Hi guys,
I am a British designer coming out to live in Taipei and I am looking for a flat in the north of the city, since I will be working in Peitou.
What areas are interesting and have young people? I want to live near an MRT station on the red line, central but north.
What is a reasonable rent to pay if I am sharing? Where to live? Any free rooms for end of may?!
Cheers!
Jonny 5
This thread may help. forumosa.com/3/viewtopic.php?p=164579#164579
Start with the post posted: 12 Apr 2004 10:45 if you do read the thread. A discussion of living in the Shida area begins there. The Guting station at the corner of Heping and Roosevelt is on the North-South Red Line. Good luck.
Peitou is a really nice and affordable area to live in. They have quite a few studio apartments there from 7-11K NT. If you are working there, maybe you should try to live there also.
Even though I am a long-term Shida/Guting area resident, if I were coming to Taipei new and working in Beitou, I’d recommend living in that area. If you want a bit of space, greenery etc, try up in the hills behind Beito or Guandu. If you want a bit cheaper, down in the thick of things, try somewhere on the MRT route form Shipai to Shilin. You should be able to find a place that suits you int he area.
Brian
Live close to the hotsprings and you can always have a nice rotten egg smell… 
Excellent stuff guys! Thankyou.
Are Peitou and Shilin good for young people? (I am 25) Also, are there Mandarin schools that people recommend in these areas?
Any more thoughts AT ALL are really welcome. All the guides I have read only talk about central Taipei.
Many thanks again.
TLI has a language school in Tiamnu, which is not far from shihpai MRT.
They are a bit pricey, but the quality of the tuition should be good.
I’m sure you’ll find some fun in Beitou/Shilin, but these areas really cater more to older expats with families. The Shita area is much more lively as is East Taipei. But like Bu Lai En, I think you shoud think about living in Peitou as a new arrival. Living close to where your work is very important to one’s happiness in taiwan. You can always take the MRT downtown on weekends and hop a taxi back if you stay out late.
Anyway, I’d suggest that after you arrive in Taipei you spend a day in each area and then decide where you want to live.
Feiren’s right; Taipei’s a fairly small city when you get down to it and all areas are pretty accessible. Beitou’s nice because there’s lots of green space and mountains, but you’ll only be a short MRT/cab ride away from any of the action you want to partake in.
Good luck,
CK
Why not live in Tamshui or thereby? With the MRT, you can get anywhere for work. Then just a few minutes by bike to the beach.
Hello again.
Is Danshui in the north?
How long do you think an MRT ride is from the centre to ChungYi / Beitou ? (where I will work)
I think I have the feeling that I want to live relatively close to work. I work in London at the moment and the tube is a great way to arrive at work hot, sweaty and in a bad mood (and late).
Shilin sounds great - the night market, and so on. It is also between the centre and work, so would be a good compromise.
I don’t want a foreigner’s ghetto, but at the same time I will be learning Mandarin from zero and might appreciate some support.
Thanks for the tips guys. Really.
[quote]I work in London at the moment and the tube is a great way to arrive at work hot, sweaty and in a bad mood (and late).
[/quote]
On the MRT you’ll be hot only from looking at the pretty girls in their summer clothes. You’ll definitely be dry as they really turn up the AC. You won’t be late as trains run frequently and only stop for earthquakes. If you live in Danshui you’ll be at the start of the line which means getting a seat the whole way to work and hence no bad mood.
Hm, I would live in Beitou and take the MRT to Danshui during weekends.
Perhaps a bit short on bars, but there are foreigners living there.
I would not worry about living in a foreigners ghetto - tianmu is the only one, and the vast majority of people living there are locals.
I lived in Peitou for many years and its a fine place to live. Danshui is part of Taipei county and its a bit lower class. Peitou is part of Taipei city district and much nicer. The Shilin night mkt is pretty good on the first visit but you’ll get tired of it very quickly when you discover that all the night markets are about the same. Peitou and Danshui have night markets also. The whole city of Taipei is like a large night market in itself.
I think I will focus on Peitou / Shilin / Tienmu in order to avoid a big trip to work every day. Lots of thanks for your replies - they have really helped me look at the areas in more detail.
Out of those three areas I have picked, which ones would you guys rate?
Thankyou again.
My vote is for Tianmu… I know it is perceived by some as ghetto for foreigners but I like the fact it is close to the mountains I like th ride, and its only a quick scoot over sad mtns to the beach…
2nd choice = Shilin, then Beitou
I’m the opposite to AWOL. Shilin’s a bit crowded. Tianmu’s overrated, crowded and expensive. You can find places in Beitou that are uncrowded, and up on or near the side of the mountains. Cheapest of the three, and has the MRT line that Tianmu lacks. You said your workplace is Zhongyi right? I’m sure there’s nice stuff around there.
Brian
I like Beitou too. If it’s possible top get a flat with hot spring water, then it’s great.
I have seenpretty nice flats on the mountain sides there going for 35K a few years back, and they can’t be so much more expensive now.
My vote is for Tian Mu. More expensive, but then, there must be a reason for that no? I definitely prefer the area, but in order to be a little closer to the real foreign ghetto of ShiDa/Taida maybe you should live in Shilin in some flat right near the night market/subway area. A lot of nice new buildings there. If want to share a room not sure what to tell you…