You’ve probably seen the glass cube. Even if you haven't stepped foot in Manhattan, that glowing, transparent entrance to the Apple Store is burned into the collective consciousness of anyone who follows tech, architecture, or high finance. But there's a lot more to 767 5th Avenue NY than just a place to buy an overpriced charging cable. Officially known as the General Motors Building, this 50-story marble-clad giant occupies a full city block between 58th and 59th Streets. It is, quite literally, the intersection of old-world corporate power and the digital age’s retail dominance.
It’s massive.
The building sits on what is arguably the most valuable land on the planet. For decades, it’s been the stage for some of the biggest ego battles and financial maneuvers in New York history. From the moment it was completed in 1968, it changed the skyline. Before this, the site was home to the Savoy-Plaza Hotel, a Beaux-Arts masterpiece that people were genuinely devastated to see demolished. But the GM Building wasn't interested in nostalgia. It was built to represent a new kind of corporate hegemony.
The Weird History of the 767 5th Avenue NY Site
Think back to the 1960s. General Motors was the undisputed king of the American economy. They wanted a headquarters that screamed "we own the road." They tapped Edward Durell Stone—the same guy behind the Kennedy Center—and Emery Roth & Sons to design it. The result? A vertical slab of white Georgia marble and floor-to-ceiling windows that stood in sharp contrast to the darker, grittier buildings surrounding it.
It was polarizing. Some critics called it a "monolith." Others thought it was the height of modern elegance.
But the real drama started later. Ownership of 767 5th Avenue NY has changed hands in ways that read like a soap opera for billionaires. Donald Trump and insurance giant Conseco bought it in 1998 for about $800 million. Trump, in typical fashion, put his name on it in big gold letters. He also famously hated the sunken plaza in front of the building, calling it a "wasteland." He wanted to fill it in.
Then came Harry Macklowe. In 2003, Macklowe bought the building for a record-shattering $1.4 billion. This was a "bet the farm" moment. He famously closed the deal in a matter of days, largely based on a gut feeling and some incredibly aggressive financing. Macklowe was the one who saw the potential for the plaza. He’s the reason Steve Jobs ended up putting the Apple Store there. He convinced Jobs that a glass cube in that "wasteland" would become a global landmark. He was right.
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Why Everyone Wants a Piece of This Marble
If you look at the tenant roster, it's basically a "who's who" of people who move the world’s money. We aren't just talking about retail. We’re talking about massive hedge funds, private equity firms, and law firms. Perella Weinberg Partners is there. BAM (Balyasny Asset Management) has a major presence.
The rent? It’s astronomical.
Typically, office space in Midtown is expensive, but 767 5th Avenue NY plays in a different league. Floor plates are large—around 30,000 to 40,000 square feet—which is a luxury in a city where everything is cramped. The views are basically "Central Park on a silver platter." Because the building sits right at the southeast corner of the park, those northern-facing windows offer an unobstructed view of the greenery that most people only see on postcards.
Honestly, the building is a bit of a fortress. Security is tight, the lobby is cavernous and intimidating, and there’s a sense of hushed, expensive urgency everywhere. You’ll see guys in $5,000 suits sprinting toward the elevators while tourists outside are taking selfies with the Apple Cube. It’s a weird, beautiful friction.
The Apple Factor
Let's talk about that cube. It’s not just a store; it’s a machine.
Before 2006, the plaza at 767 5th Avenue NY was a dead zone. It was a sunken, concrete pit that felt disconnected from the street. When Apple opened, it turned the building into a 24-hour destination. It’s one of the few places in the city that feels just as busy at 3:00 AM as it does at 3:00 PM.
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The engineering of the cube itself is insane. The original version used 90 panes of glass. Jobs, being the perfectionist he was, eventually decided that was too cluttered. In 2011, they rebuilt it using just 15 massive, seamless panes. It cost millions just to make it look "simpler." That’s the kind of energy this building attracts—uncompromising and ridiculously expensive.
