Outsiders would occassionally wonder about how life is in the cities where some of the world's top companies are located. No, we are not going to talk about the kind of living inside these companies (thoughts of the Googleplex come to mind), but the city where they are located in.
Let's try to look at another major technology company, Microsoft Corporation, and the city where it is located: Redmond, Washington. This city of around 45,000 people is not only home to Microsoft (for which "Redmond" is already a substitute name), but also to the Nintendo of America. Due to the large number of highly paid tech professionals that reside in the area, Redmond is known for its affluence.
Up to this day, Microsoft stays as the city's top company ever since the latter decided to move to the city in 1986. It employs nearly 100,000 full-time workers and more than 8 million square feet of office space. One nice thing about Redmond, according to a Microsoft employee herself, is the proximity of the city to a number of other destinations, in which you can do a great number of activities.
For example, if you want to go to a major city and drink some coffee before going to work, Seattle is just around 20 minutes away. From there, you can drink coffee, eat some donuts, and watch the street performers. Being near to Seattle can bring in a lot of of rain during a storm, so you should be able to get used to that much water.
Redmond is also close to a number of skiing and snowboarding destinations. Our friend from Microsoft tells us that the Summit at Snoqualmie is just less than an hour away from the Microsoft campus, making it possible to visit regularly.
Meanwhile, the surrounding areas of Redmond also make excellent hiking destinations. You can go to the Redmond Town Center and have yourself guided to some trails. You can also rent gear from there.
As for the town itself, given its small population, it is not that difficult to feel homey, though it is big enough to serve you all of your needs.
In summary, if you are looking for good pay with lots of opportunities to pursue other hobbies, then Redmond is the place that you are looking for. It has the the small town feel amidst a sea of tech companies. How ironic can that get.
