4 ms·
If you're interested in alt-startup US cities, here's my list of places I would be interested in if I were a founder or early employee: 1. Boulder 2. Austin 3.
by wyclif 12y ago
If you're interested in alt-startup US cities, here's my list of places I would be interested in if I were a founder or early employee:
1. Boulder
2. Austin
3. Omaha
4. Des Moines
5. Reno (the real sleeper, but just look at the low, low business tax rate and proximity to SF).
The above list isn't meant to be chiseled into stone—it's just a thought experiment on my part and I'm interested in what others think the pros/cons of these towns would be. The obvious con would be the lack of proximity to investor and startup networks and that ecosystem.
- rsync 12y agoI think Minneapolis should be on that list. I don't live there anymore, having moved to the SFBA. I don't live in an urban area, but if I did I think it would be MPLS.
- wyclif 12y agoA friend of mine just moved to Minneapolis from the DC area. Incidentally, we were talking about this just yesterday and he told me he was surprised at how good the public spaces are there: lots of nice parks, walking/biking paths, urban infrastructure, bookstores, cafes, libraries, &c. Downside is the winter, but I guess that's what Thinsulate was invented for.
- hockeybias 12y agoWe had 53 days below zero in Minneapolis last year. 53. We're off to a cool start this fall. a lake that usually freezes around Thanksgiving was covered with ice three days ago.
- jondthompson 12y agoDes Moines gets similar comments, and we have less snow. I went up to Minneapolis for a conference last summer. They had 2-3 feet of snow on the ground. I haven't seen more than 6" in central Iowa in a very long time. Oh, and central Iowa has over 600 miles of bicycle trail.
- wyclif 12y agoTell me more about the bicycle trail in Iowa. I've never heard about that.
- jondthompson 12y agohttp://www.cyclecentraliowa.com http://www.cyclecentraliowa.com
- shas3 12y agoThat's what Thinsulate was invented for, and in Minnesota. http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Thinsulate_Insulation/Homepage/ http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Thinsulate_Insul...
- eli 12y agoI hear Austin is already getting tough: high rents forcing out exactly what made it cool in the first place. I personally think the value of being in a hot well known startup city is overrated. My startup is in DC and we're doing fine.
- crazyjayd 12y agoWe actually visited Austin to move there, and found the rents/home pricing so much, that we would have to live in a distant cookie cutter home community. We went with Boston, because of bigger job market. Better public transportation and crappier weather (j/k).
- vcjohnson 12y agoYeah Austin rents are pretty high in the main area of the city now. You can get decent places/rates a little farther out, but the boom has risen rent prices considerably in the last 5 years. Still much, much less than SF/NYC though.
- santaclaus 12y agoNo PDX? Half the cost of SF or the Valley, located conveniently between SF and Seattle.
- jlees 12y agoYeah, I'd be interested in folks' thoughts on Portland/Seattle. Considering a move up the west coast from SF.
- curmudgeon224 12y agoDo it! Move now.
- lifeformed 12y agoAmazing things to eat and drink, small and friendly, extremely walkable and bikeable, verdant and fresh, and is extremely close (30 min) to beautiful gorges, mountains, forests, and coastlines. You can get a 1br for $800, or a really fancy studio for $1k, or pay $500 with some roommates.
- klunger 12y agoI would add Madison and Minneapolis to this list.
- couchand 12y agoCurious why you'd pick Omaha over Des Moines. There are some neat areas like Benson, but most of it is suburban wasteland in my experience. It's much easier to avoid those parts of the Des Moines area.
- jmervin 12y agoReno/Tahoe area resident here. Oh yeah, +1 for Reno :-) While there has long been a surprisingly sizable population of engineering professionals living in and working OUT of the area, over the last few years an enthusiastic startup business culture has emerged. There are multiple incubator / co-working facilities, a convenient airport, beautiful environment and as you note, a favorable tax structure. Tesla, along with the gaming and defense industries, should really be just anchor businesses in a much deeper technology ecosystem. Reno very much has this potential. As you say, a real sleeper. [edit: mobile-typo]
- _nullandnull_ 12y agoThe quality of life in Boulder is amazing but I don't think it is sustainable unless you are wealthy. I have lived here off and on since the 90s. In the past couple of years it has changed dramatically. The rent is expensive, the picturesque views from within the city will be changing due to new construction (I have lost 25% of the views on my deck to construction in one year) and city council's current goal is revenue, not quality of life. BBC did a segment on Boulder's affordable housing market. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29240704 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29240704 I'd recommend Denver before Boulder.
- armenarmen 12y agoWhere does Detroit factor into your list? I hear such mixed things?