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I think the real problem is that SV doesn't really have any advanced, well developed urban infrastructure and commercial areas within a walk-able distance. The

I think the real problem is that SV doesn't really have any advanced, well developed urban infrastructure and commercial areas within a walk-able distance. The closest to Google's HQ is MTV downtown which doesn't even have capacity to feed thousands of employees. You cannot spend 2 hours in a car to buy some hamburger somewhere in Sunnyvale and get back to the office while being productive. Those free perks are not that cheap for Google but it has no alternatives. It's just a complete failure of urban development thanks to NIMBY. Cities want to keep Google in their area for obvious financial reasons, but don't want to touch any of their precious SFH zoning. So they let Google to do everything they want, even housing. Google's recently trying to develop urban area around their campus (San Jose has the most buzz but it seems MTV and Sunnyvale also has a similar masterplan? You'll be surprised to see how aggressive Google is on purchasing real estates around their campus) and I guess their primary motivation is to outsource as many office functionality as possible to third parties. We'll see how many "free perks" will remain after that.

hiptobecubic 5y ago
Yes. Thank you! Google/Facebook offices are one of the best places in the south bay to hang out and that's fucking terrible. Solving it is hard, but the answer is definitely not "make the offices worse so that the crappy soulless neighborhood nearby seems better."
wodenokoto 5y ago
In this context I’m assuming MTV isn’t music television that for some reason has decided to become a valley startup instead of playing music on television (would fit the whole SV pivot mentality)
- gruturo 5y ago
  > In this context I’m assuming MTV isn’t music television that for some reason has decided to become a valley startup instead of playing music on television (would fit the whole SV pivot mentality) Mountain View I guess :)
jfim 5y ago
It goes both ways. Because Google has a free cafeteria, it disincentives building restaurants close to the Google offices, due to the low number of potential customers.
- galoisgirl 5y ago
  Only when the urban infrastructure is already broken. Google Warsaw is in a vibrant city center and there's tons of restaurants around.
  - jen20 5y ago
    So is Google’s New York City office, for that matter.
  - 908B64B197 5y ago
    In this case, the free lunch at Google doesn't really compete with the other restaurants since there are a lot of other offices without a free cafeteria around. If you look at the GooglePlex, there are no other offices around. It's just Google. Neighbors are a park and nature preserve, NASA AMES research center and a Highway.
uxp100 5y ago
I mean, el Camino real, really from Palo alto to San Jose is thick with restaurants that are pretty good places to get lunch, and these are supported by workers in the area, including other tech companies that don’t have the same “never leave the office complex” culture as google. But yeah, you are not walking there. (And 2 hours to get a hamburger in Sunnyvale? Must be St. John’s)
fatnoah 5y ago
> I think the real problem is that SV doesn't really have any advanced, well developed urban infrastructure and commercial areas within a walk-able distance. I agree that this is the main reason. Facebook in Menlo Park is similar. There's not much within walking distance and certainly nothing that could handle the scale of thousands of workers showing up. Salesforce is a company that generally has taken a different approach. There are no cafeterias, but many of the main offices are in urban areas with plenty of nearby infrastructure.
- whateveracct 5y ago
  > Salesforce is a company that generally has taken a different approach. There are no cafeterias, but many of the main offices are in urban areas with plenty of nearby infrastructure. Sounds like Amazon
- closeparen 5y ago
  Salesforce Tower definitely has a cafeteria. I've been - they used to host a monthly board game night there.
  - fatnoah 5y ago
    Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was referring to a cafeteria where the company provides meals for you to eat vs. a place for you to eat your own food or company provided snack. I also haven't been to Salesforce tower, so it may be different from the other 5 or 6 offices I've been to.

hiptobecubic 5y ago

Yes. Thank you! Google/Facebook offices are one of the best places in the south bay to hang out and that's fucking terrible. Solving it is hard, but the answer is definitely not "make the offices worse so that the crappy soulless neighborhood nearby seems better."

wodenokoto 5y ago

In this context I’m assuming MTV isn’t music television that for some reason has decided to become a valley startup instead of playing music on television (would fit the whole SV pivot mentality)

gruturo 5y ago
> In this context I’m assuming MTV isn’t music television that for some reason has decided to become a valley startup instead of playing music on television (would fit the whole SV pivot mentality) Mountain View I guess :)

jfim 5y ago

It goes both ways. Because Google has a free cafeteria, it disincentives building restaurants close to the Google offices, due to the low number of potential customers.

galoisgirl 5y ago
Only when the urban infrastructure is already broken. Google Warsaw is in a vibrant city center and there's tons of restaurants around.
- jen20 5y ago
  So is Google’s New York City office, for that matter.
- 908B64B197 5y ago
  In this case, the free lunch at Google doesn't really compete with the other restaurants since there are a lot of other offices without a free cafeteria around. If you look at the GooglePlex, there are no other offices around. It's just Google. Neighbors are a park and nature preserve, NASA AMES research center and a Highway.

uxp100 5y ago

I mean, el Camino real, really from Palo alto to San Jose is thick with restaurants that are pretty good places to get lunch, and these are supported by workers in the area, including other tech companies that don’t have the same “never leave the office complex” culture as google. But yeah, you are not walking there. (And 2 hours to get a hamburger in Sunnyvale? Must be St. John’s)

fatnoah 5y ago

> I think the real problem is that SV doesn't really have any advanced, well developed urban infrastructure and commercial areas within a walk-able distance. I agree that this is the main reason. Facebook in Menlo Park is similar. There's not much within walking distance and certainly nothing that could handle the scale of thousands of workers showing up. Salesforce is a company that generally has taken a different approach. There are no cafeterias, but many of the main offices are in urban areas with plenty of nearby infrastructure.

whateveracct 5y ago
> Salesforce is a company that generally has taken a different approach. There are no cafeterias, but many of the main offices are in urban areas with plenty of nearby infrastructure. Sounds like Amazon
closeparen 5y ago
Salesforce Tower definitely has a cafeteria. I've been - they used to host a monthly board game night there.
- fatnoah 5y ago
  Sorry, I wasn't clear. I was referring to a cafeteria where the company provides meals for you to eat vs. a place for you to eat your own food or company provided snack. I also haven't been to Salesforce tower, so it may be different from the other 5 or 6 offices I've been to.