"Getting to Kirkland is a schlep."

[randy_byers]

Interesting, if puffy, piece about Google's new office in my neighborhood of Seattle, Fremont. I think I had heard they were opening an office there, but had forgotten. Not noted in the article, which notes that "more than a half-dozen companies -- ranging from Adobe to startups such as All Star Directories -- have offices on North 34th Street" (I live on 36th), is that Adobe is actually building a whole new building on their campus for further expansion. Also not noted is that the South Lake Union neighborhood (a.k.a. Allentown) is actively courting Microsoft and Amazon, partly because the insanity of the cross-lake commute ("Kirkland is a schlep") is getting worse and worse. The tech companies seem to be looking more favorably at opening offices in Seattle itself. Perhaps it's also because the rents on the Eastside are no longer cheaper than those in the city.

Deep in the puffery about all the "perks" Google offers, we find the reason why I would never want to work for them (or any other high tech company, probably): '"When you spend so much time at work, you should have some input on what it is like," said Peter Wilson, engineering director and director of the Kirkland office.'

To my mind, when you spend so much time at work, you should look for another job. Ha!