Amazon HQ2 thread - Page 136

Shawn · #**2701** Posted **Mar 14, 2018, 12:34 AM**

Boston will win Amazon's second headquarters, according to an artificial intelligence system developed by Wells Fargo Securities - Chicago #2

Well, it's official - Boston is out of the running. I mean, when was the last times Wells Fargo got anything right?

bnk · #**2702** Posted **Mar 14, 2018, 1:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn

Boston will win Amazon's second headquarters, according to an artificial intelligence system developed by Wells Fargo Securities - Chicago #2

Well, it's official - Boston is out of the running. I mean, when was the last times Wells Fargo got anything right?

Perhaps you got me blocked but I posted this at noon central time today.

James Bond Agent 007 · #**2703** Posted **Mar 14, 2018, 2:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khantilever

And, yet, there's a 60 minutes episode which aired in 1999 about Bezos which describes how when Bezos chose to leave Wall St he wasn't sure of where to go - and made the decision to choose Seattle at the very last minute, once his movers already had his stuff packed and needed to know where to go. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWUIxqWPktQ)

There are a lot of good characteristics to Seattle that one can focus on to explain why they may have moved there. Similarly, one can point out one or two negatives to explain, to others or themselves, why they left. In reality, everything plays a part in one's decision.

Anyway, Amazon today is a different beast with different needs than Bezos had back in the 90s.

IIRC it was between Seattle and Boulder at the end. He went with Seattle.

Shawn · #**2704** Posted **Mar 14, 2018, 2:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnk

Perhaps you got me blocked but I posted this at noon central time today.

Not blocked! Just lazy reading comprehension skills in my part

emathias · #**2705** Posted **Mar 14, 2018, 1:52 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

...
Someone on another forum (I believe it was James Bond Agent 007 here) mentioned that when the papers in Seattle interviewed Jeff Bezos back in the 90s and asked him why he moved there, he gave 2 main reasons:

1) the scenery and general hip and fashionable vibe of the place.
2) the UW with its good computer science school.
...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Khantilever

And, yet, there's a 60 minutes episode which aired in 1999 about Bezos which describes how when Bezos chose to leave Wall St he wasn't sure of where to go - and made the decision to choose Seattle at the very last minute, once his movers already had his stuff packed and needed to know where to go. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWUIxqWPktQ)
...
Anyway, Amazon today is a different beast with different needs than Bezos had back in the 90s.

I don't know how many of you were already "adulting" by the mid-to-late 1990s, but those of us who were remember that Seattle was considered extremely hip and fashionable in those years. A former college roommate of mine from New Jersey moved to Seattle in about 1998 just because it was "the thing to do" among almost anyone from the East Coast looking to follow location trends.

He left after a couple years, as Seattle's luster started to face more competition among fashionable cities, but there was a legitimate reason that "Frasier" was set in Seattle when it was, as well as "Millennium," "Twin Peaks," as well as "Northern Exposure" being filmed in Washington despite being set in Alaska. Seattle was kind of playing a cultural role similar to the role Portland has played over the past decade or so. I'm sure Bezos had a lot of varied reasons to select Seattle, but I think a lot of it came down to its popularity at the time and the presence of Boeing and Microsoft providing a steady stream of people specializing in technology and logistics.

mhays · #**2706** Posted **Mar 14, 2018, 2:56 PM**

I was quite adulting in Seattle in the late 1990s. We were in an epic tech boom back then, led by Microsoft building millions of square feet and quite an array of in-town companies with valuations and office leases that were both based on pure aspiration.

WhipperSnapper · #**2707** Posted **Mar 14, 2018, 7:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by isaidso

Like I warned last week, you're beating your head against the wall trying to get through to WhipperSnapper.

Toronto had an office zone (which is now adding residential/retail), a hospital zone (that's now adding residential/retail), and residential (that's now adding office). Planning policy in Toronto encourages mixed use so the Amazon HQ2 (Unilever site) proposal does seem like it's from another era (being 100% office).

LOL There's no residential being built within the hospital campuses. It's being built around them. It's not any different that what I have been saying all along about this proposed campus.

