Photos: The Big Apple's new big Apple (store)

NEW YORK--At 6 p.m. EST Friday, Apple will officially throw open the doors to its third Manhattan retail store on the corner of West 14th Street and 9th Avenue in the Meatpacking District. The neighborhood, once known for exactly what its name suggests, has now become a chic shopping and nightlife hub for both tourists and locals

Don't expect anything shocking about the interior--the design inside looks, well, like an Apple store. But the trademark glass staircase is the only one in any Apple retail location (so far) that extends for three stories rather than two, Apple Senior Vice President of Retail Ron Johnson noted to the press in a preview event on Thursday.

Captions by Caroline McCarthy, CNET News.com.