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Is San Ramon the new Silicon Valley?


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2013 Jul 14, 2:17pm   8,095 views  23 comments

by FunnyBayAreaBuyer   ➕follow (1)   💰tip   ignore  

GE is starting a new software facility in San Ramon. To hire 100s of SW engineers.

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/GE-taps-Silicon-Valley-talent-for-San-Ramon-site-3484065.php

San Ramon is a beautiful community, with all that experienced engineers are looking for in a community: 1) Good schools 2) Good housing 3) Good housing with good schools.

Questions:
1) Do you think other companies will start tapping San Ramon's proximity to the Silicon Valley's brain talent?

2) Should I stop looking to by at a crappy house in Los Altos for 2M, and start looking for a brand new house (with views to mt diablo) for 1.4M in San Ramon?

#housing

Comments 1 - 23 of 23        Search these comments

1   Patrick   2013 Jul 14, 2:29pm  

San Ramon is hot and boring and it's too hard to get from there into San Francisco.

2   FunnyBayAreaBuyer   2013 Jul 14, 2:42pm  

Excellent point. Though it would seem like for a lot of experienced people, married and with kids, it provides a good trade off between close enough, and decent housing.

More importantly, what if you did not have to commute to the Silicon Valley?

If you were a company, hungry to recruit experienced people, knowing that these experienced people need good schools for their kids, would not you consider San Ramon as a good place to start a campus?

What if San Ramon had offices from Google, Facebook, etc? If you were an engineer with kids, would not you consider it?

I'm not sure of the answer myself. But looking for some insights among you folks.

3   rufita11   2013 Jul 14, 3:17pm  


San Ramon is hot and boring and it's too hard to get from there into San Francisco.

Too Hard? Maybe during commute hours, but off commute it's a breeze.

I live in San Ramon and have other reasons why I would never buy here. #1 There is no downtown.
#2 The allergies here are worse than almost anywhere else in the north bay.
#3 It can be extremely windy in the hills.

4   meetyaks   2013 Jul 14, 3:33pm  

FunnyBayAreaBuyer says

What if San Ramon had offices from Google, Facebook, etc? If you were an engineer with kids, would not you consider it?

This is really funny my friend. Just because a bunch of people decided to spend 15% of their life in commute for a new house, you expect multi billion dollar companies to setup shops there?

I think there are good employment opportunities (mostly retirement like jobs - chevron, pg&e, at&t, GE etc, workday is one exception though) out side of valley there but not comparable. I can bet my life companies you mentioned (google, apple, microsoft, ebay, facebook) will not come there.

Don't get me wrong, but you are expecting too much in a town that still does not have a downtown

5   FunnyBayAreaBuyer   2013 Jul 14, 3:51pm  

Awesome feedback, folks. Really appreciate it.

>>XX I can bet my life companies
>> XX you mentioned (google, apple,
>> XX microsoft, ebay, facebook) will
>> XX not come there.

And to get a bit deeper into this specific item.

Is cupertino so different from San Ramon? (I mean, who has heard of cupertino downtown?)

People move in Cupertino just for the schools, don't they? Don't people move to San Ramon for the same reason?

Just to spark the discussion: Really folks, some people say San Ramon can be the next Cupertino. (or even the next Los Altos Hills!). As boring, as crappy, but more importantly: schools that could quickly become as good as Cupertino's (if they not already are).

Oh, I forgot to mention: San Ramon's housing is cheaper. Muuuuch cheaper.

6   meetyaks   2013 Jul 14, 4:50pm  

FunnyBayAreaBuyer says

Awesome feedback, folks. Really appreciate it.

>>XX I can bet my life companies

>> XX you mentioned (google, apple,

>> XX microsoft, ebay, facebook) will

>> XX not come there.

And to get a bit deeper into this specific item.

Is cupertino so different from San Ramon? (I mean, who has heard of cupertino downtown?)

People move in Cupertino just for the schools, don't they? Don't people move to San Ramon for the same reason?

Just to spark the discussion: Really folks, some people say San Ramon can be the next Cupertino. (or even the next Los Altos Hills!). As boring, as crappy, but more importantly: schools that could quickly become as good as Cupertino's (if they not already are).

Oh, I forgot to mention: San Ramon's housing is cheaper. Muuuuch cheaper.

Cupertino and Mission are different primarily because they are part of the Valley. Companies did not come here because these schools have good apis.

7   FunnyBayAreaBuyer   2013 Jul 14, 5:06pm  

meetyaks says

Cupertino and Mission are different primarily because they are part of the Valley. Companies did not come here because these schools have good apis.

Cool. Understood. Valuable insight. But let me challenge that a bit:

1) Do companies come here to the Silicon Valley to find talent?
2) Where does talent with kids like to buy houses?

Most people believe the answer to 1 is yes.
Pretty much all engineers with kids will tell you the answer to 2) is "places with good schools"

Therefore, logic would follow like this: If (ever) the bay area gets crowded to the point that new parents will have to consider options outside the south bay. They will probably consider San Ramon as one of the top options.

And then, logic would say: "San Ramon is the next cupertino".

All, pls, feel free to challenge this. (which is what i'm looking for. I want to be convinced that San Ramon is a bad idea, so that I don't go for it)

8   bighorse   2013 Jul 14, 5:19pm  

Didn't read any of the posts other than the title. No it is not.