Don't worry my pompous friend. I know exactly why you're suddenly contradicting yourself becoming a stickler of planning policy. You're hoping residential input here means more and taller towers as if the developer would be given more density rights. Keep in mind, residential have lower ceilings heights than office.

The everything should be mixed use blanket is also behind the overdevelopment of street facing retail. As you always say, it takes more than just following the book to do things right.

Segun · #**2708** Posted **Mar 14, 2018, 7:36 PM**

Edit, wrong thread.

skyscraperpage17 · #**2709** Posted **Mar 15, 2018, 1:41 AM**

Add Philly to the list of cities with a confirmed visit from Amazon...

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/tec...phia-hq2-jim-kenney/stories/201803070254

10023 · #**2710** Posted **Mar 15, 2018, 3:35 PM**

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2...es-growing-resistance-to-its-second-home

Quote:

But some said they would oppose Amazon’s presence in their city, whether or not they were offered tax cuts.

“Right now in Pittsburgh, we’re losing three black people every day from the city to the surrounding area,” said Carl Redwood, a community organizer and professor of social work at the University of Pittsburgh. “Amazon coming won’t change that trend. It will accelerate the trend.”

“My view is that they should keep on walking,” he added. “Don’t come to Pittsburgh. Amazon is not welcome here.”

JManc · #**2711** Posted **Mar 15, 2018, 4:42 PM**

^ that's probably the stupidest reason I can think of for not wanting them.

Jawnadelphia · #**2712** Posted **Mar 15, 2018, 5:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

Add Philly to the list of cities with a confirmed visit from Amazon...

http://www.post-gazette.com/business/tec...phia-hq2-jim-kenney/stories/201803070254

Yessss, the underdogs.

Between Schuylkill Yards http://www.schuylkillyards.com/ and
the 30th Street District plan
https://www.som.com/projects/philadelphia_30th_street_station_district_plan

And location so close to NYC and DC, and major Amtrak train station w/ regional rail, University of Pennsylvania, and Drexel, quick access to airport via rail line and highway, 10 min walk to Center City...

much like the Super Bowl this year, Philadelphia is going to surprise many.

skyscraperpage17 · #**2713** Posted **Mar 15, 2018, 5:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JManc

^ that's probably the stupidest reason I can think of for not wanting them.

The fear of long-time residents being displaced due to the gentrification tied to Amazon is the furthest thing from a stupid reason IMO.

That being said, it was stupid for that individual to imply the issue is race-specific.

JManc · #**2714** Posted **Mar 15, 2018, 5:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

The fear of long-time residents being displaced due to the gentrification tied to Amazon is the furthest thing from a stupid reason IMO.

That being said, it was stupid for that individual to imply the issue is race-specific.

Gentrification is a valid issue/ fear with most urban areas but this is pure identity politics. Hence it being a stupid reason.

maru2501 · #**2715** Posted **Mar 15, 2018, 6:33 PM**

if amazon goes to philly they should put grease all over their building every day to keep people from climbing it

skyscraper · #**2716** Posted **Mar 15, 2018, 7:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maru2501

if amazon goes to philly they should put grease all over their building every day to keep people from climbing it

Unless Amazon is going to occupy street lamps, I don't see this as being a problem.
Ignorant ass.

C. · #**2717** Posted **Mar 15, 2018, 7:47 PM**

lol

AbortedWalrus · #**2718** Posted **Mar 15, 2018, 7:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by maru2501

if amazon goes to philly they should put grease all over their building every day to keep people from climbing it

No, see, that's where police went wrong. When you grease the poles you issue a challenge to us to climb the poles. If they were ungreased fewer would have attempted.

the urban politician · #**2719** Posted **Mar 16, 2018, 1:54 PM**

If Bezos likes shitty pizza he will choose Atlanta.

If he likes cheesesteaks he will choose Philly, of course. Damn I haven’t had a cheesesteak in years, and you can’t get a good one outside of Philly....

Bezos probably doesn’t care much for food, hence he will probably choose Boston

cabasse · #**2720** Posted **Mar 16, 2018, 2:06 PM**

i know you chicagoans love your casseroles but we've got some pretty damn good pizza places. antico, varsanos, sapori di napoil are all fucking awesome