i work for signature restaurants, george perrier's collection of philadelphia-area restaurants. rent had become extremely expensive at that location, which exacerbated the economic downturn keeping people from frequenting high-end restaurants. A good portion of the staff didn't even know they were closing up to and including the day they closed their doors. The location is in a great area, good shops, very central. The actual city really could use an Apple store downtown, not just in a surrounding suburb.

This is certainly a nice spot in Center City Philly, convenient for my gf if she ever has MacBook problems and I'm not visiting, as she's up Broad St. at Temple University.

The Mike Douglas Show studio was taped in that building which housed the old KYW TV studios. John and Yoko, Totie Fields, you name it where there.

for Apple to keep opening stores in this economy and especially since it's share price keeps dropping due to downgrades? Wouldn't it be better for Apple just to hold off on building stores for a while? I know Apple can afford to build the stores, but the stores must have quite a bit of overhead. If the analysts are even close to right, Apple will be doing well to just break even on running the stores.

I'm tired of having to make a special trip on traffic-choked suburban roads to visit an Apple store when I'm in downtown Philly so often.

Then buh-bye, Apple retailers Spring Board Media (2200 Walnut St.); Bundy should survive though...

Actually I think it's very practical. They always seem to do well with their stores. Plus, in this downturn, with cheaper cost of labor and construction, it's the best time to build a store and sign a lease, because you can use your cash leverage to get everything at a decent price. There is no competition.

And all the while that other people are closing down their stores, Apple is opening them. By the time the economy gets back up, Apple will have established enough stores to cover the entire population.

Apple is cutting up the customer pie even smaller....We retailers who kept Apple floating for all those years are getting the shaft...This will be the third store in a 20 mile radius of one another.... Super!

Latest news: the deal is done. the project is moving. the address is not 1619. Close but no cigar.