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Originally Posted by spoonman
San Diego would be a very strong contender in many areas, but shares the same negatives as LA...high cost of living/taxes, west coast location, etc. I wouldn't be surprised to see Amazon go to a smaller, faster growing city like Charlotte, Austin, etc,etc.
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Agree. Amazon not likely to pick another west coast city like SF or LA for a "second HQ". LA already has important Amazon operations in film production. SF in a tech center. It will go east. Texas--Austin or Dallas. Maybe even NYC or Washington DC area (including suburban VA & MD & maybe even nearby Baltimore). Washington area would carry political advantages (and Bezos owns the Wash. Post), and so would Texas (very strong political delegation). Doubt they pick Chicago. If I had to bet, I'd say a race between Dallas, Austin or Washington DC area. Atlanta, Charlotte, or Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area slightly lower possibility place bet, but maybe too socially conservative for Amazon's tastes. But Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill does have the universities for sure (Duke, UNC, NCSU) and the research (Research Triangle Park), and the living costs are reasonable.
Here is my ranking for best chance city (1 being highest chance): 1. Dallas 2. Austin 3. Washington D.C. area (including Baltimore & suburban VA, nearby Richmond & MD) 4. Atlanta 5. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill 6. Charlotte 7. New York City 8. Chicago 9. San Antonio 10. Houston 11. Boston 12. Cleveland or Columbus 13. St. Louis 14. Philadelphia 15. Denver 16. Kansas City 17. Pittsburgh 18. LA or SF or SD 19. Minneapolis-St. Paul 20. Nashville 21. Cincinnati 22. Louisville 23. Albuquerque The only shift may be if Amazon values the tech connection/film connection the most, SF & LA move up in rank. But I think the geography & political advantage of an east or central location trump that.