I remember feeling that way when I submitted a successful bid to bring PyCon to Atlanta, GA, having lived in Atlanta and run the Atlanta Python User Group. I believe our main competitor was the Bay Area and we "won". It turns out Atlanta was pretty cool, it had a walkable city, etc.
Now that I live in the Bay Area, I have to admit, I like that it is now in my backyard again :)
You article sums up what I think as well. Microsoft no longer has an technical relevance, and many other companies have taken the lead in innovation. I blogged about this in December in an article I called "The Microsoft Bubble in 2006":
Now that I live in the Bay Area, I have to admit, I like that it is now in my backyard again :)