Apple signed a lease last month on a storefront in the Highland Village Shopping Center, a source tells Swamplot. Houston’s first-ever not-in-a-mall Apple Store is heading for the street-front retail block that houses Paper Source and Sprinkles Cupcakes, across Westheimer from the old Tootsies, in a location that formerly housed the Gap. But which side of that building? There’s evidence of construction activity on the west end of the block (shown in the foreground above), but rumors dating from last summer — as well as the “partial” exterior demo permit for the space that appeared in this morning’s list of demolitions — point to the east side of the structure, adjacent to the shopping center’s Drexel St. driveway. That’s where this older map from Gary Allen’s Apple retail fan website had placed it:
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- Apple Stores Now & In the Future [ifo Apple Store]
- Highland Village Shopping Center coverage [Swamplot]
Photo: Jenny Staff Johnson. Map: ifo Apple Store
Yay! Finally I won’t have to go into the Galleria every time I want to have my Mac serviced!
Yea…I hate going into malls. Another reason I am in love with City Centre and Town & Country.
Cool. I really like what’s happened to that whole area. It has a very upscale vibe. Oh, and 2727 Kirby makes me swoon.
From Jackson:
Yay! Finally I won’t have to go into the Galleria every time I want to have my Mac serviced
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Every time you have to have your Mac serviced? Hmmm sounds like the product sucks.
I’m actually not so sure I want it there…Highland Village already has tiny parking lots and I hate trying to park there in the evening. Not sure if I want all of the fanboy traffic bothering me while I shope at BR, C&B, etc.
(written from my 24″ iMac)
I’ll be sticking to driving out to Memorial City. I hate parking at Highland Village to begin with, and I’m just not trendy enough :-)
And Dan, I work at a company that has to have three IT staffers for the PCs, none for the Macs.
(written from my 17″ MacBook Pro)
Fernando, the old Tootsie’s is supposed to become a multi-level parking garage. Hopefully that will alleviate some of the parking mess at HV.
It’s a lot closer and my husband hates going to the Galleria location. Please don’t anyone tell him about it.
Thankfully nobody from the Heights will shop here thanks to their adversity to traffic flow and things like that in order to keep the area orderly.
Good luck parking here.
Seriously.
Every time I dash into Keihls or Cole Hahn it’s a crap shot for a parking spot.
Darby Mom,
A lot closer? What? 2.3 miles closer?
Oy
I think this is great – that said I hope management forces PF Changs to move its valet post so people realize there is already a huge free garage to park in!!!
Parking garage? Tells you how long it’s been since I went to the Village.
I just might have to take off my ratty lawn sneakers and dust off my big girl dress-up clothes to mess up traffic at the new Apple store after all! ;-)
Keihls, Cole Hahn, Sprinkles and Apple? Fab-u-lous.
Mike:
The valet posts at Highland Village are for all shoppers–not just the restaurants and it is free.
The garage you are talking about has both free parking and valet. The valets are stationed near the eateries because they generate the most traffic. Whatever you do, don’t park at Walgreens
and cut throught the shrubs.The tow company has spotters and they do tow on weekends.
I always preferred the Apple department at Micro Center. No Dealing with those know-it-all punkish Apple employees, either. And, how often do you need to get a Mac serviced, anyway??
What, Walmart wasn’t an incendiary enough topic so you had to raise the spectre of a PC/Mac debate? Thats below the belt.
(Written from my Dell M6500)
Don’t get me started on valet parking. If there are no “free” spots left, I have no problem flattening a valet’s orange cone. I dare them to go tell the store’s manager.
I’m thinking they went the East side of the building because the Westside would be an oven if they go with the whole glass box design they have been building. Although, I would pay money to see melting Macs… and cheese…. Macs and Cheese sound good… Oh sorry, ADD hitting hard today,
Sorry Jimbo, I couldn’t resist :-)
FYI, I appreciate both…I have an Android phone, God forbid.
Can anyone say traffic nightmare! As if the Houston finest didn’t have to more to do- the additional congestion of an Apple store is only going to make matters worst. Good for the area bad for traffic.
The Apple store will be on the Drexel (east) side of the building.
P.S. Restoration Hardware is relocating to the west side of this building.
@HW: Yep, the garage has been there for a while. Every time I try to hit up Ra Sushi or C&B, I end up parking there b/c it’s a nightmare trying to find parking elsewhere.
And like others have said…I hate the idea of “free” valet parking at HV.
how in the Sam Houston will everybody park???
People that complain about parking at Highland Village are the perfect example of lazy. Just park in the garage and walk. With a second garage going in and more second level stores planned, it should get better.
I don’t use macs, but I do go to Micro-Center and I have to admit that is a much better place to do anything with Apple than their stores. Sure, it ain’t trendy, but much more convenient.
I call B.S…. The Apple store at the Galleria is *blocks* away. Why add a second store just down the street?
Caribou,
The reason for another Apple store is the same reason there is another Banana Republic, Victoria Secret, Walgreens, a restaurant that serves steak, etc……there are plenty enough people to support it.
Hell, there is about 15 Starbucks within a 1mile radius of Westheimer and Post Oak.
Caribou, it’s a fact.