Sunnyvale Trip
Over the holidays I was lucky enough to be
able to go and see Atari's old headquarters in Sunnyvale CA.
I knew that all that remained of Atari's former glory was
a set of vacant office buildings, but I still wanted to go and
see these monuments for myself. So after a short 45 minute
car ride (which included 20 minutes of trying to explain to my
fiancee exactly why were going go see an old office building) I
was there.
Atari actually occupied several different
buildings in the Sunnyvale area during the 80's and early 90's,
but I was only interested in seeing two of them: 1265 Borregas
which served as Atari's headquarters during the Warner years
(1976 - 1984) and 1196 Borregas which served as Atari's
headquarters during the Tramiel years (1984 - 1996).
1265 Borregas
My first stop was 1265 Borregas Ave., site
of Atari's first headquarters. The building was currently
unoccupied, but looked like it was being well cared for.
Unfortunately the building was locked, but
looking through the windows you can see diagrams of the building
layout for potential customers.
Got a few hundred thousand laying around?
This historical building could be yours!
1196 Borregas
My second stop was 1196 Borregas Ave, site
of Atari's second headquarters (and the more famous of the two
buildings). Not only was 1196 a much more interesting
looking building than 1265, but it was actually occupied!
Thankfully due to it being a Saturday, there was no one
around to question why a thirty-something Atari nerd was taking
pictures of an office building.
Here's a view from the street. That
little sign probably says 'No Trespassing' or something equally
unimportant...
Walking around the back of the building, we
find the picnicking area. I've been told that this was
added long after Atari had vacated the building.
Due to it being a holiday weekend, this
building was locked up tighter than Fort Knox, but I still
managed to snap some pictures of the lobby. Unfortunately
we can't see the famous Atari reception desk from these shots.
Thus ended my trip through Atari history.
In the end even though I knew these were just old office
buildings, I felt like I had been taken back in time. I
could almost imagine what it must have been like to have worked
here during Atari's heyday (minus the long hours and grueling
work load). Although now all that remains are empty
concrete shells, Atari's history is still alive in the hearts
and minds of fans who take the time to make the pilgrimage to
this holy site.
Next stop: Imagic's old headquarters in Los
Gatos. But that's another story...
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