Amazon HQ2 thread

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Mr Roboto

Baltimore is an interesting choice as a contender, I never would have had them on the radar. Proximity to DC works in their favor, and being on the east coast and in a large mega-region, but other than that, as a relatively small city and not to mention one with substantial social issues, it would have certain challenges in maintaining an HQ campus of this size. One things for sure, Amazon would completely transform a city like Baltimore, more so than Seattle.

Personally Im rooting for cities like Baltimore, or even Detroit, but dont consider them as a realistic option.

Baltimore has a minimally tapped potential talent pool in several universities (people don't realize Johns Hopkins gets more federal research dollars than any other US university but there's also a U. MD campus and some smaller schools):


http://247wallst.com/special-report/2017...ost-money-from-the-federal-government/5/

Baltimore would probably also have little trouble putting together brownfield land for an Amazon campus or Amazon might choose to locate in several of its suburbs that lack the "social issues" such as Towson. And it has some residential neighborhoods so nice that most people here familiar with Baltimore's grit might have trouble imagining them.

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

A lot of years NY and Phila. don't receive much snow at all. Phl average is only 15" of snow. It's not the snow that makes winter bad, it's the long cold nights, short days, low sun angle and cloudiness that can persist for days. Some of the most beautiful winter days are the coldest when that front passes and the brilliant sunshine returns.

Being well acquainted with both northeast and upper midwest winters, I think the only real difference is the duration. Winter seems to start earlier and end later in the midwest. But the other side to that is when winter storms do hit the northeast, they are far more intense than normal snowstorms in the upper midwest. The worst snow storms I've witnessed have all been experienced in NYC, yet I've only been here about 1/3rd of my life. A 10-12" snowfall is pretty routine in NYC, but would be a more significant weather event in Detroit.

I would also argue that days in Detroit feel longer than on the east coast, but that's due to Detroit's position in the eastern time zone. Chicago probably feels the same as NYC. No real difference in amount of light at any time of the year since they're all very close in latitude.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Being well acquainted with both northeast and upper midwest winters, I think the only real difference is the duration. Winter seems to start earlier and end later in the midwest.

well, and the relief spells/time between artic fronts in the lower midwest/mid atlantic are longer. so you have more 50 degree type days in between the brutal cold fronts that bring the averages way, way down and belie the general mildness of winters.

so it kind of flips between winters are mild, with brutal fronts here and there to winters are cold, with some relief days here and there.

although the east coast may not be so extreme up/down between the arctic fronts and really mild days as a lower midwestern city.

[DMPHL]

Originally Posted by Flyers2001

You mention outdoor life, I can tell you being in Philly you get 4 seasons. You are also an hour from the ocean and 1.5 hours from the mountains. Beach in the summer, skiing in the winter. As well as a huge amount of theme parks within a 2 hour radius.

Not to mentions you are 1.5 hours from NYC or Baltimore or 2.5 hours to DC.

Every time I think of leaving, I think of these things and its hard finding something that compares to these options.

This is all true, and I would also add that quality of outdoor life doesn't just mean proximity to mountains, beaches and rock-climbing. Some of these big old cities—like Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Boston—are often just beautiful and wonderful places to be. They sit on navigable bodies of water, have extensive running and bike trails that go not only through their urban cores, but along the rivers and lakes, and through big, beautiful, extensive outdoor parks.

The built environment in these cities is constructed so much around pedestrians, around the concept of being outdoors, around the parks that were planned and built hundreds of years ago as core elements of the urban life imagined by city planners, and around the bodies of water that they sit on.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

someone who can survive a philly winter should be able to handle a chicago winter. none of these cities are places where you expect to be able to go hang out at the beach on a january afternoon.

Well yes and no. They should be able to handle the temp. difference from Philadelphia to Chicago, unless they were already barely handling the temp difference from Charlotte to Philadelphia or Austin to Philadelphia or so on and so forth.

Being that we're a highly mobile people, an Austinite or is it Austonian? is going to freeze their cojones off in a Chicago winter if they're moving from Austin to Phila to Chicago.

[MolsonExport]

Who gives a shit about temperature?
In any event, didn't someone once say that the coldest winter ever spent was a summer in San Francisco?

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

well, and the relief spells/time between artic fronts in the lower midwest/mid atlantic are longer. so you have more 50 degree type days in between the brutal cold fronts that bring the averages way, way down and belie the general mildness of winters.

so it kind of flips between winters are mild, with brutal fronts here and there to winters are cold, with some relief days here and there.

although the east coast may not be so extreme up/down between the arctic fronts and really mild days as a lower midwestern city.

Yeah, I'm not a meteorologist but the way I understand it is that the ocean acts as a moderating force to keep the coast from going as cold as it gets further inland. The other side to this is that the ocean super charges storms that come this way during the winter, so if the storm hits a front that is cold enough in the right place it will get extremely snowy. I think that was what was happening during that epic winter Boston had a couple of years ago with the 9+ feet of snow -- a stationary cold front with a lot of energy coming from the ocean for a prolonged period of time.

