I was born and raised in Texas for my first 30 years, moved to Seattle for 7 years, then recently moved back. Frankly, my first year transition in Seattle was a bitch with the constant wet, cool, dark weather, gray clouds and the old houses with high prices, but then it really grew on me (and not just the moss). An hour drive to the beach or the rain forest or the snow covered mountains. Heck, I could see the snow peak of Mt. Rainier every day driving to work. Beautiful tall evergreen trees and an actual Fall season where leaves change color for more than 5 minutes. The most pleasant sunny yet mild summers you could ever imagine. Sitting on the back porch watching huge bald eagles flying overhead. One time, we watched the Northern Lights shimmer green in the night sky from my front yard, which was a hell of a treat. After a while, I was truly loving it there.

My first year back in Texas, even as a previously die-hard Texan, I feel like I landed on an alien planet with a big drop in general IQ and quality of life around me. It’s hard to explain, but basically I feel like I now live in a low rent, flat, dirty air, sun-cooked, religious books section of a Walmart for fat, retarded people. Yes, even here in Austin.

I guess since I was born here, I had to move away and come back to notice what a crap hole Texas can really be. Move to Seattle if you can afford it.

Sorry if i wasn’t clear. I was referring to attracting U.S. headquarter–not simply having offices in austin. So take out Apple (Cuppertino, CA), AMD (Sunnyvale), Samsung (NY/New Jersey), Motorola, Intel (Santa Clara). Before researching your list, i thought i would have more than a couple left.

NCsoft is not closing the austin office. In fact, they are hiring in austin. http://www.plaync.com/us/jobs/ .. but perhaps not the jobs most would be interested in.

Like Apple, Samsung, AMD, Intel, Motorola or Tokyo Electron?

Oh wait, yeah, they all have offices in Austin.

Totally one of my favorite Austin aspects: it isn’t super-HQ worthy, but it still totally pops with culture.

“I don’t know what the city or the state can do about that,” [Gordon] Walton said, “But anything is better than nothing right now. Because Warren and I fly places, to be supplicants, to people with money. Our relationships, in the long-term, aren’t what they should be. Because the people we’re dealing with, really don’t want to be here. They think, ‘Oh, that’s going to be a pain in the butt, going to Austin,’ because they have to fly sixteen ways from Sunday to get here.”

Warren [Spector] concurred, “That sounds crazy, but it’s absolutely true. People will not come to Austin to talk to us. We always have to go to them, and it’s a real issue. The lack of direct flights – I can’t believe I’m actually saying that in public – is an actual hindrance.”