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Umm, okay...I obviously didn't get the joke, if one was indeed intended. I did think it odd that someone would say W-S is more laden with strip malls than anywhere else, because it's not.
Did David Sedaris really say that about Winston, specifically? I only ask because I've lived in quite a few places, and for a mid-sized southern city, Winston seems less strip-mallish than most. The Hanes Mall area is about the only part of town that accurately describes, in my opinion.
So yeah, we can all take a joke, but I just don't know if that particular jokes is spot on. Truth in comedy and all that.
One of his sisters lives (lived?) there. I think it's pretty accurate. Downtown's like five blocks in any direction. It's a charming five blocks, but still.
OP, if schools are your top priority and the pay is good enough I'd take the Mebane position and look into Chapel Hill or Carrboro. It'd be about a 30-45 minute commute depending on which side of town you're on and traffic, but you can take back roads and avoid 40, and their schools are way better than anything in Forsyth or Alamance Counties.
Alamance-Burlington Schools aren't generally regarded as the best in NC. However, the schools in Mebane are far better than the rest of the county. What I'm getting at is, don't let Alamance County sully your perception of Mebane. Mebane transcends Alamance County! Also, I commute from Mebane to UNC Chapel Hill and it never takes more than 25 minutes.
Last edited by andychampion; 04-14-2013 at 10:05 PM..
Reason: addition
I currently live in Mebane. It is a very small, isolated place. It is good if you prefer small towns and involve your kids in local sports and yourself in either the churches or running club or both. Otherwise, there's little here. If you want more events that serve more interests, then Winston-Salem will be more comfortable. They're just plain bigger. You might want to base this more on the available community for your wife if she's stay-at-home. You didn't mention her commute, so I assumed she wasn't working.
Mebane sits on the Alamance/Orange County line which happens to be the Triad/Triangle boundary. It really depends on your lifestyle. The Triangle does have more upscale amenities but the Triad in my opinion is a better place to raise a family. But if the choice is living in Mebane or Winston-Salem, I would choose Winston-Salem. Its really a matter of preference. Small town, or a larger city. Living in Mebane would mean you would have to do a lot of commuting to larger cities.
Winston is to paraphrase David Sedaris less a city proper than an endless assemblage of strip malls. .
Funny, I am from the rust belt on the Great Lakes and I would classify this region of MI, OH,PA as what you posted above. Strip malls galore.
On my recent trip to W-S, I spent 5 days driving all over the city and didn't notice an excess of strip malls anywhere unless I was right by a shopping center.
I am actually moving to the W-S area in-part to escape the corn fields and strip malls of my current region.
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