The Global Mall I’m talking about is that abomination attached to the TRA station and Banqiao MRT. There was a thread here awhile back about one of the upstairs shops carrying Nazi paraphernalia. Lamigo Monkeys have an official gear shop in one of the “wings” of the joint.
As with anything else, your expectations are going to frame your experience when looking for a new joint to live. So I’m not knocking the joint. There’s no doubt I could do Banqiao; but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I should. I terms of literal distance, it’s actually closer to Main Station than Xindian. However, Xindian has more of a lifestyle vibe - for instance, the Bitan riverfront. And I wouldn’t have to change trains to get to work.
Yeah, well, like you say, that’s your opinion (man). I meself am also “just over in Zhonghe” and I’d consider a more accurate description to be something along the lines of a “brutally toxic and undeveloped shithole with permanent gridlock, (Grid?? What grid?? Bwahahahaha!!) minimal rule of law/conduct and even less enforcement”. The lady coppers are pretty cute, but that ain’t much consolation when you get clipped for the 3rd time walking as many blocks by some random cunt driving his/her scooter on the sidewalk.
lol that nazi shop wasn’t in the global mall, that was in the HI mall. they have changed the decor now i guess due to controversy. the hi mall is pretty crap but not weird.
the actual global mall in banqiao train station (upstairs) is pretty great, its been renovated recently. its a nice place. there are some weird hidden things about the train station building though, if anyone wants to know details i can tell.
banqiao isn’t weird at all, its just a developed taipei suburb(like zhonghe/ yonghe with some money poured into it), doesn’t have much personality compared to taipei, but its got that lively vibe i like and its super convenient. mrt/train/bus/hsr/ restaurants and about 6 malls all in the same place and yea its like 4 stops from taipei main station. nature is definitely lacking though, thats for sure.
[quote=“BHL4life, post:24, topic:154578, full:true”]
lol that nazi shop wasn’t in the global mall, that was in the HI mall. they have changed the decor now i guess due to controversy. the hi mall is pretty crap but not weird.[/quote]
Which explains why I never found the Nazi joint during several visits to Global Mall - or what I perceived to be the mall.
[quote=“BHL4life, post:24, topic:154578, full:true”]
the actual global mall in banqiao train station (upstairs) is pretty great, its been renovated recently. its a nice place. there are some weird hidden things about the train station building though, if anyone wants to know details i can tell. [/quote]
I think what I find weird about the joint is its massive amalgamation of similar elements that do their best to be dissimilar. I dunno, I come in via MRT and by the time I get up to the second level of the actual Global Mall, I feel like I’ve traveled through time. That feeling increased exponentially as I wandered outside.
I see your point, and just cuz I get the creeps from a joint doesn’t make it weird. Tell you what, some kind of foreigner-friendly drinking-establishment of note opens near an MRT stop and I’ll be on my way down to check it out. And maybe one day, some day, I’ll get down there for a ball game.
Something that’s not being talked about much is how any neighborhood can be shitty due to immediate surroundings.
I never feel safe to commit to a place. What if after a few days I realize there’s major noise pollution that won’t let me sleep when I need to? Or there’s a crazy neighbor, a or big cockroach issue in the building next door that means you’ll have to deal with it too. Then I’m stuck there for a year, or I have to accept paying the penalty for getting out early, not to mention the hassle of having to move yet again.
Overall, I can never tell if a place is good value or not.
very much appreciate the lively convo on here. Quick question: so not only does my common sense scream: “don’t do it!”, but 591’s website also suggests not to give payment before signing any contract. But I found an amazing place on 591 in the Daan area for an even better price. Turns out the owner lives in London and is trying to rent it out from there. I asked him if I could see the place and he ended up telling me that since he is in London, he is going to have to hire a company (Fedex Realty Century), hand them the paperwork, then have them authenticate it and send me an email and an invoice to pay the first month’s rent and security deposit (another month’s rent). Then after receiving payment, the agency will send an agent to taipei to deliver me the keys and show me the apartment. If I like the apartment, I can move in whenever. If I don’t, they will supposedly refund me the money on the spot. I almost felt ridiculous typing this out because of its scam-my nature, but the fact that this place is so nice is that I contemplated it at one point. The guy took the posting off 591 and our emails ended in me pretty much telling him to fuck off, but he reposted the place and I kind of want to send him an apologetic email asking him to take me back jajajaja. Thoughts?!?!?!?!
No, no no and no. Scams like this are twenty an hour in Taiwan.
This place/incident hits the trifecta. Never rent from abroad, never rent without seeing. If it is too good to be true, it isn’t.
Plus anyone with a bit of brains, if living abroad, would already have an agent on the ball. The agencies do not charge a lot, maybe a month’s rent, and most are quite reliable.
Plus the English speaking agents/agencies charge premium on the customer - yes, they have good stuff, but their market is geared towards the expats on company payroll who have a very generous allowance for rent and hence do not care to overpay as it is not their money. They care about convenience, ease of transation and getting on with million dollar deals.
Look, you can live anywhere. I challenge you to give me a Taipei map, throw a dart, and I’ll find a nice place for you. Problem is it must be convenient for you. Suitable for your needs. let me give you an example: one of my acquaintances rented a place in Sanchong. I was appaled. But she was happy because she wanted a big place -she has hubby and 2 kids- with a balcony for parties and this fit the criteria. A new building, elevator and guard, furnished, very cheap. Plus as she attended FuJen this was conveniently located for MRT or bus runs. I was worried about the kids attending school in a not so affluent area, with not so many resources nor so much exposure to foreigners. Lo and behold, they loved it and the school loved it and they made great friends and were treated really nice. So it worked out fine for them.
I am not telling you to move to Sanchong, just to look for what works for you. Daily commute is an issue. Also, if you are a party animal, living in Tamsui will not work as you will be spending a small fortune in taxi cabs on weekends. If you are a hiking/nature kind of person, Muzha/Xindian/Liuchangli/Neihu by the lake will work.
Daan is OK if you attend Shida/NTU or other colleges in the area, or work in Taipei city and like to go out and don’t mind the city hussle and bustle. Personally, I couldn’t take paying 17K in electricity bills -3 of us though at that time.
Xindian is very large, and there are many areas. Bitan is nice and you will get a seat on the train. Plus it is closer to Wulai and you have the bike path all the way to Banciao. I prefer Zhongzheng road area or Tapinglin, because there are more restaurants/shops/hospitals/vets/stores/markets, but Bitan has those too. I wouldn’t live in Meiheshu, though, not even if they paid me, that would be the only red flag. Even the street by my house where all the mafiosi gather would be better. I think Ankeng is awesome, lovely, cheap, but too far for a daily commute, IMHO. However, I am told that if you drive it is easier now with the new highway and the MRT will eventually get there… someday soon. And you get snow in winter!
Daan is OK if you attend Shida/NTU or other colleges in the area, or work in Taipei city and like to go out and don’t mind the city hussle and bustle. Personally, I couldn’t take paying 17K in electricity bills
Furthermore, electricity charges also depend on which area you live. I live in a veterans’ neighborhood, so we get discount on utilities.
Warning: if your building is listed as commercial, you will also face higher fees. Of course, you won’t know until you get the first blow, eh, bill, so it is always wise to ask to see the latest utility bill, especially electricity. Moreover, as soon as you move in, you should test to see if there is anyone hanging from your line.