St. Louis is a bit farther south than Philadelphia (actually further south than DC), so if all things were equal you would expect StL to be warmer than Philly. Philly is actually closer in latitude to Columbus, OH and Indianapolis. If StL was close enough to the coast, it would have an extremely mild winter climate at its latitude.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Who gives a shit about temperature?
In any event, didn't someone once say that the coldest winter ever spent was a summer in San Francisco?

Because weather is a determining factor for many in their decision to move and relocate to. It's a lifestyle decision. Many in the north would never move to Texas and many in Texas would never consider moving to the north because of the weather.

One reason among many as to why there is an industrial belt of slow-zero or negative growth is due in large part to the local weather and the many options offered in the US in terms of climate zones that one could easily choose to move to.

[IrishIllini]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

Because weather is a determining factor for many in their decision to move and relocate to. It's a lifestyle decision. Many in the north would never move to Texas and many in Texas would never consider moving to the north because of the weather.

One reason among many as to why there is an industrial belt of slow-zero or negative growth is due in large part to the local weather and the many options offered in the US in terms of climate zones that one could easily choose to move to.

Working-aged people don't decide where to live based off weather. At least not entirely. People go where there are jobs. Weather may be a selling point, but few will uproot themselves and move to Hawaii if they can't find a job first. I have a friend that moved from central IL to Dallas due to a transfer at State Farm. His partner came with and she hasn't been able to find a job in the 9 months they've been there. She applied to only 3 or so jobs in Chicago before the move and was interviewed for all of them. She hasn't heard a word from anywhere in Dallas and we're having A LOT more conversations about how she wouldn't be opposed to moving back to Chicago. They're loving the weather on days like today when it's mid 40s in Chicago and near 80 in Dallas, but she'd give it up for a job.

There are exceptions (Chicago, Minneapolis, Columbus, New York, Boston, etc.), but most of the smaller cities throughout the Midwest and Northeast aren't attracting the kinds of jobs that provided millions of Americans with middle class lifestyles (manufacturing). Those jobs do exist in the south (for now) and will continue to attract the working class populations from more mature metro areas who have seen their manufacturing employment numbers decline. The same scenario will play out down south. The future of manufacturing is a few highly educated employees overseeing a warehouse of robots.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

Because weather is a determining factor for many in their decision to move and relocate to. It's a lifestyle decision. Many in the north would never move to Texas and many in Texas would never consider moving to the north because of the weather.

One reason among many as to why there is an industrial belt of slow-zero or negative growth is due in large part to the local weather and the many options offered in the US in terms of climate zones that one could easily choose to move to.

I suppose this is why London is such a global city. Great weather and all that.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Who gives a shit about temperature?
In any event, didn't someone once say that the coldest winter ever spent was a summer in San Francisco?

i don't think people perseverate over variations in climate in canada to nearly the same extent as the united states due to the much wider range of climates, here. i mean roughly speaking, really (compared to the range of climates in the states...all in the same country) the only urban outlier in canada is vancouver besides perhaps the hangdown section of upper canada if you really want to split hairs.

i really do think people consider climate/weather here for inter-country moves MUCH more than canada/europe.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I suppose this is why London is such a global city. Great weather and all that.

The options within the UK are clouds and rain vs. clouds and more rain in a cool city.

London is a global city because it was the hub of the English empire and was on the winning side of both world wars.

London and the rest of the UK does not equate in the least bit to the options offered to college grads, or working aged people within the United States with the diversity of cities in very diverse climates.

Many people in America get to choose where they want to live based off their lifestyle preferences and climate is just one of those.

[crosbyshow]

Montreal has a shot

4.2 millions people
4 Big University (2 English Mcgill and Concordia and 2 French)
Very low cost Energy
Very low cost living
Public Transports

Facebook, Google etc. have invested in the last months.

Leader in IA

Amazon's 2nd North American headquarters - Greater Montréal has officially submitted its bid

News provided by
Montréal International

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases...651876133.html

MONTRÉAL, Oct. 20, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Hubert Bolduc, President and CEO of Montréal International, personally delivered Greater Montréal's bid for Amazon's second North American headquarters yesterday in Seattle. Tasked by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) and supported by the Government of Québec, Montréal International presented a distinct and ambitious proposal to the global e-commerce giant. Amazon could invest over $5 billion in the construction of its new headquarters and hire up to 50,000 new employees.

"The whole team stepped up its efforts in the past few weeks to highlight all the know-how and creativity Greater Montréal has to offer. The city is one of the most tech-forward in the world and that is attractive to Amazon, one of the most innovative companies in the 21st century," said Hubert Bolduc, President and CEO of Montréal International. "It would be a winning alliance perfectly aligned with the city's ambition as it has experienced a phenomenal 23% growth among ICT workers in the past five years."

"Québec's business environment is conducive to thriving innovation in leading-edge industries, such as the digital and AI sectors, making Montréal a prime home base for a player of Amazon's magnitude. Québec is the first Canadian province to soon adopt a digital strategy, and this will push Québec's digital expertise and know-how even further," highlighted Dominique Anglade, Deputy Premier, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation, and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy.

