5 ms·

No, what I admire most isn't the office itself, though it's quite nice, it's the location. I can imagine that you can, for example, get some nice restaurants an

by thingie 14y ago

No, what I admire most isn't the office itself, though it's quite nice, it's the location. I can imagine that you can, for example, get some nice restaurants and few other option to get a real food within a walking distance. From my window, I can see just three freeways tightly surrounding this place-less office park from each side. And I am hungry, right now, there are just two ugly canteens that close by 2 PM anyway. It makes me feel desperate. Hunger is not nice.

lucaspiller 14y ago
Here in Europe business parks aren't really that popular for tech companies (unless you work for something like IBM, but I'd guess they'd have their own canteens), most are based in the city centre which is nice for lunches.
- rmc 14y ago
  Exactly. Most small tech companies that I've worked for have always been in city centre locations.
- lewispollard 14y ago
  I worked for an IBM software lab in the UK and they had their own canteen catered by Upper Crust: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Crust_(restaurant_chain) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Crust_(restaurant_chain)
nutjob123 14y ago
Not to brag, but the midtown Manhattan food selection is outstanding. http://midtownlunch.com/lunch-by-food-type/ http://midtownlunch.com/lunch-by-food-type/
- TillE 14y ago
  I miss that about New York. If you avoid the tourist traps, you can get great food for reasonable prices. In Berlin pretty much all the food is cheap, but very little of it is good. The standard of sushi is generally passable, though it's not my favorite thing.
  - ido 14y ago
    Turkish food is really great in Berlin, better than I've had anywhere else in Europe (I assume it's better in Turkey but I've never been).
  - pimeys 14y ago
    The sushi is awful compared to Tokyo, San Francisco, New York or Helsinki. But there are lots of great options in Mitte (where all the tech companies are). Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Vietnamese and even some Italian restaurants are just great and very cheap.
- untog 14y ago
  Right now I'm working in Chinatown. Phenomenal lunch options. Shortly, I will be moving near Times Square- I'm in two minds about it.
- warfangle 14y ago
  For quality, I'd say Soho is a bit better for the price.. Midtown tends to be mediocre-affordable, awesome-superexpensive; Soho tends to be prettygood-affordable, awesome-superexpensive. Unless midtown food options have radically changed since I last worked up there five years ago.
lucian1900 14y ago
I got into the habit of making an extra portion for dinner that I take to work as lunch for the next day. It's quite low effort and I get to eat tasty food every day.
hk_kh 14y ago
As much work and sometimes (depending on the office) isolation as it generates, I would go for bringing food from my home, and reserve canteens for just 1 or 2 days per week.
fghh45sdfhr3 14y ago
I recently switched from a job where the corporate cafeteria (horrible) was the only option, to a new job in town of my food full city. No one know how much of a big deal that difference was in my decision to switch.
mhomde 14y ago
Söder is Stockholms "Harlem" ;) While being pretty central it's not located in the most central part of the city, and the only decent lunch place around here just closed last week, ack! :)
- mongol 14y ago
  Which was?
  - mhomde 14y ago
    Häktet
willvarfar 14y ago
I used to work in Gamla Stan. Stockholm city is a really great feeling place to have a little indie tech company. In those pictures, you can see a long table that looks like lunch is eaten in-house. Reminds me of the Joel Spolsky school of keeping good developers happy: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/12/29.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/12/29.html
jiggy2011 14y ago
Ah, that brings back bad memories of working for a large consulting company in a business park. We worked in a building that was only at about 20% capacity so the canteen was closed and there was no food shops within a miles walk. Basically, forgetting to make a packed lunch meant staying hungry all day and trying to subside on vending machine coffee alone.
sopooneo 14y ago
I realize not everyone has this luxury, but the market is still very hot in Boston/Cambridge around me. And I'm sure others can second that for their cities. I have at least fifty restaurants within a fifteen minute walk. I'm not trying to taunt and life has a location hold at times, but if you can make the jump, we as developers are in a very fortunate position right now, and you can have a job within days/weeks around here if you've got the skills. Best to you.

by thingie 14y ago

lucaspiller 14y ago

Here in Europe business parks aren't really that popular for tech companies (unless you work for something like IBM, but I'd guess they'd have their own canteens), most are based in the city centre which is nice for lunches.

rmc 14y ago
Exactly. Most small tech companies that I've worked for have always been in city centre locations.
lewispollard 14y ago
I worked for an IBM software lab in the UK and they had their own canteen catered by Upper Crust: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Crust_(restaurant_chain) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Crust_(restaurant_chain)

nutjob123 14y ago

Not to brag, but the midtown Manhattan food selection is outstanding. http://midtownlunch.com/lunch-by-food-type/ http://midtownlunch.com/lunch-by-food-type/

TillE 14y ago
I miss that about New York. If you avoid the tourist traps, you can get great food for reasonable prices. In Berlin pretty much all the food is cheap, but very little of it is good. The standard of sushi is generally passable, though it's not my favorite thing.
- ido 14y ago
  Turkish food is really great in Berlin, better than I've had anywhere else in Europe (I assume it's better in Turkey but I've never been).
- pimeys 14y ago
  The sushi is awful compared to Tokyo, San Francisco, New York or Helsinki. But there are lots of great options in Mitte (where all the tech companies are). Lebanese, Syrian, Turkish, Vietnamese and even some Italian restaurants are just great and very cheap.
untog 14y ago
Right now I'm working in Chinatown. Phenomenal lunch options. Shortly, I will be moving near Times Square- I'm in two minds about it.
warfangle 14y ago
For quality, I'd say Soho is a bit better for the price.. Midtown tends to be mediocre-affordable, awesome-superexpensive; Soho tends to be prettygood-affordable, awesome-superexpensive. Unless midtown food options have radically changed since I last worked up there five years ago.

lucian1900 14y ago

I got into the habit of making an extra portion for dinner that I take to work as lunch for the next day. It's quite low effort and I get to eat tasty food every day.

hk_kh 14y ago

As much work and sometimes (depending on the office) isolation as it generates, I would go for bringing food from my home, and reserve canteens for just 1 or 2 days per week.

fghh45sdfhr3 14y ago

I recently switched from a job where the corporate cafeteria (horrible) was the only option, to a new job in town of my food full city. No one know how much of a big deal that difference was in my decision to switch.

mhomde 14y ago

Söder is Stockholms "Harlem" ;) While being pretty central it's not located in the most central part of the city, and the only decent lunch place around here just closed last week, ack! :)

mongol 14y ago
Which was?
- mhomde 14y ago
  Häktet

willvarfar 14y ago

I used to work in Gamla Stan. Stockholm city is a really great feeling place to have a little indie tech company. In those pictures, you can see a long table that looks like lunch is eaten in-house. Reminds me of the Joel Spolsky school of keeping good developers happy: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/12/29.html http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/12/29.html

jiggy2011 14y ago

Ah, that brings back bad memories of working for a large consulting company in a business park. We worked in a building that was only at about 20% capacity so the canteen was closed and there was no food shops within a miles walk. Basically, forgetting to make a packed lunch meant staying hungry all day and trying to subside on vending machine coffee alone.

sopooneo 14y ago

I realize not everyone has this luxury, but the market is still very hot in Boston/Cambridge around me. And I'm sure others can second that for their cities. I have at least fifty restaurants within a fifteen minute walk. I'm not trying to taunt and life has a location hold at times, but if you can make the jump, we as developers are in a very fortunate position right now, and you can have a job within days/weeks around here if you've got the skills. Best to you.