After growing up in what sociologists consider the megalopolis, the “city of cities”, the area stretching between Boston and D.C., I always considered my area of the megalopolis much more rural.
Home to a pharmaceutical company and a major defense contractor, the cutbacks in manufacturing and changes in government spending have changed the requirements of the workforce from higher skilled technical and manual jobs to more service oriented jobs. Two separate gaming casinos within close proximity to each other were built. This huge growth of the service industry has caused a huge influx of Asian workers to the area. Some possibly just relocating from communities in New York or Massachusetts. With smaller cities located close by, hotels and new malls have also been built. More of the area is becoming urbanized. The small towns comprising this area were unequipped and have had a difficult time handling all the development that has drastically changed the area.
The area has been affected by general changes seen by sociologists in rural America, an increased population of retirees and a decrease in the numbers of young people due to limited sectors of business and job opportunities along with minimal cultural amenities. With a lot of land still available for new development and the rapid advancement of technology the possibilities of attracting and retaining new people and businesses to the area are endless.
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