Amazon HQ2 thread - Page 147

skyscraperpage17 · #**2921** Posted **May 29, 2018, 11:00 AM**

IMO, *IF* Amazon went to DC, it would be NoVA.

That's just partially a gut feeling, and partially because it's perceived to be the most business-friendly compared to DC and MD.

Crawford · #**2922** Posted **May 29, 2018, 11:05 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by skyscraperpage17

IMO, *IF* Amazon went to DC, it would be NoVA.

That's just partially a gut feeling, and partially because it's perceived to be the most business-friendly compared to DC and MD.

And NoVA is easily the most sprawling, least transit oriented, least progressive part of the region, pretty much trashing all the assumptions in this thread.

I don't disagree with you, though.

Crawford · #**2923** Posted **May 29, 2018, 11:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by aquablue

On thinking about it, Amazon would do wonders for Washington. As far as I remember, that area of the city is very rundown and dangerous.

There are no remotely "rundown and dangerous" areas anywhere near DC's core. It's one of the most desirable urban cores in the U.S., and arguably, the planet.

Have you not been in the U.S. in 40 years? Your "urban observations" seem taken from Death Wish or something.

Kenmore · #**2924** Posted **May 29, 2018, 11:43 AM**

the goal is and always has been political influence, it's going to DC/NOVA

LouisVanDerWright · #**2925** Posted **May 29, 2018, 12:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenmore

the goal is and always has been political influence, it's going to DC/NOVA

Maybe a desire to be free of the political influence of Seattle where they now have a Target on their back for all of that city's problems...

As someone else just said, name one other company that felt the need to relocate to DC for political influence that is not a defense contractor. There's literally no direct benefit to locating in DC that you would get from opening a smallish office packed to the gills with lobbyists.

skyscraperpage17 · #**2926** Posted **May 29, 2018, 12:50 PM**

I'm also curious to hear the explanation about this "DC political influence" thing.

I can understand maybe wanting to save on travel costs if the C-level executives expect to spend a ton of time on Capitol Hill, but compared to the overall cost of selecting the best location for HQ2, it seems like an miniscule factor (especially for a company that generates as much revenue as Amazon).

skyscraperpage17 · #**2927** Posted **May 29, 2018, 12:55 PM**

And even the defense contractors based in DC aren't there for political influence, but instead to have easy access to DOD talent and for customer interaction.

Heck, the biggest one of them all (United Technologies) is based in Connecticut.

chris08876 · #**2928** Posted **May 29, 2018, 1:07 PM**

Could also be DC's proxy to major U.S. cities. BosWash Corridor.

chris08876 · #**2929** Posted **May 29, 2018, 1:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenmore

the goal is and always has been political influence, it's going to DC/NOVA

Plus if they are near the capital or in the district itself, might incline local officials to make changes to their business policies and taxation policies. After all, 50k jobs long term, but its really more as there is a catalyst of growth in other sectors. Housing, businesses benefiting from those extra folks, and so on.

Its like if a HQ of some random company brings 1000 employees (as an example). Hotels, local business, residential owners... all benefit.

skyscraperpage17 · #**2930** Posted **May 29, 2018, 1:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris08876

Could also be DC's proxy to major U.S. cities. BosWash Corridor.

Perhaps, but the same could also apply to Boston, NYC, Newark and especially Philadelphia (since it's smack dab and most central between all of the east coast cities) if that were the case.

JManc · #**2931** Posted **May 29, 2018, 1:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Illithid Dude

Just saying, Bezos has a couple homes in Beverly Hills. Amazon moving to Los Angeles confirmed????

Bezos stopped at a truck stop in El Paso to take a leak in 1986, I think they have a shot at HQ2.

the urban politician · #**2932** Posted **May 29, 2018, 1:29 PM**

I only think DC will get it because they chose multiple sites around DC. It suggests that they are trying to make it work, so to speak

Kenmore · #**2933** Posted **May 29, 2018, 1:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by LouisVanDerWright

Maybe a desire to be free of the political influence of Seattle where they now have a Target on their back for all of that city's problems...

As someone else just said, name one other company that felt the need to relocate to DC for political influence that is not a defense contractor. There's literally no direct benefit to locating in DC that you would get from opening a smallish office packed to the gills with lobbyists.

so thirsty^

10023 · #**2934** Posted **May 29, 2018, 1:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crawford

There are no remotely "rundown and dangerous" areas anywhere near DC's core. It's one of the most desirable urban cores in the U.S., and arguably, the planet.

Have you not been in the U.S. in 40 years? Your "urban observations" seem taken from Death Wish or something.

I thought Southeast DC was still kind of sketchy?

suburbanite · #**2935** Posted **May 29, 2018, 1:45 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

I thought Southeast DC was still kind of sketchy?

East of the river is, but I think most people would consider "core dc" to be bounded by The Anacostia to the east and The Potomac/Georgetown to the west. That area is objectively safe by pretty much any metric I would imagine.

homicide map shows the river is the clear boundary.

the urban politician · #**2936** Posted **May 29, 2018, 2:02 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

I thought Southeast DC was still kind of sketchy?

It is. I lived in DC for years

10023 · #**2937** Posted **May 29, 2018, 2:05 PM**

DC is so small that I think if the entire District as “core DC”, personally. You can walk from the river to Capitol Hill pretty easily. But ok.

suburbanite · #**2938** Posted **May 29, 2018, 2:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

DC is so small that I think if the entire District as “core DC”, personally. You can walk from the river to Capitol Hill pretty easily. But ok.

Based purely on geographic distance I guess. However, rivers can often be pretty firm barriers between different socio-economic groups, ethnicities, and urban built form. I could be in a pretty nice townhouse/condo in East Philly and be looking across the river at what might as well be a different country even though it's only a mile away. Camden is in a different state entirely though, so probably not a fair comparison.

Crawford · #**2939** Posted **May 29, 2018, 2:24 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10023

DC is so small that I think if the entire District as “core DC”, personally. You can walk from the river to Capitol Hill pretty easily. But ok.

DC proper is something like 70 square miles, so like 60% larger than Paris proper, and I wouldn't consider all of Paris to be "core".

To me, core DC would be Georgetown to Capitol Hill and up to U Street and Adams Morgan areas. All nice areas. In fact all of NW DC is nice at this point. And Capitol Hill is pretty fringe. Even the Capitol itself is pretty fringe in terms of where the District is centered (around Connecticut and K).

skyscraper · #**2940** Posted **May 29, 2018, 2:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenmore

the goal is and always has been political influence, it's going to DC/NOVA

Why would political influence be the goal? I thought the goal was to be profitable. political influence is only one part of that equation, not the end in itself.
bezos already has political influence, he owns the washington post.
the point was made in the philly thread that is also discussing this, that industries that want political influence (which is just about all of them) don't locate to dc if it doesn't otherwise make sense, they just hire a dc lobbying firm.