in Check It Out, Futurist, Raleigh

Seattle brewed: Amazon’s rapid growth transforms a city — but it’s complicated | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A cautionary tale for those cities vying to be the second headquarters of Amazon. Raleigh, be careful what you wish for.

“Seattle was a great place to live before Amazon. If you can afford it, it’s a great place to live now. That’s the caveat — if you can afford it,” said Knute Berger, a Seattle native and historian who is a columnist for Crosscut.com and editor at large for Seattle Magazine.

Mr. Berger wrote a commentary for Crosscut titled “Bidder beware,” warning the countless cities, including Pittsburgh, competing for a shot at Amazon’s second headquarters and its promise of 50,000 jobs that they may end up with more than they bargained for.

“That sounds crazy because of the success of the company. But Amazon has come with costs, too, for the community. Not everyone is a winner in the Amazon economy,” he said.

Source: Seattle brewed: Amazon’s rapid growth transforms a city — but it’s complicated | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette