You could easily live in Taitung or Toucheng Yilan and get around town on a bicycle supplemented by the bus or taxis for shopping and the like. But yes, Taipei City has by far the best public transportation system in Taiwan and many other advantages. I think as big cities go, it’s pretty nice to live in (other than the wet, gloomy winters). If OP must live in Taipei and is going to rely on public tranportation, I recommend Wanfang community or the Guting/Shida/Gongguan areas. I recommend against Neihu, Tianmu, Nangang, Songshan, and anywhere in New Taipei City.
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Why are you against Neihu or Nangang? they have pretty nice new developments, lots of parks, big schools and a certain foreign population. Xizhi, for example, does need private transport, but Neihu and Nankang are OK. Songshan is a bit too crowded for my taste, yes, I agree. Tianmu has fallen out of fashion but those parks and running paths and general livable atmosphere is quite enviable … compared as you say with our situation in New Taipei City, including our lovely Xindian, which is good but could be better -sidewalks, anyone? Not to get started on Xinzhuang and Yonghe and heaven help us, Tucheng. But even there, you could find nice places. Anywhere in most Taipei is Okish, but it depends on what OP prefers.
Pity about transport in Taidong.
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Let’s also not forget food. USA has almost every kind of international food in major cities. OP is from New York (city I presume), which is known for its dining scene. You will not find the same level of food choices as in NYC anywhere in Taiwan. Best bet is Taipei, but even Taipei can’t match NYC in dining choice and quality. Even the Chinese food in NYC’s Chinatown is better than the local food in Taiwan. Good food here is generally really expensive (in my opinion).
OP should also consider her children and what they will eat. Living outside Taipei might mean no access to any kind of western groceries.
I couldn’t imagine living anywhere but Taipei with small children if you don’t drive. You need a very good public transportation system if you don’t want to sit at home all day.
I’m late to the thread and can mostly only echo what others have already said. You need to define better what you want from the school system. Inner city schools have higher academic standards but they’re more pressured than schools on the outskirts. Friends have had teachers phone home because a kindergartner’s art homework was ‘incorrect’ and their first graders have been given two hours of homework a night. I wish I was exaggerating. Our experience has been the schooling system is highly variable, and you need to go to the schools and speak to the teacher who will be teaching your child before making a decision. In a single school you can see a wide variation in teaching styles from the traditional disciplinarian to the relatively progressive. And what makes it more difficult is that the schools’ and teachers’ attitudes to having a non-Chinese-speaking child enroll is subtle. What we might interpret as indecision is actually a vehement ‘please don’t enroll your children here’.
It tends to be the small schools on the outskirts of Taipei that provide the best environments for older children who don’t speak Chinese. Kindergartners will probably do fine anywhere, but in these small schools you get a lot of children who didn’t make it in the big schools (bigger is better in Taiwanese education culture), so the teachers are more used to teaching children with diverse needs who don’t fit the mold. But that’s a generalisation. As I said before, the only way to tell is to visit the school and speak to the actual teacher your child will have.
And, yes, definitely drop the older child one grade. Chinese is really hard to learn and your child will need a year or so to learn the spoken language before the written language starts to make any sense.
Forgot to add - in case you’re thinking a bilingual school (other than those AmoyMama mentioned) might be a good idea, it probably isn’t. Private bilingual schools are more high-pressure than state schools because they’re full of the children of high-achieving, wealthy parents, who care very much about results.
Thank you very much for clearing that up. I have no need for my children to learn and recite the Tang Dynasty poems! By no means am I a tiger mom! LOL.
Let me clarify then… “good” to me means a school that is nurturing and like you said a well rounded environment that allows kids to play and study. I want my kids to be able to be comfortable, adapt and like their new school. Academics is always good but not my top priority. What I want for my kids to obtain from this whole experience is exposure to other cultures, learn to adapt to new surroundings, leaving their comfort zone but overcome it, learn to speak Mandarin and most importantly have a good time. I guess I forget that I am coming from a Westernized culture and have a different definition of the word “good”. Thank you for pointing that out.
