My girlfriend and I are trying to find a good apartment for our 3 month stay in Taipei. We’re en route to check out a place we liked in the eastern part of the Neihu district (near Donghu 東湖 station, almost in New Taipei). I don’t know anything about Neihu from my previous visits to Taipei. It seems far from central Taipei, but we mostly came to Taiwan for the nature anyway and Neihu seems like a good stepping off point for the nature areas around Yangmingshan and Keelung.
Do people have any thoughts (positive or negative) about living in the eastern part of Neihu?
What kind of nature do you want? There’s a small mountain range right along Neihu where you can hike/bike up, but it’s not a national park. Yangmingshan is the closest national park, but it’s kind of far from Donghu (no direct transport). As for Keelung, nature is not the first thing that comes to mind in the port city. The one negative thing about Neihu is you’re relying on the mid-capacity brown line, which is a drag to take during rush hour.
I lived in Neihu (not eastern part though) for over a year and decided not to stay. I personally wouldn’t live there solely on the account of the idea that it’s closer to Yangmingshan and Keelung. Maybe it’s marginally more accessible to those places (I’m not even sure about that as your mode of transportation makes a difference) but Neihu (and that part of Neihu in particular) is pretty isolated and not very lively.
If you want to enjoy Taipei’s restaurants, cafes, nightlife, main cultural sights, etc. during your stay, you might find something more central to be a better option. Something more central would also make it easier for you to access MRT lines that go to other places worth checking out, like Tamsui.
We lived in Neihu for 3 years before retiring south. 15 mins from Neihu MRT, as Incubus said you are close to Dahu Park, the temples and open country side with great views over the city. MRT line is over capacity but plenty of street food and markets around too.
Thanks all! We decided that it’s indeed a little too middle-of-nowhere for our tastes. Plus it faces a construction site and after 2 years living across the street from a never-ending construction project in SF, I’m not keen on the noise (although noise pollution seems unavoidable in Taipei).
Which is a shame because it’s just about the only modern, well-designed apartment we found on 591 allowing short-term rentals.
At your price point, you might want to check out AirBnB for monthly rentals. I don’t know what’s available right now, but I’ve definitely seen one bed/one bath, some with semi-decent (though not up to Western standards) kitchens in more central Taipei for 30-40,000/month. And while some say AirBnB is bad because you’re at the liberty of your host, I’ve had few landlords give a crap about their properties here, so you might actually be safer with a company to complain to if there’s a problem.
so you might actually be safer with a company to complain to if there’s a problem.
As someone who stopped using Airbnb after a nightmare experience in Taipei, I think you’re overestimating the protections Airbnb provides. You can complain to Airbnb but it doesn’t mean that Airbnb is going to do anything about it.
Personally, I’d rather take my chances with a “real” short-term lease on an apartment I can see before I decide to rent. Another problem with Airbnb is that you don’t always know who you’re dealing with. A lot of hosts don’t show their faces in their profile photos and use “co-hosts” who are basically gofers/fronts. Of the 3 places I rented in Taipei on Airbnb, I only met the real owner/landlord of one. At least when you look at a real lease, you can meet the actual landlord before you make a decision.
FIFY.
As others have said, Airbnb might work. I’ve had good experiences using it in Taiwan and I did live in one in Taipei for 3 months. But you are taking your chances more with it, IMO. Have you already checked Facebook groups? Those tend to have a higher number of short-term rental opportunities.
I looked at this place (or another one in the same building) recently: very, very nice - but tiny for that cost.
The location in my opinion is good, but then I’m used to living “off-centre” for many years (Nangang, Banqiao, Neihu, Nangang). All I was looking for was near work (or direct bus), supermarket around, good quality place, not too noisy.
Depending on your lifestyle and preferences, east Neihu could be perfectly suitable. Or not, especially if your work or other commute place is not nearby. But if you for example work in Nangang software park, there are many good CP value options in Donghu.
Since you sound like going here for tourism / exploring, I guess having a place that’s closer to downtown attractions might be more fun.
Facebook groups for renting and buy/sell seem to be fairly common for the bigger cities IME, especially if there are more foreigners. I haven’t lived in Tainan or Kaohsiung but I would assume such groups exist for those places. I would be skeptical of Taitung, Yunlin, Chiayi, etc. having active Facebook groups for these things, though.