OK rassie, deep breaths, deep breaths.
BTW, how do you like bagging groceries at Tesco?
Thanks for agrreing with me. Mrs hill and I bumped into another big nose last night. She said Taoyuan was horrible too.
Aceearle, there are many advantages to living ‘in the sticks.’ I love the fresh (Albeit a bit shittified) air, the cooler climates, cheaper foods, slower pace of life. I lived on a mountain once for 2 years. Best time of my life, though there was lots of soul searching to be done.
I would suggest hanging out in a couple of Taipei Counties garden spots before getting too hyper-critical with Taoyuan. Why not try Wuku, Hsinchuang or Sanchung for starters.
Hmm…A few months ago, I was looking for a cheap TV to throw into a spare bedroom and was dumb enought to buy one from somebody on Tealit. I cruised into the area the person in question lived in (near Kuangfu S. road) and clambered the ancient 5 floor stairwell to the shit box they called home. I inquired about the rent for this 18 ping rooftop metal shack, and was shocked to discover they paid 20,000NT a month for something I wouldn’t let my dog sleep in. If that’s the price for Taipei’s modern infrastructure, then I’d use the money I saved on rent to buy a used car, new motorcycle, and commute to Taipei for the things I needed.
If your mocking of Taoyuan City includes the rest of the County, come pay us a visit sometime down in Yangmei. I’d love nothing more than to see the look on your face when you enter our little “Taoyuan dump”… 
Can’t most of the cities in Taiwan be classified as ‘shit holes’ when compared with Taipei?
Botti, i didnt say the county was a dump. I even clarified that fact. Just the city. Today I went to subway sandwiches, saw 2 fresh big noses. Also attacked by flying ants. yuk.
[quote=“TomHill”]Thanks for agrreing with me. Mrs hill and I bumped into another big nose last night. She said Taoyuan was horrible too.
Aceearle, there are many advantages to living ‘in the sticks.’ I love the fresh (Albeit a bit shittified) air, the cooler climates, cheaper foods, slower pace of life. I lived on a mountain once for 2 years. Best time of my life, though there was lots of soul searching to be done.[/quote]
Add to that the Taiwan equivelant of The Beverly Hillbillies and you kinda get a more accurate picture. Personally, at this point I’d trade my fresh air and cheap food just to get rid of Ma and Pa Kettle 
.
Egad, I’m not sure which is worse 
acearle, where exactly do you live in Miaoli county? Somewhere around Nanzhuang?
Sorry Tomhill,
Just wanted to point out that there are worse places to live, including several in Taipei county.
As for the flying ants, they are an island-wide occurrence in the summer right before/following a big rain. With the frequency of the summer storms this week, you could be “attacked” anywhere…Even in Taipei.
Botti,
No problem. I am glad that you live somewhere beautiful. Good work. I live somewhere beautiful too. With an 86% approval rating from the posters here it seems like people agree that Taoyuan City is a dump. The ants are island wide, but in the cities? I havent seen that before in the city centre. In the sticks I get regular run in’s with all manner of bugs and bats. I like it.
I guess I wont happen by this way again for a while. If I have any business up here in the future I will stay 4 days in Taipei. If only for the diversity of choice!
Home tomorrow, I cant wait. There’s nothing like the comforting smell of your own shit!!!
I’d say they just didn’t look around enough. My roommate and I pay $17,000 for a 30 ping apartment in Wanhua.
I’d say they just didn’t look around enough. My roommate and I pay $17,000 for a 30 ping apartment in Wanhua.[/quote]
Fair enough…But I’m guessing the 30 ping apartment in Wanhua is in an older 5-story building with no elevator…Correct?
I have a good friend living in Taoyuan that rents a 60ping, 4-story condo with garage for 15k a month. It gives him ample space for his Jeep and 2 motorcyles, something you’d be hard pressed to do anywhere in Taipei for less than double or more…
I can’t believe I’m actually defending Taoyuan City, but I’d like to point out that living there can have it’s benefits as well. The same 30 ping apartment in Taoyuan could be rented for 6-7k a month, along with an elevator and security.
