Years ago, before Apple initially expanded its campus in North Austin, and even before Austin was on the map for Amazon's second headquarters, our city has been worried about how the explosive growth of tech would impact its character.
And, there is zero doubt: It has.
Austin's rapid growth is largely attributed to the fast-paced growth of tech giants like Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook -- as well as the proliferation of smaller scale startups filling up co-working spaces and spare office space across the city.
Austin's tech boom has transformed neighborhoods, increased property values and added to the city's traffic issues. It has brought in a dizzying amount of brain power as engineering leaders, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs uproot their families from places like San Francisco and Boston to take jobs in Austin, which remains much more affordable than those cities.
So, it's not much of a surprise that the initial local reaction to Apple's announcement that it will invest $1 billion into a 130-acre campus that will employ 5,000 and grow to as many as 15,000 was largely negative.
But, that's human nature. We tend to first vent our concerns before becoming more optimistic about the possibilities. Apple's big move, so far north of the city's core, may limit its impact on the city as a whole. But it will almost certainly help the city sustain its strong employment rate and draw new talent -- as well as spin out innovators who are ready to start their own thing.
Here's a sampling of reactions to Thursday's announcement from Twitter.