9   meetyaks   2013 Jul 14, 5:56pm  

FunnyBayAreaBuyer says

And then, logic would say: "San Ramon is the next cupertino".

I did not challenge this part at all. I challenged your thinking that companies like google will setup shops there which is very very unlikely.

Moreover, i am not sure how much of silicon valley young talent is produced by Cupertino/Mission schools. I would say its very little if not nil.

10   thomaswong.1986   2013 Jul 14, 6:04pm  

FunnyBayAreaBuyer says

GE is starting a new software facility in San Ramon. To hire 100s of SW engineers.

How is that any different than Beaverton or any other city which attracts new jobs ?

have you ever seen Semiconductor plants / FABS in San Ramon ? how about new industries...

FunnyBayAreaBuyer says

1) Do companies come here to the Silicon Valley to find talent?

Other state and city governments do come to SV to lure employers to set up/move their business into their city and state.

as has been said many times.. only 5-15% of the employees are in SV.. 85-95% are in other regions/states/nations. We do not hire as much here as we did in the past. We do hire more in other state.

11   thomaswong.1986   2013 Jul 14, 6:07pm  

meetyaks says

Moreover, i am not sure how much of silicon valley young talent is produced by Cupertino/Mission schools. I would say its very little if not nil.

decades past.. almost all 80-95% were home grown... but that certainly has
changed since... more over, SV workers rather not see their sons/daughers
do tech ... its not for everyone! Long hours, personal sacrifice, low earnings,
and lots of failures... Else ask yourself where is everyone else ... why did
so many leave the "rat race".

12   meetyaks   2013 Jul 14, 6:25pm  

thomaswong.1986 says

decades past.. almost all 80-95% were home grown... but that certainly has

changed since... more over, SV workers rather not see their sons/daughers

do tech ... its not for everyone! Long hours, personal sacrifice, low earnings,

and lots of failures... Else ask yourself where is everyone else ... why did

so many leave the "rat race".

Well put. Exactly my point...

13   thomaswong.1986   2013 Jul 14, 6:41pm  

get a Geology degree.. study rocks .. move to Dakotas or other parts of middle Americal.... where they are drilling for Oil and Natural Gas... thats the new ticket !

14   meetyaks   2013 Jul 14, 6:49pm  

Last time I heard Chevron is moving some jobs (close to 400) to Houston

15   meetyaks   2013 Jul 14, 6:52pm  

thomaswong.1986 says

get a Geology degree.. study rocks .. move to Dakotas or other parts of middle Americal.... where they are drilling for Oil and Natural Gas... thats the new ticket !

What will happen to Tesla :)

16   New Renter   2013 Jul 14, 11:56pm  

FunnyBayAreaBuyer says

Is San Ramon the new Silicon Valley?

NO, Stockton is! Go buy there!

17   New Renter   2013 Jul 15, 12:05am  

meetyaks says

thomaswong.1986 says

get a Geology degree.. study rocks .. move to Dakotas or other parts of middle Americal.... where they are drilling for Oil and Natural Gas... thats the new ticket !

What will happen to Tesla :)

A lot of Tesla juice is generated with NG.

18   Shaman   2013 Jul 15, 12:20am  

Might be a good bet to get an oil job in the Dakotas. Friend of my brother in law works up there, clears 300k. He's commuting from another state and hates it, but there ya go. If you're willing to work away from the sun belt you can make some serious dough.
I know another guy who flew small planes in Afghanistan for insane amounts of money. You can make about dick-fifty a year flying here in the states, but he was making 800k with bonuses there. And they even gave him a steel floor plate to sit above!

19   dublin hillz   2013 Jul 15, 5:47am  

During my work commute, I can tell you that bollinger canyon rd exit and 680 freeway leading up to it is busier than ever. Companies are definitely moving into the area. With more employment opportunites available, it is inevitable that prices there and in nearby towns will increase.

20   MissedTheBoat21   2013 Jul 15, 9:56am  

dublin hillz says

During my work commute, I can tell you that bollinger canyon rd exit and 680 freeway leading up to it is busier than ever. Companies are definitely moving into the area. With more employment opportunites available, it is inevitable that prices there and in nearby towns will increase.

It's not because of employers like Chevron, etc. adding jobs or new companies coming to the area. Instead, it is because of the obscene amount of new construction in Gale Ranch and Windemere.

Which part of Dublin do you live in - East or West? I am interested in the Hansen Hill area / West Dublin - but not much comes up for sale there and prices have shot up.

21   MAGA   2013 Jul 15, 10:00am  

I didn't see any mention about GE Healthcare. I specialize on their Centricity Platform. I wouldn't mind coming back to Cali for a new gig.

22   MAGA   2013 Jul 15, 10:07am  

MissedTheBoat21 says

It's not because of employers like Chevron, etc. adding jobs or new companies coming to the area.

Chevron wanted to hire me full time about a year ago. I said thanks but no thanks. I didn't want to move to the area. As a consultant, sure, when do I start?

23   dublin hillz   2013 Jul 16, 2:50am  

MissedTheBoat21 says

Which part of Dublin do you live in - East or West?

East Dub.

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