5 ms·
The opinions stated here are my own, not necessarily those of Google. I attended I/O a few years ago (prior to joining Google) and really enjoyed the Moscone C
by kyrra 11y ago
The opinions stated here are my own, not necessarily those of Google.
I attended I/O a few years ago (prior to joining Google) and really enjoyed the Moscone Center. Mainly because there was lots of hotels and restaurants in the area. Lodgings around the Google campus are pretty sparse, this feels like a mistake to me. Being able to walk to your hotel after a long day of focusing/listening was definitely nice.
That said, being able to visit the Google Campus if you've never been there is really nice. As well, I'm betting this will greatly reduce the costs of hosting the event and those funds can be used in a different way. And with Google's fleet of buses, it looks like they will pickup and drop people off at the hotels they have rooms blocked off at.
EDIT: as drl42 points out, the mascone center is undergoing renovation and probably wasn't available.
- etqwzutewzu 11y agoIt may be related to the fact this year is a special edition: the 10th Google IO edition. From the website: "To celebrate a decade of working closely with the developer community, we’ll be hosting I/O in our backyard at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA, a venue that has played host to some of the world’s biggest entertainers and events."
- pbarnes_1 11y agoHosting this in MV is just... weird. All the hotels suck, there's no food, nothing touristy to do, etc etc. I don't understand your note about costs. Google has infinite money. Even mid-tier meetings are held at Moscone, so I don't think it's that expensive. Are the I/O hordes really going to be visiting the Google Campus? For what reason? It's pretty weird.
- tdicola 11y agoThat weekend is also Maker Faire (5/20-5/22) just up the road in San Mateo, so something to consider checking out if you're in the area for IO.
- alain94040 11y agoIndeed: Maker Faire: May 20-22 Startup Conference: May 19 Google IO: May 19-20 http://thestartupconference.com/tips-for-first-time-attendees/ http://thestartupconference.com/tips-for-first-time-attendee... </plug>
- drl42 11y agoMoscone center is undergoing renovation.
- objclxt 11y agoNot Moscone West, where they have held IO in the past.
- calbear81 11y agoI lived in Mountain View down the street from Google the last few years but here's where people will/should be going: Hotels: If you want something nice, you're going to go to Palo Alto or Downtown San Jose. If you're fine with budget basics, hit all the hotels along El Camino between Sunnyvale and Palo Alto. Personally, I would choose the Hampton Inn on Moffett Blvd. between the 101 and Central. It's clean, pretty cheap, and two blocks from Castro St. with all the restaurants and stuff. Restaurants: Castro St. and Downtown Palo Alto are your best bets. There are a lot of options on Castro St. so expect it to get crowded but the food is actually pretty damn good. This is not Michelin rated new American food like in SF, so stick to the Asian options if you don't want to go wrong. Get Hot Pot at Little Sheep or Sushi at Sushi Tomi or any of the other 5 ramen places within walking distance. In Palo Alto, you can get finer dining options. Touristy Things: The museums and cultural options are more limited so take a short CalTrain ride directly to SF if you want that. If you have the weekend to spend, Mountain View is about an hour closer to Santa Cruz than SF is so head over there to get your tan and enjoy the beach.
- ataylor284_ 11y agoLast time I was in the area, I stayed at the Domain Hotel in Sunnyvale. About a 15 minute drive to Google and nice enough. And for touristy things: the Computer History Museum just down the road from the Google campus is definitely worth a visit.
- calbear81 11y agoIn that same plaza is Laser Tag and not to mention that the Sports Page bar has outdoor sand volleyball courts and beer pong tables.
- MaxScheiber 11y agoLaser Quest closed about a month ago (as did everything else in that plaza). If I remember correctly. LinkedIn purchased the real estate.
- 11y ago
- dottrap 11y agoI'll speculate that the Google employees/engineers that are asked to change their commute every day for this event might be a consideration. If you are going to be tourist, there are plenty of ways to get around. Monterey Bay is also another really nice spot and MV gets you an hour closer.
- jtmcmc 11y agoI suspect that shoreline holds a LOT more people than the Moscone.
- st3v3r 11y ago"As well, I'm betting this will greatly reduce the costs of hosting the event and those funds can be used in a different way." If it were a different company, maybe. But this is Google. They have effectively unlimited funds.
- boulos 11y agoMoscone West, where I/O is usually held is not undergoing renovation. Just the main (North and South) buildings.