ACML Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 (edited) I landed at San Jose Airport too early to check in my hotel and it hit me. I'm 10 minutes away from Borregas Avenue. What's the last line from the bad guy at the end of Dirty Harry, "I just got's to know". If you're asking what is this Borregas Avenue in Sunnyvale, CA, well its the site, campus, whatever you wish to call it, that was ground zero for the fasting growing company in US history (at least in 1982 it was). Pulled right into the 1265 Borregas Avenue parking lot. Its appears to be the only vacant buiding on the block. This was Atari Corporate Headquarters from 1978-1984 (The Warner years). 1196 Borregas was the Tramiel Era Headquarters. It's a nice building even today, but it seems small given the fact that Atari had over 2 billion in sales in 1982. I've been told that Atari occupied 80+ buildings in that vicinity, a Campus if you will. Life goes on and there is really not any evidence of the empire that helped make Sunnyvale the epicenter of Silicon Valley. Been there, done that, glad I did. P.S. Sunnyvale is a beautiful city. Reminds me of San Diego (Rancho Bernardo & Poway) in the 70's and 80's. Edited June 12, 2013 by ACML 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mclaneinc Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 (edited) Nice one ACML, personally I think its a perfect pilgrimage for us lot, a once in a life time to stand where it all happened and of course enjoy a beautiful city as well. CA was on my list of places to visit in the states before my life took a nose dive, there and the Grand Canyon. Did the other big places.. What it would have been like to either be part of the Atari years there in CA or a fly on the wall, I bet there's secrets that never came to be or had traces left. Edited June 12, 2013 by Mclaneinc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Note taken for next CA trip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dropcheck Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Added to my bucket list 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wood_jl Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Added to my bucket list, as well. How about pics? Either of the building, of you in the parking lot with a 2600, or your rental car, or ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morelenmir Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Very cool indeed. Also extremely sad. I know there is a lot to be said for the Tramiel years with the ST's and so forth. But for me REAL Atari was before all that - culminating in that lovely batch of chocolate and cream XL gear, I don't think even up to today there has really been as well a brand identified line of consumer products as the XL atari stuff. If ONLY the 1450XLD - which in every picture I have seen is kitted out in XL livery - had made it out of the stalls just that 6 to 8 months earlier... We might all have had one, or at least been able to pick one up from EBay. So terribly sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caterpiggle Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I had been visited there once in 2010 in just a few minutes of their time when I did entered the original Atari designs building at 2 nd floor. Really cool Atari logo trademark outside of their blgs. Yes, I took pictures ever thing outside. Iconly I never visited at Atari corps when it was much alive during middle 80's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanOliver Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Pictures please. I don't remember a lot of signs saying Atari, or at least they didn't stand out. I think if I drove by I might not have even noticed. It didn't have a feeling of being a campus to me. The Apple campus was the same type of deal but they had the full color Apple logo which really stood out. The world changed though when you went into a building. And the deeper you went the stranger it got. Like 1265 Borregas had a private "cafeteria" only for executives. Waiters, linen tablecloths, menu as good as any restaurant within 20 miles. Very surreal. They could enjoy a nice meal while figuring out their next big plan and looking down at employees standing in line at the roach coach in the parking lot. It was my last chance to see a 18th century style of management. Lease info for 1265 Borregas. I remember it being a darker color and the entrance a different shape. But my memory is crap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXG/MNX Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I landed at San Jose Airport too early to check in my hotel and it hit me. I'm 10 minutes away from Borregas Avenue. What's the last line from the bad guy at the end of Dirty Harry, "I just got's to know". If you're asking what is this Borregas Avenue in Sunnyvale, CA, well its the site, campus, whatever you wish to call it, that was ground zero for the fasting growing company in US history (at least in 1982 it was). Pulled right into the 1265 Borregas Avenue parking lot. Its appears to be the only vacant buiding on the block. This was Atari Corporate Headquarters from 1978-1984 (The Warner years). 1196 Borregas was the Tramiel Era Headquarters. It's a nice building even today, but it seems small given the fact that Atari had over 2 billion in sales in 1982. I've been told that Atari occupied 80+ buildings in that vicinity, a Campus if you will. Life goes on and there is really not any evidence of the empire that helped make Sunnyvale the epicenter of Silicon Valley. Been there, done that, glad I did. P.S. Sunnyvale is a beautiful city. Reminds me of San Diego (Rancho Bernardo & Poway) in the 70's and 80's. Any pictures of those buildings ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pakrat Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 I was in San Jose in 2007, and I visited a friend in Sunnyvale, and we passed within like 2 miles of Atari HQ on Borregas. I wished I could have seen the place in person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenjennings Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Any pictures of those buildings ? Google Maps/Streetview? https://maps.google.com/maps?safe=off&q=1265+borregas+ave+sunnyvale+ca&ie=UTF-8&ei=36S5UZC_G4eA9gTfrYGYCg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEtalGuy66 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Here's what Google Street View has: Warerat was there several months ago and shot some pics with his Iphone.. Maybe he still has them.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caterpiggle Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 You forget to check a photo both side of this blgs, too .there are half Atari logo each side Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 Here are some pics I took of the old Atari buildings when I was in Sunnyvale back in 2008: http://www.atariprot...e/sunnyvale.htm 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wickeycolumbus Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 That's awesome, i'd like to get out there some time too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACML Posted June 14, 2013 Author Share Posted June 14, 2013 (edited) Here's what 1265 Borregas looks like on June 10th 2013. Great trip! I also stopped by Best Electronics and picked up some nice 8-bit stuff. Brad Koda is a great guy and he quality inspects everything they send out. I got the second to the last NEW old stock 1200XL keyboard !!! Yes, all keys work !! Edited June 14, 2013 by ACML Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanOliver Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 Thanks. That's more the way I remember it. The link I posted to the lease was the wrong address, sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+warerat Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 (edited) Warerat was there several months ago and shot some pics with his Iphone.. Maybe he still has them.. I was there for the GTC back in 2012. The conference was held in downtown San Jose (about a 20 minute freeway drive in the morning) but I stayed at Country Inn off of Carribean and SH 237 in Sunnyvale- a mere ten minute drive from all the old Atari buildings. Funny how our travel system picked out that hotel as "preferred" and I simply couldn't resist. The 1265 building itself and surrounding area looks well kept, and most of the office buildings there are available for lease. In the evenings I'd make it a point to drive by and it was surreal to go back in time for a moment. You can see my reflection in the doors between the posts (my legs, anyway). Feel free to call the number and lease it out... Edited June 15, 2013 by warerat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caterpiggle Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Your 2nd images is perfectly as half Atari logo on each side of the whole building ! That is correct one ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Guitarman Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Here are panoramics of both building, stitched from multiple shots, when I drove through in Oct. 2009. Corner shot 1196 Corner shot 1285 1196 from 1285 1285 from 1196 The corner sign for 1196 1196 Lobby 1285 Lobby 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caterpiggle Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 That is perfectly ! That exactly what I saw 1 blgs 1196. I did not see Another blgs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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