Indy advances to the final 20 in bid to win Amazon's 2nd HQ (Indianapolis: how much, high income)

[Berteau]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

Amazon can't be headquartered everywhere broski.

According to your whole logic it should not have gone to the highest cost of living city in the country. It should have gone to one of the lowest.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by Berteau

According to your whole logic it should not have gone to the highest cost of living city in the country. It should have gone to one of the lowest.

Please direct me to where I applied that logic.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

While I agree that in general it is easier to sell NYC than Indy, we're talking about Amazon. People who want those 1% type jobs will go where they are, independent of whether they're in Indy or KCMO or NYC.

Maybe.

I used to work for a metro Boston tech company's Indianapolis satellite office. We had quite a few candidates (mostly foreigners) who applied to jobs at the Indy office, hoping to work out of Boston. Once they found out that working out of Boston was not going to happen, they withdrew their candidacy.

By and large, top talent wants to be in the top metro areas.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

Maybe.

I used to work for a metro Boston tech company's Indianapolis satellite office. We had quite a few candidates (mostly foreigners) who applied to jobs at the Indy office, hoping to work out of Boston. Once they found out that working out of Boston was not going to happen, they withdrew their candidacy.

By and large, top talent wants to be in the top metro areas.

To be fair though, I have worked with candidates in Indy that applied for internal positions in other cities hoping to work out of Indy. Many withdrew when they found out they would in fact have to relocate.

I don't say that to dispute claims that Boston is more desirable, because to some people it is more desirable. I say that to highlight that every situation is different, and a lot of variables are in place when someone considers relocating for a job. My point is that Amazon is Amazon, they can place their HQ wherever they want. They'll get their proverbial pick of the litter wherever they stick their HQ.

In this case, they decided NY and DC put them in the best position to do what they need and that is ok.

[W & C]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

To be fair though, I have worked with candidates in Indy that applied for internal positions in other cities hoping to work out of Indy. Many withdrew when they found out they would in fact have to relocate.

I don't say that to dispute claims that Boston is more desirable, because to some people it is more desirable. I say that to highlight that every situation is different, and a lot of variables are in place when someone considers relocating for a job. My point is that Amazon is Amazon, they can place their HQ wherever they want. They'll get their proverbial pick of the litter wherever they stick their HQ.

In this case, they decided NY and DC put them in the best position to do what they need and that is ok.

I disagree.

F.e. if they had decided to place their HQ ..say in Gillette, WY - would top-shelf talent be willing to relocate to that one-horse town ? Perhaps a few but I'd wager most will settle for working at Google, Facebook or Microsoft instead.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by W & C

I disagree.

F.e. if they had decided to place their HQ ..say in Gillette, WY - would top-shelf talent be willing to relocate to that one-horse town ? Perhaps a few but I'd wager most will settle for working at Google, Facebook or Microsoft instead.

Gillette wasn't in the top 20, doesn't really apply. In this context, Gillette is a bit of a red herring.

[W & C]

Originally Posted by indy_317

I don't know anyone who claimed Indy was a for sure bet. I was thinking they might try a low cost of living area, but figured they'd go to North Carolina. I guess given the wages they are going to pay, was the cost-of-living even on their radar? Millions of people have proven that they don't care to be debt slaves in terms of high cost of home ownership or getting nothing in return sky-high rent. If that is a large personal income philosophy, Amazon could careless about local affordability. I was on another forum and saw that a $300Kish newly constructed house would run anywhere from $800K-$1.5M in a nice suburb of northern LA. In my field, pay would increase only about $40K with over-time. Even if both my wife and I made another $80K/year living in some of the high costs cites, I'm not sure needing another $500K minimum for a similar style home is worth it. I guess if other costs are relatively the same (taxes, user fees, etc.), it might be worth it for the area (mountains, oceans, etc.). I do know that I'd be putting as much of that $60Kish after taxes down on the house. The amount of interest on such a mortgage would be huge.

You know, all the number crunching is definitely useful - but it's also not useful.

For simply having money in the bank does not equate to wealth, IMO. Real wealth is being able to spend that money living the life that suits you. And so for some, it's totally worth the premium to live in a place that offers the amenities that they desire - like you mentioned - mountains and ocean, but also dense bustling cosmopolitan cities.

Long story short - being able to live in a place with high COL is in itself why some work and how they choose to spend money.

[W & C]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

Gillette wasn't in the top 20, doesn't really apply. In this context, Gillette is a bit of a red herring.

Just saying, it's not really "wherever they want". Some minimum criteria have to be there in a location even if it's a dream job with Amazon that so many may covet.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by W & C

Just saying, it's not really "wherever they want". Some minimum criteria have to be there in a location even if it's a dream job with Amazon that so many may covet.

This thread is about a group of 20 communities. It doesn't require elaboration that a minimum requirement exists beyond that group of 20.

[W & C]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

This thread is about a group of 20 communities. It doesn't require elaboration that a minimum requirement exists beyond that group of 20.

If we agree that location matters when considering a job offer, coveted as it may be - then surely we can also agree that there are degrees of desirability within the top 20 as well.