I wish I could take credit but I stole it from the only good thread on CR, you laugh you lose.

 

So here's another interesting little piece of Silicon Valley history:



This is the building known as Bandley 4. It's part of the original Apple campus, a large cluster of smallish office buildings scattered across an area of several blocks, which were acquired in a somewhat haphazard fashion during the late 70s and early 80s. More of a neighborhood, this loose collection of buildings predates the construction of the Infinite Loop campus but is still in use today, representing roughly 50% of Apple's real estate in the area.



Despite the fact that it's not much to look at, this building holds a very unique distinction. It is the location of the office to which Steve Jobs was exiled by John Sculley in 1985, after the Board commanded that Jobs be "contained."

Originally the home of the Mac development team, that function had recently moved to the much larger and newly-rennovated Bandley 3 building just across the street, and so the sole occupants of Bandley 4 were Steve Jobs, his secretary, and one security guard.




Walking past the building from the sidewalk, one gets the impression that Apple would rather forget about this chapter in its history. So far as I can tell, Bandley 4 is the only Apple building which does not bear a proud sign at street level announcing its existence for all to see. Just a simple little marker post bearing the address 10441 Bandley Drive, and a large, lonely-looking empty space.




This would be in contrast to the famed Bandley 3 building, literally just across the street, which was the original birthplace of what we now know as the Macintosh computer:

 

 

Did I miss the part where you told us why you're hanging around Cupertino taking pictures of Apple buildings?

 

 

Silicon Valley is kind of a neat place, and Cupertino in particular is rich with geek culture.

For example: I had lunch at a bagel shop on De Anza blvd., which is sort of the border between the Old Neighborhood and the Infinite Loop campus. Nova Lox with capers, onions, tomato and cream cheese, just like you'd get in Manhattan.

Good bagel.

While dining, I found myself leafing through one of the local community papers- you know, the kind they give away for free in little dispensers everywhere that cover events of local interest and contain massive amounts of advertizing?

Here's the first page of the section of that paper advertizing summer camps and activities for kids:



Forget about canoeing and stitching crappy leather wallets- these folks are much more interested in having their 12 year olds learn Python, Java, C++, attend robotics workshops, etc.


On the other hand, there's something weird about this town, and I can't quite put my finger on it. I'm used to northern San Diego county, with its beach culture, hilly terrain, good roads... Up here, it doesn't even feel like California. Everything is sort of old and run-down, like they stopped building and maintaining things sometime in the early 80s. It's all flat as hell, the roads are in terrible shape, and it just seems like the whole place has a kind of uniformly brownish-grey tint over it...

 

**** joe, i grew up in that area. like i've skateboarded on those roads.

you've got to check out either Kirk's Charcoal Broiler or Clarke's uhh Charcoal Broiler? They are both awesome burgers. Both relatively close to youish. Both make me miss that area.

Also there is a great mongolian BBQ at Lawrence and El Camino-ish but you have to hone your skills at making a meat-bowl-extension before going to maximize your single bowl of food.

Growing up was a blast because I literally saw the internet being born and the growth of computer companies from hokey hole in the wall to megamonsters.

I remember the first time I saw "http://" on a temporary banner in front of a company. I was so confused. Like how you go to Chinatown and all the signs are bilingual but the bottom part is just gibberish to you.

If you get a chance to go to the computer history museum (and you should--it's the old SGI building), look up a guy named Chris Garcia and tell him I sent you. He might have cool **** to show you.

oh
forgot my pic:

 

Ah! I see your edit. I was just about to GWAR you.




I'm back in SD right now. I only had one free day up in the Valley, and I totally spaced out on the computer history museum. I will definitely have to hit that next time.

 

Joe -

May I suggest that you take highway 85 south to highway 9 - Big Basin way - west all the way to Big Basin. Drive it very fast, both ways, up to Big Basin and back. Repeat as necessary.

That should help with the California feeling.

Edit: too late - back home already.

 

 

 

^^"How much torque?" "Oh, uh... I forget, like 19 hundred something..."

 

 

Slightly more than a month late, but still funny:

 

 

^^