Hey everybody
I’m looking for a place to stay starting in August. I will be attending CCU’s MLC starting in September so I was thinking of renting a place in Da an district. Does anybody have any knowledge of this area? Is it a good place to live? Stuff to do? Thanks for any feedback!
Daan district is pretty da (big). It’s centrally located and has both residential and commercial areas. I think for a student, the Shida area is a good place to live. The Yongkang St./Daan Park neighborhood is also quite nice. If you like shopping and want to be closer to the action, then go for the more commercial part of Daan near Zhongxiao-Dunhua MRT, but the rent will be high. The cheapest area to live in Daan is at the end of Heping East Rd. near Liuzhangli or Linguang MRT.
But also the living expense (especially rent) anywhere in Taipei city is as high (if not higher) than some European cities.
We live in Daan district, close to Daan Park, and really love it. It’s very central and it’s easy to get just about anywhere fairly quickly. We love the park, and anything you need is close by. Lots of restaurants, shops, etc. Like the others said, rent here can be pretty high, so be prepared for that.
Da’an district is the first most of us as students come in contact with, as the main universities (Taiwan University, National Normal University) are located in this area.
It has lots of tourist attractions, from Da’an Park and the surrounding churches, to shopping in Yongkan Street and Jienguo Flower Market plus Shida and Gongkuan Night markets.
Problem is that rents are overpriced. A newbie is often caught by a very expensive one year contract in a very expensive place. Less than desirable accomodations in clusters or even basements -NEVER, ever take a basement room- become gold priced just based on location.
Food is also very expensive. The student fare places are almost gone, compared to years before. The upside is you can find a multinational culinary fare, or at least what passes or tries to pass as that.
Nevertheless, most of us consider it our safety net, as most foreign students live around there, and hence, makes it easy to get together and hang out. It is a comfortable semi-bubble.
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I once stayed at a hostel around Liuzhangli MRT station and in general the area is quite convenient. Da’an is basically at the center of the city so its easy to get anywhere with public transportation. One of the things to consider though is that the brown MRT line which runs through Da’an is, well, let’s just say not as good as the other newer lines. If you’re going to be relying on the MRT for your everyday commute, then I think this can be a quality of life issue.
B.
I’m moving to Tapei to live and study in 12 days time. I’m going to rent an apartment in Da’an.
The place im getting is pretty exp. for just one person, and according to the research i did, for a little under 2/3 the price i could have a place just as good which was 20 minutes (walk+MRT) away - but I wanted to be “closer to the action” and close to uni so I have paid the extra money.
Let’s hope it’s worth it!
Hope the action does not include MRT construction. ASk people around -not other students, and not only locals. Other students may not always give you teh best advice -based on limited interactions or just messing up with you- and locals may have a different idea on what noisy is.
And as said, “close to the action” is relative. Many people for instance rent a home from abroad base don teh fact that it is located on Shida Road and “5 minutes walk to the university”. They see a map and think it is close. Lo and behold, they end up next to the water barrier, in the most shanty of “taofangs” or studio apratments -just enough to sleep streched out but don’t extend your arms fully- and the walk ends up being a 20 minute trek…
So renting from abroad based on pics is not reccomended. It is a one year commitment. Nevertheless, no matter how much cash strapped you are, better lose the deposit than stay in an unsafe/unhelathy/unconfortable place.
Hmm. Icon I got a Taiwanese local to go check the place out for me and made sure it was all kosher. 
I live in 中正區 （zhong zheng) a 2 min walk takes me into da-an, so da-an park is very close yongkang st is across the road, my unit is brand new i am the first to live in it, it is 12ping, and $18,000 a month. This rent includes water, gas, internet, cable and full furnishings (tv,fridge,sofa,bed,table etc) Only downside is (particularly when i first moved in, not so much now) construction work is sometimes unbearable the last 3 months have been okay but before that i was almost ready to walk out, certainly worth checking out as there is a lot of MRT construction etc around da-an/zhong zheng particularly Xinyi rd.
I’ve lived in Da’an for two years, following previous stays near Wanfang Hospital and Jingmei. My friends live everywhere from Tienmu to Gongguan. There’s really no “bad” place to live in Taipei (with maybe the exception of Wanhua?) but there’s really no question that Da’an is the place to be, especially for a new kid. I wouldn’t dream of living in any other area of Taipei City. All the pros (location, location, location) outweigh the cons (price, construction noise, price). Bite the bullet, pay the higher rent(s) and enjoy the quality of life. Once you’re acquainted with the city, then and only then should you consider another location. Just my 
As long as he gets the real deal, no problem in paying premium. Just keep both eyes wide open.