"Our city has considerable assets playing in its favour for Amazon to set up its headquarters here. Montréal has created an ecosystem of expertise and innovation, with its pool of creative talent, making it one of the world's most competitive digital hubs. The arrival of this global e-commerce giant will strengthen its position and the whole province of Québec will get to reap the benefits," stated Martin Coiteux, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, Minister of Public Security, and Minister responsible for the Montréal region.

"Montréal is undeniably one of the world's leading cities and it definitely has what it takes to attract such an investment. We've got urban land with development potential, a pool of skilled talent supported by a vibrant, high-achieving academic community, an innovation district and a thriving ecosystem, cultural and linguistic diversity, great quality of life and a safe environment, not to mention that European feel that no other American city has. That's what we have to offer and you can't find that anywhere else. What's more, Montréal's bid enjoys the support of the business community and all three levels of government, making the city a serious contender in the process," said Montréal Mayor Denis Coderre.

A few highlights in the Montréal bid:

A deep and growing pool of relevant talent fueled by a world-class education system (Montréal accounts for the highest number of students in Canada (320,000), spread within 11 university institutions and more than 60 colleges);
Canada's world class technology hub (Montréal has the highest concentration of tech sector jobs in any Canadian city and reached the international Top 5 of leading cities in video games, visual effects, artificial intelligence and aerospace);
Economic and political stability, including an open and efficient immigration system (As a collaboration between the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada, the Québec component of Canada's Global Skills Strategy helps innovative companies get workers faster by offering a two-week processing time for work permit);
A 20% to 25% cost advantage compared to similar cities (thanks to affordable wages, attractive corporate effective tax rate, and low, stable energy costs);
A high purchasing power and exceptional quality of life (Montréal offers young professionals housing that costs 25% less than in Toronto and 86% less than in Boston).

[Centropolis]

Cc: [email protected]

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by Centropolis

i really do think people consider climate/weather here for inter-country moves MUCH more than canada/europe.

PEOPLE do but I'm not so sure businesses do. Weather, taxes and the overall cost of living may be the biggest factors for moving about the US for individuals. But so many other things effect the business climate and it depends on th type of business. Like I said above, being in a "right to work" state might be important to a labor-intensive manufacturer but less so to a tech/intellectual property company. Social climate is becoming increasingly important in tech especially to entrepreneur-founders like Bezos. Taxes, of course, are always important.

Let's face it: There's no place in Canada that attracts people from outside Canada for the weather like Hawaii, Southern CA and Florida do. Europe has its Mediterranean coastline and people have always headed there for the weather (among other things) but rainy Vancouver and the Maritimes are about as good as it gets in northern North America.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by crosbyshow

Montreal has a shot

Like I said earlier, IF there aren't issues involving the international border that effect the business, I think it has a good shot.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

PEOPLE do but I'm not so sure businesses do. Weather, taxes and the overall cost of living may be the biggest factors for moving about the US for individuals. But so many other things effect the business climate and it depends on th type of business. Like I said above, being in a "right to work" state might be important to a labor-intensive manufacturer but less so to a tech/intellectual property company. Social climate is becoming increasingly important in tech especially to entrepreneur-founders like Bezos. Taxes, of course, are always important.

Let's face it: There's no place in Canada that attracts people from outside Canada for the weather like Hawaii, Southern CA and Florida do. Europe has its Mediterranean coastline and people have always headed there for the weather (among other things) but rainy Vancouver and the Maritimes are about as good as it gets in northern North America.

CEOs do, although i don't know that you see the same kind of moves you used to say 1945-2000 or whatever, especially mid-century when southern california was sort of in the sunbelt camp, and later when fortune 500 companies where decamping the midwest en masse for Texas.

[Sun Belt]

Originally Posted by crosbyshow

Montreal has a shot

Sure they have a shot, but so does Tampa.

No offense to Montreal, it's a wonderful city that many are envious of. The problem with the Montreal proposal is that A) it's not in America and B) most or many speak French as their native tongue, that's two strikes against it.

So why would an American corporation set up something like HQ2 in a foreign nation that primarily speaks a foreign language? That alone would be terrible PR, enough so that it would eliminate the great city of Montreal from being a viable contender.

[Omaharocks]

Lol @ Montreal. C'mon guys, you of all places don't need amazon, and are far better off without it. What could you possibly gain? You are already the best damn city on the continent and affordable to boot. Amazon is a terrible fit culturally for a city that values work/life balance, cultural independence, the arts etc. Really Montreal DONT do it.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by Sun Belt

Sure they have a shot, but so does Tampa.

No offense to Montreal, it's a wonderful city that many are envious of. The problem with the Montreal proposal is that A) it's not in America and B) most or many speak French as their native tongue, that's two strikes against it.

So why would an American corporation set up something like HQ2 in a foreign nation that primarily speaks a foreign language? That alone would be terrible PR, enough so that it would eliminate the great city of Montreal from being a viable contender.

Do you realize how many companies have offices and executives spread out all over the world? The 5th largest company in the world having a major corporate presence outside the US really isn't that big of a stretch. I doubt MTL is a candidate but don't see why AMZN couldn't have a major presence in Asia, Canada or Europe.