San Bruno B.A.R.T.

  From the outside, the building looks like any other nondescript office building. The inside, however, is home to San Bruno's most profitable residents, known to the world as YouTube and Google.

  YouTube is a free video sharing Web site that allows members to upload, share and view videos. It has become the portal for many average people to become Internet stars.

  YouTube arrived in San Bruno in November 2006 after Google acquired the company for $1.65 billion. The company was a year old and being run by a small staff above a pizzeria in downtown San Mateo. Now, the company has more than doubled the staff to 200.

  The offices in San Bruno, formerly inhabited by The Gap, Inc., have allowed the company to expand and grow into the leader in online video worldwide and a household name for many.

  "San Bruno is a wonderful city conveniently located in the heart of San Mateo and attracts innovative, talented people," said a Google spokeswoman. "We want to make sure that Googlers can choose the lifestyle that works best for them and with offices throughout the Bay Area, they are able to do that."

  Google chose the location in San Bruno because they wanted to spread offices outside of the Google headquarters in Mountain View.

  "Google is a global company and recognizes the importance of having offices outside of Mountain View to meet the needs of both our clients and our employees," said the spokeswoman.

  The move has improved San Bruno's image and created an increased interest in economic development as well as more business for local restaurants and services.

  "Any large company, such as Google, choosing San Bruno for their offices definitely improves the image of our city," said Laura Baughman, executive director for the San Bruno Chamber of Commerce. "It validates that we are a city continuing to evolve as the place to be in San Mateo County."

  Large companies like Google and YouTube help to increase the demand for housing in areas like San Bruno because of the amount of jobs they create.

  "Residential developers always take a look at who the major employers are and having big companies like Google and YouTube really peaks their interest," said Aaron Akin, community development director for San Bruno.

  San Mateo County has become an affordable and convenient location for high-profile companies who want to be near areas like San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

  "The central location of San Mateo County to the business centers in San Francisco and San Jose make the county very attractive for locating facilities convenient to employees," said Daniel Cruey, CEO and president of the San Mateo County Economic Development Association.