Amazon's 3 Washington Finalists Are Not the Same

Now that Amazon.com Inc. has released its list of 20 finalists for its second headquarters, there is lots of talk about the Washington area, as the District of Columbia; Northern Virginia; and Montgomery County, Maryland, all made the cut. Speaking as someone who has lived in Fairfax County, Virginia, almost 30 years running, we shouldn’t treat those three locations as the same. If Amazon does opt for this region, its particular choice will reflect some important truths about the future of the country.1516656206963

Let’s say Amazon chooses Montgomery County, perhaps somewhere in Silver Spring or the former White Flint Mall location in Rockville. Both of those places are a quick Metro ride into Washington and are well served by public transit. Amazon could tell prospective employees that they could live in the “cool” parts of the District and still have a reasonable work commute. The older and perhaps wealthier employees could live in Bethesda or Potomac and enjoy very good public schools for their children.