Palo Alto resident here - I'm fairly new, lived here less than a year. I think the biggest problem is traffic, and it doesn't matter if it's an Administrative

Palo Alto resident here - I'm fairly new, lived here less than a year. I think the biggest problem is traffic, and it doesn't matter if it's an Administrative office or a software development company - more businesses means more traffic. The downtown area feels quaint, and I like it. A lot of small businesses with a few big ones scattered about. It's a good combination IMO - because without the big businesses, the small ones wouldn't have enough business to stay open. The only other issue is competition for rent. As rent prices increase the only way for a small business or a startup to get going in the area is with external funding. Rezoning things or pushing out businesses might fix that, but at the cost of moving all the customers away. City councils universally are short sighted and make dumb decisions. This shouldn't even be something they are thinking about IMO. They should be working on actually letting residents use the fiber the city installed. My only options are xfinity and DSL. Huge tech companies all over the place and no good broadband options. It makes no sense whatsoever. This area is pretty awesome though. Great parks, great schools, and a town full of incredibly interesting people. So they did something right.