Google is moving its local offices from CMU campus to two floors in Bakery Square, and is said to be "aggressively hiring" to fill the rest of that new space.
"I'm so happy!" said Audrey Russo, president of the Pittsburgh Technology Council. "Our self-esteem should start to go up now, don't you think?" (P-G, Erich Schwartzel)
Whattaya' think, Pittsburgh? (& see also Pgh Is A City)
And by the by: is this whole continuing Barack Obama / Bill and Melinda Gates / Google megacloud swirling over the City okay with everybody? KCool...
This is awful.
ReplyDeleteI must say ... when I saw that someone had started a VoyForum for local bloggers, I was sore upset.
ReplyDeleteWhere will these Googleplex denizens kick back while their code is compiling: Homewood, Pt. Breeze, S'Liberdee? Or, once established which inertia will prevail in and among the neighborhoods?
ReplyDeleteWell, the Googles will be certain to diffuse in some numbers to each of Homewood, Pt. Breeze and S'Liberdee -- and it will be one interesting experiment to note theose proportions. But the real interesting thing may be what will those interactions be like on those various occasions -- and what we should be doing if we seek to somehow "optimize" those interactions. That really begs the question what it is we want out of the Googles, or want generally.
ReplyDeleteBram, we generally want 'freedom.' And, the best way to optimize those interactions is to have government stay the hell out of them.
ReplyDeleteWhy would Google want to move into such and "unprogressive" project such as Bakery Square? I mean, hey, they take City subsidy and don't pay prevailing wage. Oh yeah, I forgot, allowing developers to build things without dictators on council telling them how much they have to pay workers is bad for Pittsburgh. I guess the next time the SEIU fails to organize through the democratic process they will go to council and get them to impose their will on the populous.
ReplyDeleteI believe there used to be a Mexican place in East Liberty Station - I could see it come back. Ellsworth may get a boost from the Googlers, but really I see Trader Joes getting some more space (upstairs, across the parking lot, somewhere) with tables and chairs, I see the Chinese place expanding (really, for a hole in the wall, it was not bad the last time I was in there). And someone will put a coffee place somewhere near, and maybe a Thai place. The African place at Highland and Penn Circle may get a bump too, at least in the summer.
ReplyDeleteOr they may all just eat at a few trendy/train-y eateries in BKSQ (ain't 'dat cute?) or hunker down in their Goooogly cafeteria playroom.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I get a headache sometimes from all of these aloof post-doc trendsters who float around the East End with their precious "I'm-here-but-I'm-not-from-here-as-you-can-plainly-see" Soma-smirks pasted under their wacky eyewear.
(Thanks. That feels better.)
Anon 7:55 - "Dictators"? But prevailing wage for subsidized developments just passed unanimously! As in, no opposition! No objections to speak of! Not even from the Mayor's office! Not even from the one guy who wanted to amend it a little! Wooks wike nobody in Pittsbug agwees wit da poor wibble devewopuhs...
ReplyDeleteGooglers get free breakfast, lunch, and dinner in their office, so they have little incentive to leave the building during working hours. Mostly they drive to work, stay in the office, and drive home. Nearby restaurants won't get much business from Googlers, but Club One (gym) and Trader Joe's might get a little, in the evening.
ReplyDelete