Posted on 02/19/2014 5:02:07 PM PST by nickcarraway
We've had several reports that Silicon Valley is moving north to San Francisco, but one report asks, "Why not Oakland?"
Oakland is cheaper than San Francisco and easy to commute to and from, argues GigaOm editor Tom Krazit, and despite its problems boasts a central location and a "vibrant" community. Krazit doesn't oversell Oakland, in fact, he mentions it "isn't exactly paradise." However he does tout the culture, restaurants, weather and plenty of vacant commercial real estate.
The main commercial district of Oakland — which for the sake of this discussion we’ll consider the area roughly bordered by Jack London Square, Lake Merritt, I-980, and Grand Avenue — is already home to a few tech companies, including Pandora and whatever is left of Ask.com. But there are an awful lot of spaces that could accommodate a rapidly growing tech company, and a few places — like the old Sears store at Broadway and 20th right above BART — that used creatively could house much larger enterprises.
Krazit offers Oakland as a way to stop the tech sector polarization of San Francisco -- mainly by moving it to Oakland.
While it is true that Oakland would benefit from more businesses, jobs and a bigger tax base, steeper real estate prices and rents may not benefit Oakland residents. At least one article, which appeared in the Guardian (U.K.) told about Oakland residents disliking techies setting up shop. In it, Oakland's Mayor Jean Quan said the city would absorb the new residents to the city even if they were "white people from the Midwest."
The reality, and Krazit only touches on it, is that most tech workers are young and want to be with other young, driven people. San Francisco provides city living and geeky young things, but Oakland also has youth -- and if Oakland isn't enough, Berkeley certainly is close enough, too.
Oakland has become a beacon to younger artists and professionals that live there because San Francisco is too expensive, and they have created a youthful culture and vibrant nightlife across the Bay.
Private security guards are visible in Oakland's Rockridge district.
Be sure and bring your gun.
Unfortunately, that isn’t very practical. So I avoid Oakland.
Why a neutron bomb? Couldn’t it benefit from an old fashioned 10 megaton blast to clear out all the blight.
It would leave the buildings standing, and trees, etc. Then maybe in a couple thousand years American patriots could reclaim the city.
Big holes have a tendency to fill up with water and breed mosquitoes, snakehead fish, and Godzilla. We wouldn’t want that, would we?
On second thought, they are definitely a better choice than Democrats and lefties.
Humm! Gotta rethink my weapon of choice position.
I’m looking at a pack of “The Big Bang Theory” trading cards. Are they trying to influence my decision?
related:
Scorned Oakland ‘gentrifier’ accepts the label but calls for truce
San Jose Mercury News | 02/13/2014 | Matt O’Brien
Posted on 2/19/2014 8:17:26 PM by Lonely Bull
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3124889/posts
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