of some kind?

gmark2000 · May 14th, 2005, 02:54 PM

Okay, now that the opening date has been pretty much finalized for next Saturday, the 21st of May. Here's tips for the would-be persons who intend to camp out or attempt an early morning queue:

First, the stores in the mall opens at 9:30am on Saturdays. (I stand corrected - funny how you can get different info on this.) The Apple Store will open at 9:30am. Got it?

This is the closest door to the Apple Store, the south mall entrance.

Directly to the right of this mall entrance is a Casey's Restaurant that has free wireless internet. I can't purport to know the transmission range of this wireless network, so someone should bring their laptop to test it out in the interim.

Next, the nearest parking to the entrance is closed overnight...

I don't know the ramifications but you might have to have your vehicle in the compound before 11pm the night previous. This poses an issue for those planning an early morning venture versus an overnight one.

Last, for the information for Darrin who's hoofing it from Hershey, Pennsylvania and any other crazy Macheads traversing from out-of-town, there is a Holiday Inn directly across the street from the Yorkdale mall.