Apple's coming out party in Boston and the ever evolving Boylston Street

Thursday, May 15th Apple will open their largest retail store in the United States at 815 Boylston Street (across from the Prudential). The new 20,000 square foot building incorporates several ‘green’ concepts and promises to become a destination for shoppers, gawkers and Apple power users.

Ten years ago when I moved back to Boston that area of Boylston Street was flanked by J.C. Hillary’s and a former gas station that had been converted into a small parking lot. The opposite side of the street had a small Star Market grocery store and an access road to the Prudential Mall underground parking lot. The J.C. Hillary's and defunct gas station has been replaced with trendy shops and restaurants like Anthropologie and Abe & Louie's and a building built but never used by Planet Hollywood now houses Fidelity Investments and Priscilla's of Boston. The Mandarin Boston creates an impressive facade where the grocery store and parking lot entrance once was. You could say the cheap has been replaced by the chic.