Betaworks now has an office and I needed a new mac for my apartment (the old one is going to the office). If you’re not familiar with it, Apple has a 24 hour store on 59th and 5th ave in New York City. I decided to go there at 3am and buy my mac.

During the day, the 5th ave store is packed. There are people buzzing everywhere, using the free internet, listening to music, playing with iPhones, etc. Lines to buy things are painfully long and just try to get a Genius Bar appointment.

When I walked in at 3am, there was virtually nobody there (that was expected) and Apple employees outnumbered the people in the store. They had around 15 people in red shirts walking around. The Genius Bar was empty with a couple of experts ready to help any zombies with computer problems. The rest of the population was as follows:

• Internet users: Checking craigslist for apartments, checking their e-mail, looking for jobs.
• Stoned people: Like a moth to a bright light, the Apple store apparently attracts high people. I smelled it on at least 3 people.
• Buyers: It appeared that a few people were buying things.

When I told an employee I’d like to buy a computer, she looked at me a bit funny. I’m guessing they don’t sell too many at night. She also informed me that they get paid more to work the graveyard shift.

Overall, I’d recommend going at 3am. It’s so artificially bright that you get a Casino effect in your brain and forget that it’s the middle of the night. You’ll also have zero lines anywhere and a strong Apple employee to people ratio of 3:1 (instead of the normal 1:500). And of course, great people-watching.