Northern Virginia has been called the "bull's-eye of America's internet," and it's estimated that nearly 70% of the world's internet traffic flows through the area.
New York City's pitch to Amazon included the fact that Long Island City is 15 minutes from LaGuardia airport, one of the most-disliked airports in the US. In addition, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made an interesting promise to the online retailer: "I'll change my name to Amazon Cuomo if that's what it takes," he said.