I think if we dumped the author of this thread in Wanhua, I’d guess his impression wouldn’t be favorable either…
After spending the better part of 2 decades in Taoyuan County, I can say with authority that yes, Taoyuan is dumpy in some areas, but improving fast…Both in infrastructure and living standard.
Taoyuan is not nearly as bad as the poll indicates…IMO.
I’d say they just didn’t look around enough. My roommate and I pay $17,000 for a 30 ping apartment in Wanhua.[/quote]
Fair enough…But I’m guessing the 30 ping apartment in Wanhua is in an older 5-story building with no elevator…Correct?
I have a good friend living in Taoyuan that rents a 60ping, 4-story condo with garage for 15k a month. It gives him ample space for his Jeep and 2 motorcyles, something you’d be hard pressed to do anywhere in Taipei for less than double or more…
I can’t believe I’m actually defending Taoyuan City, but I’d like to point out that living there can have it’s benefits as well. The same 30 ping apartment in Taoyuan could be rented for 6-7k a month, along with an elevator and security.
I think if we dumped the author of this thread in Wanhua, I’d guess his impression wouldn’t be favorable either…
After spending the better part of 2 decades in Taoyuan County, I can say with authority that yes, Taoyuan is dumpy in some areas, but improving fast…Both in infrastructure and living standard.
Taoyuan is not nearly as bad as the poll indicates…IMO.[/quote]
Taoyuan City has almost no parking, but no one rides the buses except the foreign workers because they are infrequent. Thus we have no choice but to drive… It is a traffic blackhole.
However this doesn’t make it a dump; everything’s a dump when compared to Taipei City. It is not a fair comparison.
I’d say they just didn’t look around enough. My roommate and I pay $17,000 for a 30 ping apartment in Wanhua.[/quote]
Fair enough…But I’m guessing the 30 ping apartment in Wanhua is in an older 5-story building with no elevator…Correct?
I have a good friend living in Taoyuan that rents a 60ping, 4-story condo with garage for 15k a month. It gives him ample space for his Jeep and 2 motorcyles, something you’d be hard pressed to do anywhere in Taipei for less than double or more…
I can’t believe I’m actually defending Taoyuan City, but I’d like to point out that living there can have it’s benefits as well. The same 30 ping apartment in Taoyuan could be rented for 6-7k a month, along with an elevator and security.
I think if we dumped the author of this thread in Wanhua, I’d guess his impression wouldn’t be favorable either…
After spending the better part of 2 decades in Taoyuan County, I can say with authority that yes, Taoyuan is dumpy in some areas, but improving fast…Both in infrastructure and living standard.
Taoyuan is not nearly as bad as the poll indicates…IMO.[/quote]
Taoyuan is as bad as the poll indicates , you just got used to living there, that’s all. I used to live there and remember very clearly the first day I arrived in Taiwan I went to the Taoyuan night market and wondered what was that smell of shit (actually it was a few weeks until I realised it was actually food, chao dofu!). The other thing I remember is the incessant sound of garbage trucks for two hours every night that reverberates around the city. Also if you want to see a ‘complete disaster’ or opposite of town planning visit the Taoyuan train station and environs.
While it’s true that rents are cheaper I would point out the rents you mention above are still cheaper than what most people pay in Taoyuan. The saving is NOT so big. You may save 5000-10000K per month on rent. However its almost impossible to get a job there unless you want to teach english to little kids all day. So you limit your opportunities and your contact excepting with Taoyuaners or english teachers. Nothing wrong with English teachers(used to be one) but still limited social circle. Limited opportunity for advancement although some opportunities to run buxibans. You may commute to your job in Taipei but would probably need to purchase a car or take the awful train everyday. IF you live in Taipei you just take the subway, scooter or bus. So financially I think the difference is not much. Also fair amount of weird foreigners and druggies running around that city (a higher % at least!) It does have awesome apartments though, that is true!