Also, can you please let me know what “OP” stands for? 
Original Poster, aka 樓主
[quote=“nonredneck”]Let’s also not forget food. USA has almost every kind of international food in major cities. OP is from New York (city I presume), which is known for its dining scene. You will not find the same level of food choices as in NYC anywhere in Taiwan. Best bet is Taipei, but even Taipei can’t match NYC in dining choice and quality. Even the Chinese food in NYC’s Chinatown is better than the local food in Taiwan. Good food here is generally really expensive (in my opinion).
OP should also consider her children and what they will eat. Living outside Taipei might mean no access to any kind of western groceries.[/quote]
Yes, I am from NYC and although we are known for our dining scene, I must admit that I do not partake in it. I don’t need fancy meals and often cook Chinese stir fry for dinner so my kids are used to it. You really think the Chinese food in NYC Chinatown is better than in Taiwan? Haha, I find that hard to believe. One of the things I am looking forward to going to Taiwan is the food! :lick: The only thing I am worried about living in Taiwan is that my daughter has a severe nut allergy which I am pretty sure the Asian countries are not as conscientious as the Westerners on this.
I think sending my kids to a bilingual school defeats the purpose of me going there in the first place. I want them to be immersed in the Chinese culture as much as possible and will be really happy if they can speak to their grandparents in complete sentences.
I sometimes I forget I am traveling from one end of the world to the other and our standards are very different. I recognize now that academics and pressure to be the top play a big role in the schools in Taiwan. Reading what you wrote about teachers calling parents and giving them 2 hours of homework is not the type of schools I wish to enroll them in. Let’s face it, I won’t be able to help them much considering I can’t even read and write myself. Like I wrote in another reply, I wish to find a school that is nurturing and is a well rounded environment that allows kids to play and study. I want my kids to be able to be comfortable, adapt and like their new school. Academics is always good but not my top priority. What I want for my kids to obtain from this whole experience is exposure to other cultures, learn to adapt to new surroundings, leaving their comfort zone but overcome it, learn to speak Mandarin and most importantly have a good time and want to stay or return the following years.
I am planning to go to Taiwan in April 2016 for 2 weeks and check things out. Speak to some teachers/ principals and get a feel if they will accept us. I also think that is the best way to decide where to enroll them. I just needed some suggestions on where to start.
As for the neighborhood to live in, I am getting mixed reviews on Taipei although it is probably the most convenient for me. Since I am not familiar with any of the towns the others have posted, can you recommend a town where is accessible by MRT outside of Taipei. For example, if you take New York City- let’s say Manhattan is Taipei, where do you suggest I can live outside of Manhattan but can easily get into Manhattan with a hop on a subway ride? I hear Danshui is nice and quiet but far. Any other suggestions?
Sorry if you are not familiar with New York City but that’s the only example I can come up with right now.
I am an epi-pen wielder with a potentially fatal allergy to most nuts. And I have good news for you – obviously, nuts are not a huge part of Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine, and they rarely show up elsewhere, either. Keep your eyes out for anything kung pao (宮保) as that is often made with cashews, though the dish itself is quite uncommon. Check ice cream and chocolates and cakes carefully, and avoid the Pasta Bar in Ximending (Taipei), mostly because it’s terrible food, but also because it put me in the hospital for some reason. That was the only time I’ve ever had a problem in Taiwan.
It’s a bit more difficult if your allergy is peanuts. They show up in peanut soup, peanut candies, and a few other sweets, but are still relatively rare.
Carry around a card with nut names written in Chinese so you can show a restaurant (or doctor, if it comes to that).