Ownership and the Boston Properties Era
Today, the building is primarily owned by Boston Properties (BXP), along with some sovereign wealth funds from China and Brazil. They bought it from Macklowe when his empire hit a rough patch during the 2008 financial crisis.
- Valuation: In 2013, a stake in the building valued the property at roughly $3.4 billion.
- Size: Over 1.7 million square feet of office and retail space.
- Height: 705 feet, which isn't the tallest in NY, but because of its location, it dominates the area.
BXP has been smart about keeping it modern. They’ve poured money into the common areas and the plaza, ensuring that it doesn't feel like a 1960s relic. They understand that in 2026, a building is more than just four walls; it’s a brand.
The Reality of Working at 767 5th Avenue NY
It’s not all glamour.
Working here means dealing with the constant swarm of tourists. If you’re a trader at a hedge fund on the 40th floor, you probably don't care, but for the support staff and mid-level analysts, navigating the sidewalk at 5th and 59th is a daily battle.
The building also has to contend with the "flight to quality" trend. Since the rise of Hudson Yards and the new Vanderbilt skyscrapers, some older Midtown buildings have struggled. But 767 5th Avenue NY stays insulated. Why? Because you can't replicate the 5th Avenue address. You can't replicate being across the street from the Plaza Hotel and Central Park. It’s the "Old Money" of skyscrapers.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Location
People often think 5th Avenue is just for shopping. That’s a mistake. While the ground floor is a retail circus, the upper floors are a silent engine of global finance. If the Apple Store represents the "new" economy, the offices above represent the "permanent" economy.
There's also this misconception that the building is just a big block of marble. If you look closely at the "piers" (the vertical columns), they actually taper. It’s a subtle architectural trick that makes the building look taller and more slender than it actually is. Stone was a master of these little details that give a building "soul" even when it looks like a giant radiator from a distance.
A Note on the Future
What happens to a building like this as work-from-home persists?
For 767 5th Avenue NY, the answer seems to be "nothing much." High-end boutique firms still want the prestige. They want the marble lobby. They want to be able to tell a client, "Meet me at the GM Building." It’s a status symbol that transcends Zoom calls.
Actionable Insights for Visiting or Doing Business
If you’re heading to the area, don't just stare at the cube. Walk through the plaza and look at the way the building interacts with the street. It’s one of the best examples of "privately owned public space" in the city.
- Timing is everything. If you want to see the Apple Store without losing your mind, go between 4:00 AM and 6:00 AM. It’s open 24/7, and the lighting at dawn is spectacular.
- Look up, not just in. The marble facade of the building is cleaned meticulously. In the right light, the Georgia marble has a translucent quality that modern glass towers can't mimic.
- The "Secret" Entrances. Most people crowd the 5th Avenue side. The 58th and 59th street entrances are much quieter and give you a better sense of the building’s sheer scale.
- Security Protocol. If you have a meeting here, arrive early. The security screening is intense—think airport-lite. You’ll need a government-issued ID, and they will check it against a pre-cleared list. No "dropping in" to see the views.
The GM Building isn't going anywhere. It’s survived the decline of General Motors, the rise and fall of Donald Trump's real estate dominance in the 90s, and the total transformation of the retail landscape. It remains a white-marble anchor in a city that is constantly trying to reinvent itself. Whether you're there for a new iPhone or a nine-figure deal, 767 5th Avenue NY is the center of the world for a reason.
Stay aware of the surrounding traffic patterns. The area around the building is a major transit hub for horse-drawn carriages, tour buses, and delivery trucks. If you’re planning a visit or a meeting, the N, R, and W subway lines stop right at 5th Ave-59th St, which is basically the building’s basement. It's the most efficient way in or out, regardless of how much money you have in the bank.
Strategic Next Steps:
- Check the official Boston Properties (BXP) leasing portal if you are researching historical occupancy rates for the Midtown corridor.
- Monitor the New York City Department of City Planning's "POPS" (Privately Owned Public Space) database for any upcoming modifications to the 5th Avenue plaza.
- Review the latest 10-K filings from BXP for specific revenue data tied to the building's retail versus office performance.