Why the hell do businesses start up in California?

The BBQ Pit
41

[QUOTE=teela brown]
::foodie niggle::

It’s Fleur de Cocoa, and you’re right, BtB. Monsieur the baker is Parisian and I haven’t had better croissants even in France.
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That’s it, darn my memory. Next door but one is a new sweet shop with sweets and chocolates from all round the world. (well Europe and USA at least…)

To give a ball park, you can rent in Santa Clara a one bedroom appartment for arround $900 a month at the low end. If you allready own a house elsewhere you might consider renting it out to offset your Silicon Valley rental costs. Buying a place here starts around $450,000 but up in the mountains can be much cheaper. In the mountains you’ll need a good 4 wheel drive truck to get up any private roads in the area, and need to be pretty self sufficient when it comes to entertainment since you will be miles of wikedly windy roads away from any entertainment hotspots.

42

[QUOTE=Lightnin’]

Exactly! That’s what’s so frightening. I’m making good money, but apparently it’s nowhere near what I’d need to live the sort of life I’ve gotten used to… and I don’t live all that high on the hog as it is. I don’t understand how anyone can live in places that expensive.
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I don’t trust these freebie calculators much though. The percentages I posted were using 2 different metro Atlanta “bedroom communities” that I’ve lived near in the past: Decatur and Peachtree City. But when I used Atlanta proper to make the calculation, the difference was only around 200% higher in Mountain View, CA, with my current salary only being 33% deficient.

So which one is more valid? I hope the more general approach. I simply don’t see anything even close to the anecdotal evidence of the alleged shift in cost of living going from Midtown Atlanta to Decatur…

43

[QUOTE=Der Trihs]
Except, of course, I don’t think I’m wrong. What makes you think that the people who make the decision for a company are motivated by anything other than their desires ? If a businessman is faced with a choice between a location with great employees and supporting business, but bad schools for his kids and a crappy lifestyle, or mediocre employees and support businesses but great schools for his kids and plenty of things he like to do, which do you think he’ll choose ? The second.

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And that businessman won’t be in business for long. He won’t be able to attract good employees in a tight market and the company will fail. There are always attractive places to live in any large metro area, the bosses will find them. If they can’t find employees willing or able to take the jobs the company goes bye-bye.

I work in a highly competative high-tech industry, and you have to have your company in places that people want to work. We need to be near public transportation in order to be viable. If the bosses moved the company elsewhere for personal reasons they’d lose half the employee base, and we can’t afford to do that.

I’ve gone through this many times as offices have moved, and trust me, it’s an important part of the process. Where the boss lives never enters into it.

44

[QUOTE=MaxTheVool]
Are you talking about Cryptic Studios, ie, my current employer? If so, COME WORK HERE. It’s an awesome company.

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Bingo! Wow… it’d be weird, working with someone else who knows the SDMB.

I should stop counting my chickens before they hatch, of course. :slight_smile:

45

Darn, it doesn’t look like they need DBA’s :wink:

46

[QUOTE=Lightnin’]
Yesterday I saw that a posting which describes my dream job. However, their office is in Northern California… Los Gatos, to be precise. I’d have to relocate- telecommuting isn’t an option.
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I live in Sunnyvale, which is about 10-12 miles from Los Gatos.

Hmmm. I wonder how much you can rely on the wage calculator. Housing prices are, of course, insane. Rents are high, but very stable. Food and clothing prices are pretty much a wash. Gas prices may be slightly higher.

If you move here from most places in the country, you probably save a bunch on heating/AC. I hardly ever heat my apartment. This summer we had one hellacious week in which the temps soared to 107 during the day. It was the first time in 24 years (I moved here in '82) that I wished for an air conditioner at home.

That aside: It’s just a domino effect that’s been going on since the early 1970s. High-tech/engineering took off here. HP and Fairchild Electronics led to Intel, Apple, etc. which led to Cisco, etc. and well, you get the picture. A big supply of engineering and marketing talent, good schools, nice weather (particularly for Asian immigrants).

Some of us choose to live here. We’re close to reasonably good skiing in the Sierras, reasonably good diving in Monterey, Yosemite National Park, kayaking in the Pacific or the Bay, San Francisco, etc. This area is arguably a world-class center for the following sports:

  • bicycling, both road and mountain
  • rock climbing
  • running
  • triathlons
  • skiing
  • backpacking
  • kayaking
  • white-water rafting
  • waterskiing
  • fishing
  • sailing
  • surfing
  • rollerblading
  • windsurfing/kitesurfing

plus

  • Napa Valley-world-class wines
  • San Francisco
  • National Parks (Yosemite, Lassen, Sequoia/King’s Canyon)

I’m not trying to booster this area; it’s got problems of course (traffic in particular). But it’s not like someone decided to make Paoli, Pennsylvania the high-tech capital of the world. As far as I know, all Paoli has going for it is a train station…

47

[QUOTE=Telemark]
And that businessman won’t be in business for long. He won’t be able to attract good employees in a tight market and the company will fail.
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And what do most new businesses do ? Fail.

48

[QUOTE=Lightnin’]
Bingo! Wow… it’d be weird, working with someone else who knows the SDMB.

[/QUOTE]

Well, you know, programmers and artists don’t really socialize :slight_smile:

49

[QUOTE=MaxTheVool]
Well, you know, programmers and artists don’t really socialize :slight_smile:
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That’s 'cause you guys keep telling us we can’t have the cool toys. :slight_smile:

50

[QUOTE=Wee Todd]
California, certain parts of it anyway (the Bay Area especially) is expensive because it’s pretty much the best place to live on the planet, as far as I’ve seen. It’s unbelievably beautiful, and the climate is perfect. It’s perpetual Spring. Who wouldn’t want to live there, if they could afford it? I lived there for a time. Don’t anymore, but definitely would if I could afford it.
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:dubious:

As far as I’m concerned, it’s way too cold much of the year, and it doesn’t rain nearly enough. Also, the beach isn’t supposed to be rocky, or near a cliff. Keep in mind that climate preferences really are personal. I wouldn’t want to live there, even if I could afford it.

51

Stupid Cryptic won’t let me work there… (Won’t even return my emails :mad: )

52

[QUOTE=Derleth]
Paul Graham has a good essay on this topic, titled How To Be Silicon Valley.
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I was going to link to him as well. The VC firm that he is part of requires the startups they fund to locate in either the East or West coast (in their building no less). Their feeling is that it is the only possible way to develop and maintain the business relationships needed for further funding. It’s a bit disconcerting to me since I am committed to staying in the midwest.

53

[QUOTE=Wee Todd]
Aw, what’s the matter? You live in some sucky East Coast state like Virginia or something? Sorry, sucks to be you and all, but don’t hayt those of us who had the sense to move to a decent climate.
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Actually, I live where all the bay area schmucks come for vacation. You seem nice, so here are some tips for next time you want to leave your paychecks here:

  1. Watching poker on ESPN doesn’t make you a better player.
  2. Take the chains off when they start sparking and motorcycles pass you.
  3. You’re not in California anymore, we don’t care how you do it there.

Toodles!

Okay East coasters! Pile on!

54

[QUOTE=Lightnin’]
Bingo! Wow… it’d be weird, working with someone else who knows the SDMB.

I should stop counting my chickens before they hatch, of course. :slight_smile:
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Haha, if they had lower standards–or I had more published writing, industry experience, etc.–I’d try out for the Game Designer: Missions position and there’d be two.

Good luck getting things to work out; it sounds like a great job.