Welcome to
Silicon Valley's Bermuda Triangle
from someone who spends way too much time thinking about freeways


(click for an enlargement)

Introduction

The Silicon Bermuda Triangle, or more commonly referred to as "the Bermuda Triangle" by those on the up and up, is the triangle created by the intersection of the highways 237, 85, and 101 in Mountain View and Sunnyvale, California. Instead of just naming another geographic region for it's shape, this area has earned it's foreboding name because of the imposibility and improbability of giving or following directions to one of the many Internet companies located within the mysterious triangle. Some believe the Internet has thrived for so long because so few of Microsoft's spies have been able to find their way in-to or out-of the most important Internet district in not only Silicon Valley, but the world.

Getting into the Triangle

  • There is no exit that will take you from southbound 101 to westbound 237.
  • There is no exit that will take you from northbound 101 to westbound 85.
  • There is no exit that will take you from westbound 237 to westbound 85.
  • There is no exit that will take you from eastbound 237 to northbound 101.
  • There is no exit that will take you from eastbound 85 to southbound 101.
  • There is no exit that will take you from westbound 85 to eastbound 237.
  • There is no exit that will take you from westbound 85 to Moffet Blvd.

    Additionally:
  • There is no exit that will take you from northbound 101 to eastbound 85.
  • There is no exit that will take you from southbound 101 to eastbound 85.
    because there is no eastbound 85 past 101.

    Essentially, all freeways take you away from the Silicon Bermuda Triangle. The best way to get into the Silicon Bermuda Triangle from a freeway, is to take the Ellis Street exit off of north or southbound 101, but you can't get onto the stretch of 101 that contains the Ellis Street exit from either 85 or eastbound 237.

    So you're saying, okay, then give better directions. Alas, we come to the next point:

    Why no one can give good directions

    Reason 1:
    Most of the people who work in the Triangle do not live in the Triangle, and really do not know the area very well. They know which freeway they take to get in, and which exit off of the freeway they take. But say they take westbound 237 to work--what happens if a geek flies into SFO and is coming on 101? Well, the directions get jumbled and yet another Chevy Cavalier rental car is surrendered to the Triangle.

    Reason 2:
    The Triangle can throw a pretty mean Jedi Mind Trick.

    Reason 3:
    Most of the people who work in the Triangle are engineers. Have you ever tried to follow an engineer's directions? You may as well be reading Chinese assembly instructions for your TeleTubby highchair. On the otherhand if you, the visitor, knows C you may ask for the directions.c but whatever you do, don't accept any file named triangle.lib. It will seriously warp your sense of reality and cause you to pay 500,000$ for a 1000 square foot condo in Mountain View.

    Getting around once inside the Triangle

    Assuming you actually find your way to the venture-money-lined streets inside the Silicon Bermuda Triangle, did you actually think you could find the company you were looking for? Think again Andreeson.

  • Stop sign confusion: "Take the Ellis Street exit off of 101, turn left at the first stop sign, go straight through the second stop sign, then left at the third stopsign. Each stop sign is approximately 50 feet apart."
  • Two words, Clyde Avenue: "After the third stop sign, Clyde Avenue will turn left, then right, then left, then right. After the fourth right turn, we are the third gray building on the left."

    Interesting things and some companies inside the Triangle

  • part of the Steven's Creek Trail, and part of Steven's Creek
  • Part of the Sunnyvale Municipal Golf Course
  • Three separately listed Superfund (National Priorities List) sites (URL)
  • Carl's Jr.
  • Easy Street
  • 7-11
  • A working apricot orchard
  • A firehouse
  • The Wagonwheel restaurant, bar, and casino.
  • KPMG "Silicon Valley Office" (URL)
  • Netscape (URL) (Picture) (currently located on Fairchild Superfund site)
  • Best.com (URL)
  • Brainstorm Networks (URL)
  • Denny's
  • Dynan
  • Cobalt Networks (URL)
  • Opcode (URL) (currently located on the Intel Superfund site)
  • Intel Superfund site (URL) (Map)
  • ISP Channel / MediaCity.com / SoftNet
  • Raytheon Superfund site (URL) (Map)
  • Fairchild Semiconductor (URL) (currently on Raytheon Superfund site)
  • Fairchild Superfund site (URL) (Map)
  • HP (URL)
  • OpenTV (URL)
  • Silicon Spice (URL)
  • JumpUSA.com (URL)
  • Viant "Silicon Valley Office" (URL)
  • Know of any other companies? Let me know!

    Things that used to be inside the Triangle

  • Intel (URL)
  • Raytheon (URL)
  • Any other history is welcome.

    People who lived to tell about it

    Thanks very much for the note. How people come to my site is a marvel to me - I won't even guess why you were searching Bermuda Triangle, but that is one crazy place in Mt. View. I work across the street from Netscape (at least I will until May 3) and one time after hours we lost a college interviewee in the area. He finally called me at 6:30 standing at a guard booth on another HP site. I told him, "there's no way to get from there to here. Let me come guide you." I had to drive over and have him follow me back.
    -Jim Schrempp

    Have you been there? Have an interesting story? Drop me a line. I like stories about people getting lost.

    Pictures of the Triangle

    Other famous triangles

  • Silicon Valley's Golden Triangle (map)
  • Bermuda or "Devil's" Triangle
  • Raleigh, North Carolina's Research Triangle Park
    people have visited this page since June 24, 1999.
    This page was last updated 10-16-00.
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