The 'Hacker Hostel:' It Could Be in Mountain View's Future

Some of the environmental impacts of new housing, as raised in city council and planning commission sessions, can be an increase in population density and traffic.

However, some of the benefits can be new property and sales taxes—and not to mention a reduction in commute times, and traffic, for employees of Mountain View's many companies.

These factor have come under review as Mountain View's City Council in North Bayshore to be included in the city's General Plan. But as councilmembers and interested stakeholders—including —mull over this issue, another housing trend has begun to get attention nationally.

On page one of Friday's New York Times appeared the article, "Crammed Into Cheap Bunks, Dreaming of Future Digital Glory." In the nutgraf (which in journalism jargon means the "main point" or "reason why" this article has been written), the reporter Brian X. Chen posits that:

"This is not some kind of dorm, but a 'hacker hostel.' It’s one of several in the Bay Area that offer short- or long-term stays for aspiring tech entrepreneurs on the bottom rung of the Silicon Valley ladder, those who haven’t yet achieved Facebook-level riches. These establishments put a twist on the long tradition of communal housing for tech types by turning it into a commercial enterprise.

The entrepreneurs behind some of these houses, including the one in Old Mountain View and in Menlo Park, said the enterprise emerged because she "realized that 'nerds' like herself want to be around their own kind." The charge per night at the Mountain View location ranges upward of $69 per night, according to prices quoted on AirBnB.

In the comments section of the NY Times article, readers have raised some interesting points"

• Is this trend a result of a lack of rental housing? (CS -- CA; b brandkamp -- Staten Island, NY)
  
• Is this just because 'nerds' realized that chatting in a chatroom will never be the same as socializing in person? (Lin -- Australia)
  
• Is it okay because so many entreprenuers have used up their savings for their startup and this is the best way for them to live? They are risk-takers, some commenters said. (Jo Nicholas -- Garland, TX; Dan -- Tokyo)
  
• Is this violating zoning laws because these homes may not be zoned for "transient" housing? (Chris Samuels -- Menlo Park)
  
• If these weren't 'nerds' would it be okay to otherwise have them next to your property? (Noman -- CA)
  

(FYI, under the Mountain View City Code, a Transient Occupany Tax of 10 percent of the rent must be paid to the city by the operator or the guest of any "hotel" lodging where the guests stay under 30 days.)

What do you think Mountain View?  and many people continue to flock to it in pursuit of their million or billion dollar dream. Is a 'hacker hostel,' a good idea for the city?

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENT SECTION!

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