New York City Subway Entrance Turned Into Fake Apple Store With Line for iPhone X

Improv Everywhere recently turned a New York City subway station entrance into a fake Apple Store, complete with both fake employees and customers lined up for the iPhone X. It shared the entire act on YouTube today.

fake apple store 1

Photo: Arin Sang-urai via Improv Everyhwere

The improv group started by affixing a large Apple logo to a glass elevator at the corner of East 23rd Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan, which actually leads down to trains on the Lexington Avenue Line.

Next, they had 50 fake customers line up along the sidewalk. Fake employees, wearing blue shirts with Apple logos, stood near the entrance to the elevator and cheered as people went down to the trains.


The whole scene attracted the attention of many onlookers, who were told a new Apple Store was opening in the subway station since Apple's iconic glass cube store on nearby Fifth Avenue is (actually) undergoing renovations.

The fake employees even tried to convince people to line up for the iPhone X. To make the act look more convincing, some of the fake customers came out of the elevator holding white bags while acting excited.

fake apple store 2

Photo: Arin Sang-urai via Improv Everyhwere

Many people that walked by were confused by what they were seeing, with some individuals stopping for interviews with fake camera crews. A few people even joined the queue for the iPhone X, as Improv Everywhere explains in a blog post.

A few people who believed us actually got in line to wait, hoping to get their hands on the iPhone X early. We were worried this might happen, and we really didn't want to waste anyone's time. So our Apple employees would tell people that we'd run out of phones, and only the first 50 people in line would get one.

The improv act looks to have occurred a few weeks ago, based on a Reddit discussion full of confused New Yorkers.

"Anyone know what Apple event is going on at the 23rd street 6 train stop in NYC?" one user wrote. "Walked by and there was a long line for the subway elevator, and Apple employees lined up welcoming people into it one at a time."

"Just spoke to one of the employees, looks like they're doing a silent iPhone X release to advertise the new store," another user replied.

In actuality, of course, the iPhone X doesn't launch until this Friday. Many actual customers are already starting to line up at stores around the world for a chance to purchase the device on a first come, first served basis.

The improv act was the idea of Josh Berger, Deanna Director, and Maggie McClurken, and directed by Improv Everywhere's Charlie Todd.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iphone 17 pro majin bu sky blue

iPhone 17 Pro Allegedly Coming in Sky Blue Color Used for MacBook Air

Tuesday April 22, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
Apple will unveil the iPhone 17 Pro in a new Sky Blue color, the same color that debuted on the latest M4 MacBook Air models Apple released in March. That's according to the leaker Majin Bu. Concept mockup from Majin Bu Writing on his website, Bu claims that "sources close to the supply chain confirm that several iPhone 17 Pro prototypes have been made in various colors, with Sky Blue...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...

Top Rated Comments

djeeyore25 Avatar
98 months ago
I break into applause every time the 6 train actually gets me to my destination.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tucom Avatar
98 months ago
Well, they really got taken for a ride....
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JM Avatar
98 months ago
I have always felt like there something wrong with the clapping tunnel for someone who just purchased something. It gives me an icky feeling.

Like, making consumerism a religion and worshipping the process of buying an Apple product.

Excitement is cool and fun, but.... the clap tunnel. It feels like it's. A message of: "buy this product and you will be happy and people will love you." Icky.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thisisnotmyname Avatar
98 months ago
I like improv everywhere. Funny, creative people.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
98 months ago
Is this supposed to be clever or funny?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
840quadra Avatar
98 months ago
As someone who has (in the past) waited in line at various apple locations for product releases, I see humor in this. Hopefully others who have, and Apple themselves do too!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)