[ul]-almonds 杏仁[/ul]
[ul]-macadamia nuts 夏威夷豆[/ul]
[ul]-walnuts 核桃[/ul]
[ul]-cashews 腰果[/ul]
[ul]-pine nuts 松子[/ul]
[ul]-hazel nut 榛果[/ul]
[ul]-chestnut 栗子[/ul]
[ul]-pistachio 開心果[/ul]
[ul]-peanuts 花生[/ul]
That’s all I can think of right now.
I’ve only been to NY once but I’ll give it a shot. Your ideal location could be Linkou, which is quite a distance from Taipei proper but will be serviced by the new airport metro line (if it ever opens… current expectation is February next year). Linkou is one of few places in Taiwan I would really call a suburb, and it’s quite boring, but that makes it a good place for families. AFAIK the schools are decent, and since it’s new it’s much more nice looking than most of the greater Taipei area. A taxi into the city would probably cost NT$700 (just a guess – I’ve never done it) or a bit more, but you shouldn’t ever need to do that if the MRT opens on schedule.
Just wanted to add my .02 on location…
I’m a mom of young kids (aged 11, 7, and 4), and have lived in Taipei for 7 years (Daan district, very close to the schools I mentioned above). It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I adore Taipei and love living where we do. It’s convenient, close to the kids’ schools, tons to do, and very easy to get around by foot/bike/taxi/MRT/bus/etc. My only disclaimer is that we live quite near Daan Park and TaiDa, which both offer lots of green space and clean(er) air, and if we didn’t that would take away from our experience quite a bit. I like Danshui a lot, but it’s too far for my liking right now. At this stage of my life (carting young kids around town), the convenience factor is very important (and I do drive, but prefer not to when possible). Others may feel differently, of course. I also quite like Neihu and if it were not so far from our chosen schools I’d move over there tomorrow.
Here’s an article from a few years ago that talks about Xinsheng Elementary and a few other so-called bilingual schools: chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/loca … toring.htm
Xinsheng has a program geared toward the children of returning Taiwanese and the children of migrant workers whose Chinese may not be fluent enough to survive in regular public school. We’re looking at possible transferring our son there in a year or so if he doesn’t make more progress at Longan. I know of a family who adopted a Taiwanese daughter and they bring her back to Taiwan every couple of years to do a semester there. The parents speak no Chinese themselves and the school is able to make sure she stays up with things (she’s not the only one there with parents who don’t speak much Chinese).
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Da’an is one of the most liveable areas in Taiwan, but that’s also why it’s probably the most expensive in the country. If cost isn’t a factor, living next to Da’an Park is basically a perfect setup.
[quote=“ariel7120”][quote=“nonredneck”]Let’s also not forget food. USA has almost every kind of international food in major cities. OP is from New York (city I presume), which is known for its dining scene. You will not find the same level of food choices as in NYC anywhere in Taiwan. Best bet is Taipei, but even Taipei can’t match NYC in dining choice and quality. Even the Chinese food in NYC’s Chinatown is better than the local food in Taiwan. Good food here is generally really expensive (in my opinion).
OP should also consider her children and what they will eat. Living outside Taipei might mean no access to any kind of western groceries.[/quote]
Yes, I am from NYC and although we are known for our dining scene, I must admit that I do not partake in it. I don’t need fancy meals and often cook Chinese stir fry for dinner so my kids are used to it. You really think the Chinese food in NYC Chinatown is better than in Taiwan? Haha, I find that hard to believe. One of the things I am looking forward to going to Taiwan is the food! :lick: The only thing I am worried about living in Taiwan is that my daughter has a severe nut allergy which I am pretty sure the Asian countries are not as conscientious as the Westerners on this.[/quote]
If you like real Taiwanese food, then this place will be heaven for you. Hope you or you kids don’t have MSG allergies, as that stuff is in most everything here.
[quote=“ariel7120”]Like I wrote in another reply, I wish to find a school that is nurturing and is a well rounded environment that allows kids to play and study. I want my kids to be able to be comfortable, adapt and like their new school. Academics is always good but not my top priority.
