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Still don't think they'll get it but recent buzz emphasizing dense, vibrant, urban plots with good public transportation would seem to favor the biggies, NYC, Chicago, maybe Toronto.
Trendiness isn't either and that was the subject of that side discussion.
Then perhaps we should focus on the actual factors on Amazon’s list.
Let’s instead therefore consider talent, which is pretty much at the top of the Amazon’s “must haves.” Philly’s metro takes in 4 states, though no one around here seems to recognize Cecil County, MD as in Philly’s orbit. With feelers into PA, DE and NJ, Philly already draws talent from all 3 states. NYC and DC also do the same, but with a remarkably higher COL. Also, lots of smart, young people already live on the I95 corridor and like it. Enticing them to Philly or another 95 short-listed candidate seems an easier task compared with trying to draw them to metros a bit more isolated.
and I forgot "warm". Since Seattle is perpetually cool (I was there in late June and it was in the 50's as highs when I was there) they need a yin to the yang (or yang to the yin)....
Seattle is overcast --> they need HQ2 sunny
Seattle is West Coast --> they need East Coast
Seattle is cool/cold --> they need warm/hot
Seattle is very white --> they need diverse
The lower COL is a definite advantage for both Philly & Pittsburgh as both also {unlike Aus/Nash/Indy/Col/Ral have good transit systems and are pedestrian friendly. Both are on the Eastern time zone, are well connected, and have good universities. Philly's biggest drawback is it's high crime rate which could inhibit many skilled workers willing to move there.
That said I REALLY hope that neither gets it and don't want to go to NJ or Chicago either. Regardless of which city is chosen, I don't want it going to any city that has offered obscene government bribes all of which applies to those cities.
The lower COL is a definite advantage for both Philly & Pittsburgh as both also {unlike Aus/Nash/Indy/Col/Ral have good transit systems and are pedestrian friendly. Both are on the Eastern time zone, are well connected, and have good universities. Philly's biggest drawback is it's high crime rate which could inhibit many skilled workers willing to move there.
That said I REALLY hope that neither gets it and don't want to go to NJ or Chicago either. Regardless of which city is chosen, I don't want it going to any city that has offered obscene government bribes all of which applies to those cities.
A discussion about a contending city's vulnerability to natural disasters is certainly worthy of conversation within this thread.
Amazon may or may not want to move to a city that is prone to a severe natural disaster in the coming years unless they feel confident that their host city has proper procedures in place to ensure safety for their workers and to minimize any down time they'd have as a result of the disaster. To be quite honest one of the many reasons they may be looking for a second headquarters is because despite Seattle assuring residents its prepared for "The Big One" (which will, in fact, be a big quake), Amazon may not want to take the risk of being out of operation for an extended period of time if and when the earthquake happens, and Seattle's leaders were wrong about their supposed preparations.
Miami was very nearly devastated only several months ago by a hurricane that thankfully weakened a bit and took a slight dogleg to spare it the worst of the storm. Is Miami equipped to get back onto its feet quickly IF a Category 5 storm with a strong storm surge takes direct aim at it? New Orleans assured its residents it was prepared for anything, too, pre-Katrina, and that city still hasn't fully recovered from the storm so many years later. Last I heard the Lower Ninth Ward was still a mess, which is embarrassing for a supposedly "prepared" city in a supposedly "wealthy" country.
Cities like Nashville, Columbus, and Pittsburgh, while small, offer a reasonable cost-of-living, convenient locations, AND also have the added advantage of rarely having to worry about natural disasters. Now I believe I heard somewhere that if the New Madrid Fault ever has "The Big One" that Memphis would be devastated, but I'm not sure if Nashville would also be affected. Perhaps a Nashvillian can comment on whether or not they have to worry about any seismic activities related to the New Madrid Fault. I know as a Pittsburgher not only do we not worry about hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, or floods, but most regional blizzards also seem to miss us (early-2010 "Snowmageddon" notwithstanding). I'm sure Columbus can say the same. The Columbus "boosters" here will certainly argue otherwise (the way a certain Clevelander on here always brings up their superior high culture for about 10 paragraphs to gloat); however, I feel like Pittsburgh is a more "urban"-feeling city than Columbus overall.
I'd love to see Nashville, Pittsburgh, or Columbus get this, but I do believe it will likely end up in Atlanta (fine choice), Metro DC (hopefully not the sprawling mess that is NoVA), or Philadelphia (fine choice).
You Pittsburghers are always talking about that! I've heard it for 60 years, at least!
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