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I remain surprised that Bay Area tech companies don't move to Sacramento. Near the Bar Area for quick access, near the state seat of power for lobbying, well aw

by snomad 11y ago

I remain surprised that Bay Area tech companies don't move to Sacramento. Near the Bar Area for quick access, near the state seat of power for lobbying, well away from major faults so less prone to earthquakes, significantly lower costs of housing (2 Bdrm apt would be about $1k) - so presumably could save on salary.

minimaxir 11y ago
When engineers look for jobs, they clearly think "wow, I'd never work in a place prone earthquakes and far from government!"
brezina 11y ago
um, have you been to sac? Given the choice, people (both founders of the companies & the best employees) would rather live in the bay area vs. sac. Hence the price difference. SF bay people are paying for things like: 20 min access to world class airport, one of the most human friendly climates on the planet, access to the capital of the internet & the people from around world building said internet, a stop on world tours of every major music act or performance, Ocean, Bay, coastal ranges, the ability to get to work, beach, entertainment without getting in a car, etc etc. I personally trust the wisdom of the crowd and find the best places on the planet to live/visit are often the most expensive: NYC, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Paris, Maui, Coastal Los Angeles, SF
wtracy 11y ago
And don't forget fiber-to-the-premises being available in some residential neighborhoods!
chipotle_coyote 11y ago
The problem is that "near the Bay Area" is pretty relative; the travel between them is 2+ hours without substantial traffic, and most people aren't going to want to make that commute. So that leaves you with some of the drawbacks others have mentioned in this thread: if your company is there, you'll likely have a smaller talent pool to draw from; if you live there and you lose your job, you'll have a smaller pool of companies to move to. Having said that, Sacramento is a much nicer place than a lot of folks in the Bay Area give it credit for -- a lot of pretty, walkable neighborhoods, a lot of good cafes and bars and restaurants and "third wave" coffee places, and as you mentioned a way lower cost of living. The only real downside (setting aside the commute) is that it gets ungodly hot in the summer.

by snomad 11y ago

minimaxir 11y ago

When engineers look for jobs, they clearly think "wow, I'd never work in a place prone earthquakes and far from government!"

brezina 11y ago

um, have you been to sac? Given the choice, people (both founders of the companies & the best employees) would rather live in the bay area vs. sac. Hence the price difference. SF bay people are paying for things like: 20 min access to world class airport, one of the most human friendly climates on the planet, access to the capital of the internet & the people from around world building said internet, a stop on world tours of every major music act or performance, Ocean, Bay, coastal ranges, the ability to get to work, beach, entertainment without getting in a car, etc etc. I personally trust the wisdom of the crowd and find the best places on the planet to live/visit are often the most expensive: NYC, Copenhagen, Tokyo, Paris, Maui, Coastal Los Angeles, SF

wtracy 11y ago

And don't forget fiber-to-the-premises being available in some residential neighborhoods!

chipotle_coyote 11y ago

The problem is that "near the Bay Area" is pretty relative; the travel between them is 2+ hours without substantial traffic, and most people aren't going to want to make that commute. So that leaves you with some of the drawbacks others have mentioned in this thread: if your company is there, you'll likely have a smaller talent pool to draw from; if you live there and you lose your job, you'll have a smaller pool of companies to move to. Having said that, Sacramento is a much nicer place than a lot of folks in the Bay Area give it credit for -- a lot of pretty, walkable neighborhoods, a lot of good cafes and bars and restaurants and "third wave" coffee places, and as you mentioned a way lower cost of living. The only real downside (setting aside the commute) is that it gets ungodly hot in the summer.