NYC, San Francisco, and a few other areas have absolutely no need for incentives. They're very robust, energized areas, and don't need to beg for employers to come there and leverage the dynamics and workforce. Amazon's ridiculous dog and pony show -- which wasted outrageous amount of public time and money -- was absolutely dystopian: Company that already is one of the largest in the world, with an enormous competitive advantage, demands even more competitive advantage. And let's be real -- Amazon mostly deals in what are zero sum markets. That I bought a camera and some cookies from Amazon just stopped me from buying it from someone else.

Further it's worth looking at LA and the NFL. The NFL takes advantage of governments -- usually desperate governments -- to build their stadiums for them, and when LA didn't play ball the NFL went sulking out of town. Eventually they went back, paying for the stadium and all ancillary costs, out of their own pockets, with zero incentives. Because in the end it simply makes sense.

Long Island City is not Manhattan. They do benefit from giving incentives as they are not a robust, energized area. Thus the plastic factory/ superfund site with no jobs.

Long Island City is directly opposite Manhattan (and to reply to the other comment, is most certainly a part of NYC), is extremely lucrative property, and much of it has sat unused largely because property owners have been trying to rezone as residential (where it is worth hundreds of millions an acre). NYC is extremely robust. NYC doesn't need Amazon, and never needed Amazon. And contrary to the claims in the linked letter (a spittle laden diatribe of someone mad that they didn't get their way), there was opposition right at the very outset. Significant opposition. Opposition that Long Island City doesn't want to be Manhattan, for instance.

If I understand you, what you are describing is gentrification.

> Opposition that Long Island City doesn't want to be Manhattan, for instance.

Being converted in a residential area for rich people does not look better.

> there was opposition right at the very outset. Significant opposition.

Considering the level of misinformation and how politically entrenched it was this means less than usual.

> NYC, San Francisco, and a few other areas have absolutely no need for incentives.

I see you are not familiar at all where Amazon HQ2 was going to go. (Not NYC.)

A brave attempt at pedantry given that Long Island City is most certainly a part of NYC.