First-Ever Harry Potter Flagship Store to Open in New York City
Written for: The Leaky Cauldron
Warner Bros. announced today in a press release and new Twitter account (@HarryPotterNY) their plans to open the world’s first official Harry Potter flagship store in New York City this Summer 2020. Soon to be located at 935 Broadway, the flagship store promises to span three floors and over 20,000 sq. ft, making it the “largest collection of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beast products in the world under one roof.” Sitting right across the street from New York City’s iconic Flatiron Building, 935 Broadway run the length of 22nd Street between 5th Avenue and Broadway (for those well-versed on NYC retail — that’s a lot of window space!).
Opening Summer 2020, Harry Potter New York will be the world’s first official Harry Potter flagship store, bringing the Wizarding World to the heart of New York City. Sign up to our newsletter to be the first to find out more! https://t.co/afxEPDWJ4P ⚡ #HarryPotterNY pic.twitter.com/5dqFw6DI2P
— Harry Potter Store New York (@HarryPotterNY) January 9, 2020
Promising everything from personalized robes to a brand-new range of house wands with a design exclusive to the New York location, the opening of this flagship store marks the continued expansion of Warner Bros. owned Wizarding World experiences into new territories. As Sarah Roots, the SVP of Worldwide Tours and Retail for Warner Bros., states in the press release:
“This will be the largest dedicated Harry Potter store in the world and will become a must-visit fan destination where Harry Potter enthusiasts can engage with interactive experiences and numerous photo opportunities as they step into the magic… We are very excited to be opening in New York. It’s the ideal city in which to launch with so many dedicated Wizarding World fans, a cutting-edge retail environment and a community that embraces innovative experiences.”
With a host of existing Harry Potter stores operating under the Warner Bros. name around the world, including the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter and Platform 9 ¾ retail shop, many American wizards gleefully welcomed the news of their new neighbor, but not before a few NYC Muggles had anything to say about it. As reported by The Wall Street Journal earlier this week, members of Manhattan’s Community Board 5 (the Flatiron District) voted against the proposed storefront design which included “adding a fiberglass dragon with a clock, two backlit Harry Potter signs and six flagpoles, designed to look like wands, to the building’s facade.”
Since 935 Broadway is a landmarked building, making exterior changes such as this requires approval from New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, prior to which they will refer such requests to the community boards below them for a recommendation before making a final decision. The designs, created by the design firm Studio Superette, were labeled by Manhattan’s Community Board 5 as representing “inappropriate signage” and voted unanimously to recommend against approval. The full community board will vote on the design later this month before moving on to the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Call us biased, but Studio Superette has Leaky’s full vote of approval!
The Leaky Cauldron has reached out to Warner Bros.’ press team for further plans and details on the new flagship store. We will continue to keep our readers updated with all the exciting news to come. In the meantime, start saving your pennies!
1/9/2020
