Apple Builds Massive Glass Jai-Alai Court in New York

When it opens Nov. 14, Apple’s new Upper West Side store in Manhattan will be the company’s 280th worldwide, but it won’t be the newest store in the Apple empire for long. The company plans to open 40 to 50 more in 2010, some in locations like London, Paris and Shanghai.

A few of these will be what Apple (AAPL) refers to as “significant stores,” outlets that are striking in both appearance and location. With its 45-foot tall stone walls, vast glass ceiling and beacon that some say is “brighter than anything on Broadway,” the Upper West Side store certainly qualifies as that–as does Apple’s newly opened store at the Louvre in Paris.

Given their architecture and locales, these “significant stores” come with some equally significant expenses. But evidently, they’re worth it. According to Ron Johnson, Apple’s senior vice president of retail, annual revenue per store is now around $26 million. Altogether, Apple’s stores posted revenue of $1.87 billion in the September quarter, nine percent more than last year and their highest level ever.

[Image Credit: Matt Buchanan/Gizmodo, Flickr]