It’s been over a year since Amazon first announced it was expanding into a second headquarters location and now the wait is finally over. The list of finalists announced in January has been narrowed down to not one, but two locations: Long Island City in New York and Crystal City in Virginia. As The Wall Street Journal reports, the e-commerce giant has indicated they’ll split operations evenly between the two locations, “with as many as 25,000 employees in each” area.
Read MoreIn early August, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the formation of the Innovation Advisory Council (IAC), a collective of representatives from the region’s top technology companies aimed to assist “with the development of data-driven and technological approaches to address our city’s most urgent issues, including homelessness and transportation mobility.” As a statement released by the mayor’s office outlines, there are over 60,000 software developers in the region, representing the largest employment sector in the region.
Read MoreAs a recent Seattle Magazine article describes, drivers in Kirkland “may have noticed a Lexus RX suburban utility vehicle with a black rooftop dome traversing local streets” that is unlike other cars, because while it has someone sitting in the driver’s seat, their hands are far from the wheel. That’s because Kirkland is one of three U.S. cities that is currently allowing companies to test self-driving cars, “to see if hundreds of split-second decisions instinctively made by a human driver can be replicated by an onboard system of sensors and computers.”
Read MoreA recent article in Multi-Housing News reveals Seattle has been deemed the best residential market in the US. The website ranked large cities based on their potential for “long-term growth, equity and profit for investors.”
Read MoreIn recent years, the Seattle area has attracted new residents in droves. The booming job market, nearby outdoor amenities, and relatively affordable cost of living has many considering our region the most desirable for relocation. Can you blame them? With Amazon and Microsoft regularly making huge business moves (not to mention Starbucks, Facebook, Google, T-Mobile, Expedia, REI, Apple, etc) the job market is consistently flourishing.
Read MoreIn an article published June 15th, Jon Talton of The Seattle Times discusses the Tech Cities 1.0 report, which ranked Seattle 6th among the 25 most elite technology hubs in the United States. The results of the report are important in a city such as Seattle, given that “real-estate investors and site selectors pay attention to analyses such as this” when making critical investment decisions.
Read MoreThe Tech Boom’s impact on the economy and housing market in the Seattle area is receiving increasing recognition, as national news outlets are now weighing in on what the Emerald City’s future may hold. Most recently, Nick Wingfield of The New York Times reported that “Seattle, in Midst of Tech Boom, Tries to Keep Its Soul,” saying that Seattle leaders are no longer looking at San Francisco as a model to live up to, but as a “cautionary tale” to avoid.
Read More
