Meta Establishes New York City Retail Flagship at Vornado Realty Trust’s 697 Fifth Avenue
NEW YORK, March 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO) today announced the New York flagship location for Meta Lab at 697 Fifth Avenue. Meta signed a 10-year lease agreement with Vornado for Meta Lab New York to occupy the entire five-level, 15,000-square-foot townhouse building adjacent to the base of the St. Regis Hotel. This marks the first flagship retail location for Meta in Manhattan, following its initial flagship store opening in Los Angeles in 2025.
Meta Lab is a people-first experiential retail space that reimagines traditional shopping as a celebration of community, culture, and creative self-expression. Designed for hands-on discovery, Meta Lab invites visitors to experience Meta’s leading AI glasses and virtual reality headsets, making it easy to understand how the technology works and imagine how it fits into everyday life. Each location is shaped by its neighborhood, co-created with local artists and communities around distinct creative themes, and brought to life in an authentic, welcoming space.
“We’re proud to make a long-term commitment to Fifth Avenue, the heart of U.S. retail,” said Matt Jacobson, VP and Creative Director, Wearables, at Meta. “Our people-first approach to experiential retail is rooted in culture, creativity, and self-expression, and it’s driving meaningful sales and awareness of our products. Placing our flagship store alongside the brands that help define culture, will distinguish Meta Lab from traditional consumer electronics retail. There’s no better home than NYC to innovate on retail, and we’ll continue to celebrate the community while making our products easy to see, try, and understand.”
“As evidenced by Meta Lab’s immediate and tremendous success during its introductory pop up at this location, Fifth Avenue remains one of the most attractive retail corridors in the world for today’s most innovative and iconic brands,” said Vornado Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Real Estate Glen Weiss. “We are thrilled to further extend our long-standing relationship with Meta and applaud their permanent entry into New York City’s retail landscape.”
Drawn to its world-class tech industry, universities, financial institutions and startup ecosystem, Meta has invested heavily in New York City since joining its vibrant business and civic community in 2007. In 2020, Meta leased 730,000 square feet comprising all of the office space at The Farley Building in Vornado’s PENN DISTRICT. The iconic location serves as Meta’s New York City headquarters and a hub for its tech and engineering teams. Meta Lab New York joins Meta Lab Los Angeles as flagship retail locations. Meta also operates a retail location in Burlingame, Calif. The company recently launched pop-up boutiques in Las Vegas and Honolulu and plans to open additional retail locations throughout 2026.
About Vornado Realty Trust
Vornado (NYSE: VNO) is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (“REIT”) with a 26 million square-foot portfolio of premier New York City office, retail and multifamily assets and the developer of the new PENN DISTRICT. While concentrated in New York, Vornado also owns premier assets in both Chicago and San Francisco. Vornado is a real estate industry leader in sustainability, with 100% of our in-service office buildings LEED certified and over 95% certified LEED Gold or Platinum.
About Meta
Meta is building the future of human connection, powered by artificial intelligence and immersive technologies. When Facebook launched in 2004, it changed the way people connect. Apps like Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp further empowered billions around the world. Now, Meta is moving beyond 2D screens toward experiences that foster deeper connections and unlock new possibilities.
C O N T A C T
Thomas J. Sanelli
(212) 894-7000
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