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Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

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Re: Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

#21

Post by Analemma_ »

MrMullen wrote: post #13
yunong wrote: post #2

"one of the best recruiting tools Amazon has is if people come interview on a nice day, and people are sitting outside having lunch from a food truck." Have they been to Seattle during the months of November to June?

Having worked at Amazon.com, we used to joke that we could get anyone to move to Seattle if they interviewed in August. The summers are pretty amazing in Seattle, but the weather sucks the other 9 months of the year.

You are correct, though ironically the weather today is pea-soup fog, at least in Bellevue ;)

Re: Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

#22

Post by derekp7 »

techsupporter wrote: post #9
yunong wrote: post #2

"one of the best recruiting tools Amazon has is if people come interview on a nice day, and people are sitting outside having lunch from a food truck." Have they been to Seattle during the months of November to June?

I have (I live in Seattle, but don't work for Amazon) and the weather is pretty great roughly nine months out of the year. Late November to February are dreary but spring, summer, and most of fall make up for it. Sorry for leaking the secret, fellow Seattleites.

I was in Seattle a number of years ago for a training session, in January. It rained off and on, but overall I thought the weather was beautiful. Except the one day that it snowed, but the rest of the week was in the 70's.

Edit: to the response below, this was back in 98 or 99, something like that. I've looked up the historical weather, and it must have been that it felt like 70's to me, coming from Chicago (so it was probably more like 50's). I just remember not needing a jacket for most of the time I was there, and it "feeling good" when the sun came out.

Re: Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

#23

Post by jonknee »

techsupporter wrote: post #20
Johnny555 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd rather have free lunch brought in than have to go outside (rain or shine) and buy my lunch. I'd be more interested by a first rate company cafeteria with good (cheap or free) food. I don't know what the food trucks are like in Seattle, but in SF they are as expensive (or more so) than regular restaurants. So if I'm going to go out for food, I'd rather go someplace where I can sit down and eat.

I'd rather pay for my food because then there isn't the expectation that I stay at work to "enjoy" it. But I'm with you on food trucks. I just don't see the appeal (no, I don't need half of my lunch sliding down my arm as I stand up to eat it) but, damn, they are popular in urban Seattle.

> I'd rather pay for my food because then there isn't the expectation that I stay at work to "enjoy" it.

It's Amazon, you're expected to both pay for your lunch and stay at work to "enjoy it". Or stay late to make up for having to eat.

Re: Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

#24

Post by phinnaeus »

Analemma_ wrote: post #21
MrMullen wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having worked at Amazon.com, we used to joke that we could get anyone to move to Seattle if they interviewed in August. The summers are pretty amazing in Seattle, but the weather sucks the other 9 months of the year.

You are correct, though ironically the weather today is pea-soup fog, at least in Bellevue ;)

No better east of the big lake, but I'm betting it will be clear and beautiful by 5pm.

Edit: Ok, fine, 2:30pm.

Re: Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

#25

Post by newobj »

derekp7 wrote: post #22
techsupporter wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have (I live in Seattle, but don't work for Amazon) and the weather is pretty great roughly nine months out of the year. Late November to February are dreary but spring, summer, and most of fall make up for it. Sorry for leaking the secret, fellow Seattleites.

I was in Seattle a number of years ago for a training session, in January. It rained off and on, but overall I thought the weather was beautiful. Except the one day that it snowed, but the rest of the week was in the 70's. Edit: to the response below, this was back in 98 or 99, something like that. I've looked up the historical weather, and it must have been that it felt like 70's to me, coming from Chicago (so it wa…

70's in Seattle in January is a lie, misremembering, or massive fluke. Not normal. January is high of 40's.

Source: 20 year Seattle resident who loves it anyway.

Re: Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

#26

Post by mikestew »

InclinedPlane wrote: post #12
yunong wrote: post #2

"one of the best recruiting tools Amazon has is if people come interview on a nice day, and people are sitting outside having lunch from a food truck." Have they been to Seattle during the months of November to June?

It's closer to like November to March/April. It was in the 80s for a few days in April here this year. Also, the only places around the country where it isn't dreary, damp, and grey from late fall through spring is California or the South. Compared to the Northeast or the midwest, Seattle's winters are incredibly mild.

Having grown up in Indiana, I approve this message. I'll take cloudy and drizzle over -25F and snow. I think Seattle winters are great. All the snow I can handle just 45 minutes down the road, and when I'm sick of snow I just get in my car and drive back home.

I do miss Charlotte, NC, though (though recently passed laws make me pine less for NC than I used to). My first winter there, I remember asking a coworker, "does the sun EVER stop shining here?"

Re: Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

#27

Post by johan_larson »

Do you need specially-designed places to be creative?

Off-hand, the places that were really wildly creative during the 20th century were pretty standard offices and workshops, weren't they? Think of Xerox PARC, Bell Labs, and Bletchley Park. They all accomplished wild things. But the buildings were unremarkable.

Re: Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

#28

Post by edwhitesell »

techsupporter wrote: post #9
yunong wrote: post #2

"one of the best recruiting tools Amazon has is if people come interview on a nice day, and people are sitting outside having lunch from a food truck." Have they been to Seattle during the months of November to June?

I have (I live in Seattle, but don't work for Amazon) and the weather is pretty great roughly nine months out of the year. Late November to February are dreary but spring, summer, and most of fall make up for it. Sorry for leaking the secret, fellow Seattleites.

We lived in Bellevue for about 18 months and the weather was beautiful. Almost everyone we met said the whole "it always rains" thing is just something they tell people so they'll stay away.

Re: Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

#29

Post by nbclark »

techsupporter wrote: post #9
yunong wrote: post #2

"one of the best recruiting tools Amazon has is if people come interview on a nice day, and people are sitting outside having lunch from a food truck." Have they been to Seattle during the months of November to June?

I have (I live in Seattle, but don't work for Amazon) and the weather is pretty great roughly nine months out of the year. Late November to February are dreary but spring, summer, and most of fall make up for it. Sorry for leaking the secret, fellow Seattleites.

Depends on how you define great weather. It doesn't rain nearly as much as people assume (lived there 6 years), but most days have some light drizzle. For a tennis player, that is emotionally taxing (is it going to rain? should we make plans).

Re: Amazon Has Swallowed Downtown Seattle

#30

Post by mikestew »

yunong wrote: post #2

"one of the best recruiting tools Amazon has is if people come interview on a nice day, and people are sitting outside having lunch from a food truck." Have they been to Seattle during the months of November to June?

Or have they been any place else in Seattle? I just got back from enjoying a tasty burrito from a food truck, and I don't work anywhere near Amazon.

Regardless, I can't see this as a selling point to anyone but college grads. Anyone with experience will probably know that the novelty of eating off a food truck on a sunny day will pale in comparison to other considerations (starting with Amazon's reputation as a workplace).

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