Apple on the Piccadilly Line: Covent Garden Apple Store opens this weekend
Elbow your way through the tourists, punch a mime covered in spraypaint in the face and fight your way past other Apple fans to a new Apple Store, opening in Covent Garden this weekend
You'll soon be able to pick up a new iPhone, iPad or iMac in London's tourist-choked Covent Garden. A new Apple Store opens next weekend on the former site of the downmarket Rock Garden. It will reportedly be the biggest in Europe, set over three floors and housing Apple's European corporate office.
The store will open its doors at 10am Saturday 7 August. Rumours abound that Apple's grand vizier Steve Jobs may be there in person to christen the good shop Covent Garden.
Like many tourists, El Jobs could visit the area's many attractions: he could snap up new jeans on the strip of fashion-chain flagships on Long Acre or shop for a new turtleneck in the area's assorted vintage stores.
While he's there he can stop by such attractions as the London Transport Museum, roleplaying game shop Orcs Nest, and Pineapple Dance Studios. Maybe Jony Ive will take him for a pint at Belushi's afterwards.
The Covent Garden store joins Kingston, Brent Cross, White City and the current flagship store on Regent Street. Hopefully it will be the scene of many more all-night descents into the heart of darkness in queues for Apple's latest products. Only now with more mimes covered in spraypaint.
Keep up to date with all the Apple Store news you'll ever need at ifoapplestore.com, a blog dedicated to the white'n'wood gadget emporiums. Where's next for Apple? Here's some of our ideas.