Actual urban size of "Northwest Arkansas" (England: college, living)

[teakboat]

Originally Posted by nmnita

well I doubt that is going to happen. At least not for decades.

It's never going to happen. NWA metro population is already over half Tulsa's metro population and that trend is not slowing down.

As to getting a Trader Joe's, we actually go to Sprouts more often, although we are close to Trader Joes. Lots of good quality fruits and veggies in addition to the meats and gourmet stuff, and fairly good prices. You should be lobbying to get one of those stores. The Tulsa area has 4 now.

[duke944]

Never say never, if Walmart collapsed who knows what this area would turn into. With the coming age of AI and driverless trucks on the horizon JB Hunt's future as a large provider of jobs here is an unknown as well. The economy of this region is dominated by a handful of companies rather than by high tech industry.

[teakboat]

Originally Posted by duke944

Never say never, if Walmart collapsed who knows what this area would turn into. With the coming age of AI and driverless trucks on the horizon JB Hunt's future as a large provider of jobs here is an unknown as well. The economy of this region is dominated by a handful of companies rather than by high tech industry.

But they did it themselves. NWA used to be hillbilly land a generation ago. But the people have built it up, no one is laughing anymore. The hillbillies were pretty smart after all.

[duke944]

The University of Arkansas has been here since 1871 so I don't think you could call this hillbilly land a generation ago. And I'm not in any way knocking the growth, it's just not built on the stablest of foundations, although it's certainly not impossible that the failure of one of these giant companies wouldn't be replaced by another one.

[teakboat]

I'm talking about perception. My family is from there, and I still own land there. The big gains economically in NWA relative to the rest of the country have been accruing in the last few decades. I'm not knocking them. Oklahoma came on from obscurity too. Now both places have higher median household incomes than Germany.

I agree that it would be good if NWA region could diversify its economy more.

[duke944]

Seemed like the Denver area got inundated by incredibly rude, vulgar Californians during the time I lived there from 2000-2017. I'm just glad there's not much chance of that happening here.

[Slytrix]

Uh oh.......the flood gates are opening. ^^^^^ look at my location ^^^^^

[ckhthankgod]

Actual urban area map from the 2010 US Census: https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc1...C10UA29494.pdf

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by teakboat

It's never going to happen. NWA metro population is already over half Tulsa's metro population and that trend is not slowing down.

As to getting a Trader Joe's, we actually go to Sprouts more often, although we are close to Trader Joes. Lots of good quality fruits and veggies in addition to the meats and gourmet stuff, and fairly good prices. You should be lobbying to get one of those stores. The Tulsa area has 4 now.

Yes, we used to go to Sprouts when we lived in North part of Dallas and our daughter shopped their for years when they lived on the Flower Mound border. That being said, I still prefer Trader Joe's as everyone knows. I am just a huge supporter of the store. Of course the fact I grew up only a few miles from the original one in Pasadena CA might have something to do with my loyalty.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by duke944

Never say never, if Walmart collapsed who knows what this area would turn into. With the coming age of AI and driverless trucks on the horizon JB Hunt's future as a large provider of jobs here is an unknown as well. The economy of this region is dominated by a handful of companies rather than by high tech industry.

ok, never say never is a good thing to remember, but what you are saying could apply to almost any company and any region. I think what some of us are saying, want it to stop growing is very unlikely. It would be years before WalMart would see a collapse and they are smart enough to spread their holding out, plus new businesses will most likely continue to relocate here as long as the cost of living is kept under control. How do know what major companies may relocate here? Look at San Jose Ca, who would have guesses it would have turned into the tech center of the world?