[/quote]
You should understand that Taiwanese schools don’t embrace child-centered learning or the whole child approach or anything like that. Even in the small, less-pressured schools the emphasis is on academic achievement. For example, I just asked my son (grade 5) what recess time he has in the school day and it’s 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there. The longest break the children have from classes is 20 minutes in a school day that runs from 7.30 to 4 pm. They have to sleep for 45 minutes to an hour after lunch. But first and second graders finish at 12 every day but Tuesday and third and fourth graders get Wednesday and Friday afternoons off.
[quote=“nonredneck”][quote=“ariel7120”][quote=“nonredneck”]Let’s also not forget food. USA has almost every kind of international food in major cities. OP is from New York (city I presume), which is known for its dining scene. You will not find the same level of food choices as in NYC anywhere in Taiwan. Best bet is Taipei, but even Taipei can’t match NYC in dining choice and quality. Even the Chinese food in NYC’s Chinatown is better than the local food in Taiwan. Good food here is generally really expensive (in my opinion).
OP should also consider her children and what they will eat. Living outside Taipei might mean no access to any kind of western groceries.[/quote]
Yes, I am from NYC and although we are known for our dining scene, I must admit that I do not partake in it. I don’t need fancy meals and often cook Chinese stir fry for dinner so my kids are used to it. You really think the Chinese food in NYC Chinatown is better than in Taiwan? Haha, I find that hard to believe. One of the things I am looking forward to going to Taiwan is the food! :lick: The only thing I am worried about living in Taiwan is that my daughter has a severe nut allergy which I am pretty sure the Asian countries are not as conscientious as the Westerners on this.[/quote]
If you like real Taiwanese food, then this place will be heaven for you. Hope you or you kids don’t have MSG allergies, as that stuff is in most everything here.[/quote]
well Jeez what happens when they eat bread and compound it with gluten allergies!! Besides Taiwans isn’t so heavy with MSG as the mainland that’s for sure.
You can get in and out of Taipei easily from districts of New Taipei City like Yonghe, Banqiao, Sanchong, and Zhonghe. For most of these places you are talking about a 10-20 minute subway ride into the city. I’m not sure if you are going to be able to enroll your children in Taipei schools if you live in New Taipei City.
But don’t do this. New Taipei City is much more crowded than Taipei, the traffic and air pollution are worse, there is a far less green space, and in most places you have to walk in the street because the sidewalks are blocked. One advantage is that you can rent a newer and nicer apartment in New Taipei City.
I think you could consider Danshui although it is now an overbuilt satellite city and it takes 45 minutes to get in and out of town. The problem there (and elsewhere in New Taipei) is that you are going to be faced with inflexible large public schools.
I can’t recommend Linkou. It’s too far away, wet and cold in the winter, and mainly feature sprawling developments with a lack of shopping, public transit, and sense of community. You cannot rely on the MRT being finished. I just read in the paper that it will be delayed until at least Q1 of next year and it could well be longer. Besides, Linkou is a big place and it would be difficult to even get to the MRT station without a scooter or car.
I’ve only been to NY once but I’ll give it a shot. Your ideal location could be Linkou, which is quite a distance from Taipei proper but will be serviced by the new airport metro line (if it ever opens… current expectation is February next year). Linkou is one of few places in Taiwan I would really call a suburb, and it’s quite boring, but that makes it a good place for families. AFAIK the schools are decent, and since it’s new it’s much more nice looking than most of the greater Taipei area. A taxi into the city would probably cost NT$700 (just a guess – I’ve never done it) or a bit more, but you shouldn’t ever need to do that if the MRT opens on schedule.[/quote]
[quote=“Petrichor”][quote=“ariel7120”]Like I wrote in another reply, I wish to find a school that is nurturing and is a well rounded environment that allows kids to play and study. I want my kids to be able to be comfortable, adapt and like their new school. Academics is always good but not my top priority.
