I always thought of Noble Studios as a hometown pride story, a company that was making it work in Carson City. This web design firm used to be located right downtown, in a historic old building across the street from the Capitol Plaza. Having them there made me a little prouder of downtown Carson, that it didn’t have to be all bars and casinos, that real companies could be located there too and make it work.
Well, Noble Studios has betrayed us. They moved out of Carson City and into a bland office building in downtown Reno, one of a handful of companies that are making up what this article calls “a small tech cluster” that is coming together. The article is all rah rah positive about the development, but I can’t help feel anything but sadness. Carson City apparently wasn’t hip enough for them, wasn’t trendy enough or close enough to the airport. Instead of a local company serving local needs, like I thought they were, they turned their gaze outwards, at places like “Utah, Phoenix, L.A.,” places far away from here. And suddenly being in Carson City was a liability, not an asset. I guess I can’t begrudge them for wanting to spread their wings and follow the money to the big cities, but I thought the promise of the internet was that location didn’t matter anymore, and that you could live where you wanted, instead of where you had to. If a company, especially an internet company, feels like they have to move to downtown Reno (ugh) to make it big, well what’s the point of technology?
Seems like far too many people chasing the money these days, and Carson City is the worse for it. I’m proud to work for two companies that are based in Carson, serving people in Carson, and that are committed to making the community a better place. Around Carson has been kind of dead lately, and I’ve been feeling bad about that, but my mission here has always been about making the people that live here feel more connected, and I don’t want to lose sight of that goal. Hopefully I can muster up some mojo and get things hopping around here again.
Hello Scott,
Good story…
The linked article about Noble moving is indeed a puff piece, but why didn’t you call Noble and see why they moved?….The puff piece author wrote about the “burdensome” commute from Reno to Carson-a soft point that rankles with us-our area is provincial when it comes to what some call a “burdensome” commute…Also you wrote:
“I was a little prouder of downtown Carson, that it didn’t have to be all bars and casinos, that real companies could be located there too and make it work.”
Personally we should define any legal business that employs locals as a “real company”.
The tourism base here needs bars and casinos, and Carson needs more jobs, period. The
“high tech” stuff sounds cool, but the bread and butter careers are needed also.
Your website is great, keep up the good work!
Scott,
I have enjoyed your work for some time now and have missed you of late.
Thanks for all you do for Carson!
I think it was a simple business decision. Noble has a far wider variety of businesses to target in the Reno area than in Carson City.
Same here at washoevalley.org, Scott! I suffrerd a little burnout and other comittments too but have already started to ramp up the site. Keep up the good work!
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