Hi there everyone be nice I’m new here 
. First off I have been to Taiwan before to visit my Taiwanese wife’s family and primarily stayed around Taipei and Hukou township in hsinchu county.
Now We are married and have just had a baby in Australia ( where I am from ) and we plan to come back here after 3 years or at least before the child starts school . We are doing this as we are both 24 and she wants help from her rather large family with the baby and also so we can save. I have my own business which is all online and would be earning around 150,000 NT ( approx) a month. The plan is either to live in Hukou township where her family is or in Zhubei city ( I think the science park is nearby?) . As far as I know they are only around 20 min apart but Hukou is kind of countryside I guess and I am not sure what it would be like to live there as pretty much the only foreigner.
I am wondering is Zhubei a nice place or what are the pros/cons of it as opposed to a more countryside town.
Thanks for your help guys in advance !
Hukou and Zhubei are about 12 KM apart, so 30 minutes of driving will get you back to relatives, if you choose to stay in Zhubei. I am not familiar with Hukou. My only memory is there is an army Tank Division stationed there. Not sure if it is still there.
Zhubei actually has 2 distinct sections: old town, and the new development. The new development includes a lot of high rise apartment buildings. Streets are wider with few city parks nearby. Parking on streets are relatively easy and mostly free. I sometimes would pay just NTD 10/per hour, to go to a downtown bank, or restaurant. I would imagine living costs might be a little higher than Hukou if you stay in new section.
Zhubei is nicer. It’s nicer than a lot of small towns the same size on the west coast. It has a lot of nice parks. The High Speed Rail(which will get you Taipei quickly when you want to go to a bigger place) is close to Jhubei and there are free buses you can take to get there. I don’t think Hukou has the same deal with public transport but could be wrong.
if you are gonna be that close with the family just be prepared… i hope you know what it entails.
Zhubei would be a better bet I would say.
Having lived in Zhubei for a couple of years: definitely Zhubei. Hukou is a little industrial town you go through just as your leaving Zhubei on the way to Taipei. There’s not a whole lot there. Zhubei’s great. It’s got restaurants, a big supermarket, the HSR station, just 5 or 10 minutes from Hsinchu for movie theaters and such… also, it’s all newly developed so there’s nice wide roads, sidewalks, and other “luxuries” that Hukou won’t have.
Zhubei, hands down. You will however need a car to get things done–that’s one reason I didn’t live there when I worked in Hsinchu.
Guy
I would put a little distance between them and you. Really.
live in Zhubei, use the excuse of better air quality and school resources if they wanted a reason. It’s not that living in Hukou is bad, it’s living with in-laws that is toxic. They well be close enough away anyways, and probably pops up in Zhubei all the time.