MacRumors.com

Apple is continuing its expansion of its retail presence with the May 19th grand opening of its 5th Avenue flagship store. The store is planned to be gargantuan, with Apple having secured 20,000 square feet of underground retail space with a stylish metal and glass "cube" above ground. Appleinsider has previously reported that Steve Jobs was mulling making a trip to New York for the opening.

Of note, May 19th has recently been casually speculated by users as a possible new release date for the MacBook (Thinksecret believes it will be next tuesday). If this speculation pans out, the grand opening could also serve as a launching point for the much anticipated Macbook.

On the international front, ifoAppleStore.com reports that France may receive an Apple store by the end of 2006 and another in 2007.