[/quote]
You should understand that Taiwanese schools don’t embrace child-centered learning or the whole child approach or anything like that. Even in the small, less-pressured schools the emphasis is on academic achievement. For example, I just asked my son (grade 5) what recess time he has in the school day and it’s 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there. The longest break the children have from classes is 20 minutes in a school day that runs from 7.30 to 4 pm. They have to sleep for 45 minutes to an hour after lunch. But first and second graders finish at 12 every day but Tuesday and third and fourth graders get Wednesday and Friday afternoons off.[/quote]
This is why you should look at the alternative elementary school in Toucheng that I mentioned. It is very different from regular schools and parents choose it precisely for that reason. The mountain schools I mentioned also have a reputation for being much less focused on academics than the regular public schools in the city and most students are there because their parents want an alternative.
BTW, I doubt that the ‘bilingual’ public schools are very bilingual. I think the main point is that they have special help for kids whose native language is not Chinese. Other than that, they will be pretty monolingual (Mandarin). But others may know more about this.
[quote=“Feiren”]
BTW, I doubt that the ‘bilingual’ public schools are very bilingual. I think the main point is that they have special help for kids whose native language is not Chinese. Other than that, they will be pretty monolingual (Mandarin). But others may know more about this.[/quote]
If you mean Xinsheng and similar state schools, I agree.
Also agree on your other point about not living in the wider New Taipei City. Areas of Wenshan are nice, e.g. Wanfang Community and where we live in Muzha isn’t too bad. But hopefully the OP will see for herself when she comes out next year.
I am an epi-pen wielder with a potentially fatal allergy to most nuts. And I have good news for you – obviously, nuts are not a huge part of Chinese and Taiwanese cuisine, and they rarely show up elsewhere, either. Keep your eyes out for anything kung pao (宮保) as that is often made with cashews, though the dish itself is quite uncommon. Check ice cream and chocolates and cakes carefully, and avoid the Pasta Bar in Ximending (Taipei), mostly because it’s terrible food, but also because it put me in the hospital for some reason. That was the only time I’ve ever had a problem in Taiwan.
It’s a bit more difficult if your allergy is peanuts. They show up in peanut soup, peanut candies, and a few other sweets, but are still relatively rare.
Carry around a card with nut names written in Chinese so you can show a restaurant (or doctor, if it comes to that).
[ul]-almonds 杏仁[/ul]
[ul]-macadamia nuts 夏威夷豆[/ul]
[ul]-walnuts 核桃[/ul]
[ul]-cashews 腰果[/ul]
[ul]-pine nuts 松子[/ul]
[ul]-hazel nut 榛果[/ul]
[ul]-chestnut 栗子[/ul]
[ul]-pistachio 開心果[/ul]
[ul]-peanuts 花生[/ul]
That’s all I can think of right now.[/quote]
thank you so much for the above! that is most helpful! 
[quote=“AmoyMama”]
Xinsheng has a program geared toward the children of returning Taiwanese and the children of migrant workers whose Chinese may not be fluent enough to survive in regular public school. We’re looking at possible transferring our son there in a year or so if he doesn’t make more progress at Longan. I know of a family who adopted a Taiwanese daughter and they bring her back to Taiwan every couple of years to do a semester there. The parents speak no Chinese themselves and the school is able to make sure she stays up with things (she’s not the only one there with parents who don’t speak much Chinese).[/quote]
Thank you for the information. I will definitely check out your suggestions. Question- these bilingual schools everyone talks about… there is an annual tuition correct? Do you know roughly how much? I’m guessing the international schools are the most expensive and the bilingual schools are a bit cheaper.
Da’an seems like a great place to live… perfect for my situation as well. Although I hear it is one of the most expensive…
Most importantly, my priority is to enroll in the school best fit for my kids (preferably public school). Location would be second priority. I would prefer to live near the city with accessible transportation since it would be the most convenient traveling with two young ones- as you would know.
Thanks again!