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A Tour of Googleplex East

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the and-on-your-left dept.

An anonymous reader writes "In Googleplex East: Search And The City, IWeek has posted a visual tour of the search giant's NYC HQ, complete with the requisite massage room, candy machine, and funky cafeteria. (There are even — surprise — work areas.) A companion story argues that New York City has reemerged as a tech center, citing the access to the Big Apple's media as a powerful pull for Web 2.0 companies. It also argues that NY's business community is more important these days to startups than Silicon Valley's deep pool of talent. Do you buy this thesis? Isn't it really unimportant these days where you work, geographically?"

5 of 109 comments (clear)

  1. Pass...but thanks anyway. by svunt · · Score: 4, Interesting
    Meh - I'm only an accountant in a relatively small business, but I've got a more spacious work area than any of the cube farmers at Google. We don't have a games room, but when the clock strikes Beer O'Clock on a Friday, the recycle bins become wickets, there's already a crease made from duct tape in the main office, and even the MD joins the weekly cricket match, brewski in hand.

    It's great that they're trying, but once you're in the several thousand employee range, you've lost any genuinely communal feeling amongst the staff, and personally I find the attempts to be relaxed and groovy a bit forced in those corporate environments.

  2. Low walled workspaces by CaroKann · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Judging from he workspace pictures, it appears Google subscribes to the idea that cubicles without high walls promote communication and interworking among employees. Of course, this is at the expense of privacy, peace and quiet, and for some people, stress relief.
    After working in both settings, I have to say that I prefer low walled cubicles. High walled cubicles create a claustrophobic, catacomb-like environment. Low walled cubicles create a friendlier work floor, and it is easier to have impromptu meetings in the cubicle hallways when people can spread out and still see each other.

  3. Re:Looks like a creche by Teresita · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Last year there was a big dustup at Microsoft when management briefly stopped providing clean towels in the locker room to save costs. When Google meets Mr. Entropy, as all organizations eventually do, the cute little benefits will either go away or be rationed to the Beautiful People, ie. middle management and above.

  4. Re:It DOES matter where you live by arudloff · · Score: 2, Interesting

    You can surround yourself with creative go getters anywhere in the country -- at half the cost, I might add. Just follow the birds of a feather mantra.

    For us, it's been Orlando. Similar climate (72 degrees avg. temp) and a huge talent pool. UCF is the 6th largest student population and has a big focus on engineering/it/digital media. There is tons of money for investing, and a seriously cheap cost of living. The disney influence only adds to the creative pool and offers a ton of designers looking for contract work.

    I can't imagine trying to bootstrap an idea on the we$t coast.
     

  5. Re:Big Wow by C_Kode · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Not my company. Every year I get striped of more and more benefits. My insurance premium goes up and it's coverage goes down. Raises seem to get smaller and bonuses are smaller if they happen at all. Google goes far beyond what normal companies do. While they don't provide the best of everything, they do a lot of stuff 95% of companies don't. I think you're just pissed off because you probably applied at Google and got rejected. :P