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Comment by hiddencost | Hacker News Reader

I think many Seattle residents would be delighted. Much of the city's culture was hollowed out by Amazon.

I think this happens to any city whose existing population and culture gets rapidly overwhelmed in a small amount of time, such that the existing group sees its way of life being erased. It can happen with situations like sudden mass migration (like in some European cities where they were used as relocation centers for asylum immigrants). But in Seattle’s case, I am betting it’s the tech industry as a whole not just Amazon. The city probably saw a large influx of people from California and also outside the US, replacing the earlier vibes, all within 20 years.

Seattle residents are happy because other people they deem as "uncultured" are out of jobs?

If that is true, do we really want to save Seattle's "culture" from being hollowed out.

If you live in a tech growth region get your truck driver, construction, bar tender friends or neighbors to be truly honest with you about how they view "tech guys" and the impacts of massive tech growth on their cities and the impacts on their personal quality of life and you'll learn a lot about how people feel, especially if they're renters.

Hmm, and who do you think contributed to the salaries, tips and businesses of the above mentioned groups. I'm quite sure a large part came from tech salaries. Everything is related. You can't jump off the planet.

I'm sure they would argue that the primary impact is higher prices (of housing especially), not higher salaries and tips. If you have a few new high income people come into a neighborhood, that feels like some extra dollars coming into the neighborhood; but if a large enough portion starts to become high income transplants, suddenly the locale starts catering to high income as the median consumer target, and previously-middle income workers are now relatively low income.

>> If you live in a tech growth region get your truck driver, construction, bar tender friends or neighbors to be truly honest with you about how they view "tech guys" and the impacts of massive tech growth on their cities and the impacts on their personal quality of life and you'll learn a lot about how people feel, especially if they're renters.

> Hmm, and who do you think contributed to the salaries, tips and businesses of the above mentioned groups. I'm quite sure a large part came from tech salaries.

It also turns out people care about more than just money.

I got pushed out of Santa Cruz, along with most of the people I grew up with and most friends. Those that remained ended up with kind of a rump version of normal life because expenses are so high, friends and family are all gone and not because they wanted to leave. Sometimes resentment is felt. Sadness for the world you knew being lost.

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