I’m about to bite the bullet and pay 15,000 a month (5,000 is paid for by my school) for a small but really clean and modern place with an elevator at Heping and Shi Da about 10 minutes to Guting. Look right outside and the Shi Da night market is there. just a 10 minute walk to Da an Park.
the only thing is the size. small living area but again, really really clean and modern. Half kitchen and then you walk up little stairs to the bedroom area. But you cannot stand up completely because the ceiling is low. For me, since i am by myself, i think I can tolerate this for the location, but all of my local colleagues and friends and screaming at me not to take it because it is “nenme gui”
What do you think?
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I personally can’t stand those low ceiling places… I mean it feels like I am living in a cave or something. In danshui those half ceiling place doesn’t exist and 15,000 nt will rent you a full apartment with all of the modern-looking furnishings.
Really expensive compared to other places -but not unusual in that area, matter of fact, same os 10 years ago, cough cough cough-, but it’s more location location location question. I would rather object if it was too noisy. Check it out at night, too.
I mean, really, ask yourself, do you really need to live right next to the school? Home to school in 2 minutes flat -not counting the lines at the elevators, though? If you like to sleep late -like me- then yes. If you forget your books/calligraphy stencil/camera often -like me- then yes. If you can afford it/do not plan on having pets/can live without weekly parties in your home -then yes.
I also stayed in one place that I couldn’t sleep with my legs streched but rather on the side or with my legs hanging outside the “bed” -a flat piece of board on the wall. But it was only 4000nts -shared bathroom. You are paying more for a private bathroom, semi kitchenette situation.
Landlord is not Chen Mama? :s
One more thing:
That’s 15K WITH utilities? Right? Are utilities separately billed? Will your landlord collect the money or will you have to pay yourself/get the bill at your name? Is it a fixed charge? Get that in writing, whatever the deal is.
This has to be crystal clear. Utilities -power, water, etc.- are very expensive in Daan district -you’re living in teh luxury area, seriously. Do not let “we’ll talk about this later” or whatever blabla they might try to pull. We are talking big money here -5 to 10K.
If the bill is shared among the people of the floor, ask around how much is the average. If you have your own meter, demand to see the bill. Yes, it can turn nasty.
Be careful here… I heard stories of over 7nt per KWh… that is unreasonable because the highest rate you can possibly pay is 5nt and that’s if you’re a real power hog. The average is around 3.5.
I have seen landlords daisy chain multiple apartment units to one meter… I don’t know why they do that but that might explain the very high electric bill.
[quote=“nateliu99”]I’m about to bite the bullet and pay 15,000 a month (5,000 is paid for by my school) for a small but really clean and modern place with an elevator at Heping and Shi-Da about 10 minutes to Guting. Look right outside and the Shi-Da night market is there. just a 10 minute walk to Da’an Park.
the only thing is the size. small living area but again, really really clean and modern. Half kitchen and then you walk up little stairs to the bedroom area. But you cannot stand up completely because the ceiling is low. For me, since I am by myself, I think I can tolerate this for the location, but all of my local colleagues and friends and screaming at me not to take it because it is “nenme gui”
What do you think?[/quote]
It sounds reaaaaly similar to my place man. Mine is new and clean, but as tiny as a shoebox (according to the girl who checked it out for me), and sounds like it has a similar floorplan to yours, and it’s also in a very similar location. I’m moving in in 6 days.
I’m going to pay 16,000 NTD per month… And this is after I’ve been house hunting online for a bout 4-5 months, on english and chinese speaking websites.
There are lots of great places for cheap prices, but in really clapped out buildings. For example there was one place which looked fantastic. It was clean and new and had everything I needed, and was only 12,000NTD a month. The lady said she was offering it to me real cheap cos she was going on holidays for 6 months. Anyway, when I got a Taiwanese local friend to take photos of the building itself… Oh my god. There was rubbish all around the outside of the building, and the lobby (where the elevators are) looks a foreclosed house with squatters living in it dealing crack. I’m not exaggerating… It looked really filthy.
If my 4-5 months of house hunting is anything to go by, new places which are actually new, and not just old crummy buildings done up to look new will cost you a fair chunk extra and they will be much smaller .
Remember Taipei City is not actually very big…you can live almost anywhere in the South/Northern part and be in the Shida area in 20 minutes.
To you guys talking about crummy buildings, I strongly reccomend to have a look at the Google street view of Taipei BEFORE you set foot on The Island. Especially Shida Road and the NTNU’s surroundings…
15K is not the usual student fare, I’m telling you. Just saying. I pay 12 for a 2 bedroom/living room/kitchen/3 balconies place on top of the MRT station 15 minutes away. 10 if I walk really fast.
But as said: choose what you like and can afford, what suits your lifestyle best.