A very nice development for SF. There does seem to be a growing trend of programmers wanting to live in SF. The downside is that they then typically have to commute south - thats been the case for the very large fleet of wifi enabled Google buses for a while. (Which the new Google office solves). Apple is about to launch their own fleet of buses to get their SF dwelling programmers down south too.
I must admit, the Apple headquarters campus is a very unattractive set of buildings, especially given Steve Jobs as CEO . (Although I think the building program was done before his return.) It would be nice if Jobs decides that living in style is as important as computing with style, and moved the HQ into one of the many rising towers in the City. The more hackers in SF, the better. :)
Apple just bought a big plot of land from HP in Cupertino. They've spent a good 50 million renovating 4 to 5 buildings out of a 12 building cluster. In 5 years, all 12 buildings will be torn down to make way for a brand new campus extension from Infinite Loop. Going to SF? Hah!
Thats unfortunate for them (in the sense of style) but obviously a sign that they are expanding, which is good. The typical Valley IT campus surrounded by parking and separate from any local experience, such as the ability to walk a block or two to select from 20 different restaurants, is a bit depressing to me. Being able to walk outside (and note the mode "walk" rather than being forced to have to drive everywhere) and have a sophisticated cultural experience outside of the cubicle is a key factor, for me, in staying mentally fresh.
I must admit, the Apple headquarters campus is a very unattractive set of buildings, especially given Steve Jobs as CEO . (Although I think the building program was done before his return.) It would be nice if Jobs decides that living in style is as important as computing with style, and moved the HQ into one of the many rising towers in the City. The more hackers in SF, the better. :)