I would repeat the idea that a slum is an attitude, rather than a geographical location.
I’d say they just didn’t look around enough. My roommate and I pay $17,000 for a 30 ping apartment in Wanhua.[/quote]
Fair enough…But I’m guessing the 30 ping apartment in Wanhua is in an older 5-story building with no elevator…Correct?
I have a good friend living in Taoyuan that rents a 60ping, 4-story condo with garage for 15k a month. It gives him ample space for his Jeep and 2 motorcyles, something you’d be hard pressed to do anywhere in Taipei for less than double or more…
I can’t believe I’m actually defending Taoyuan City, but I’d like to point out that living there can have it’s benefits as well. The same 30 ping apartment in Taoyuan could be rented for 6-7k a month, along with an elevator and security.
I think if we dumped the author of this thread in Wanhua, I’d guess his impression wouldn’t be favorable either…
After spending the better part of 2 decades in Taoyuan County, I can say with authority that yes, Taoyuan is dumpy in some areas, but improving fast…Both in infrastructure and living standard.
Taoyuan is not nearly as bad as the poll indicates…IMO.[/quote]
It’s a 12 story building, I live on the 2nd floor, yes there are two elevators - both work (last time I checked but I am not lazy enough to require one to get to the second floor 
) There is security for the apartment complex but not individual buildings but then I haven’t had any problems in the last two years.
Actually I’d be hard pressed to justify the need for 60 pings anywhere…30 pings is enough for me and a roommate. (Granted in Taoyuan you might need a vehicle but THREE??) Yes, it’s an older apartment, but hey, I am not buying it - just renting.
I guess really i was making 2 points here.
- Taoyuan city is a DUMP. (Despite the brave efforts of Botti) Thanks to all who agree.
- Taipei is really quite a good city. I dont live in Taipei but went there last weekend. It was a blast. Expensive, but great. Good food, entertainments, hotels, good transport (small cough) blah blah blah. Everything Mrs Hill and I could indulge ourselves with. We were both impressed by what Taipei had to offer, and agreed that when we had time we’d go again. I hadnt been there before, and the ball and chain had not for many years, and we were both amazed.
[url=http://tw.forumosa.com/t/taoyuan-countys-sunny-forest-hill/10342/1 best place you can live in Taiwan[/url].
All not living there live in dumps, be it a sattelite community in the sticks conisting of 8 skyscrapers, or a rooftop, or an old run’down apartment in the center of whatever. 
I don’t live in Taoyuan city.
But, it looks like I’m heavily out-voted here, so I concede.
[quote=“Michael J Botti”]I don’t live in Taoyuan city.
But, it looks like I’m heavily out-voted here, so I concede.[/quote]
At the hill we go down with the guns blazing and the flags flying. Chin up, private Botti!
The best foreign owned apartment I have seen is in Zhongli, and there are many nice restaurants and bars in Taoyuan. Might not be Taipei, but well, that’s the capital. After all, Albany is less cosmopolitan that the big apple, agree?
If you want to go shopping, then you have Tesco, which is better than the imitation on Sanmin Rd. Taipei People might say that they can go to Jake’s, but how many of you do that?
Cinemas, a plenty. The one in Taimall is quite good, as is the US restaurant there. I don’t gop there all that often anymore, as they have good cinemas in Zhongli now.
Traffic? Well, it’s bad, but much worse than Taipei? No. You just have to adapt and drive a scoot. If you are in a car and you want to park, you just pay the NT$40 an hour for a safe place! Compare that to the inner parts of Taipei County… Sanchong. You will not rent a place to park your car. Because they have lots of parking there? They don’t have any. Moreover, they hardly have any place to park a car there! (Now, that’s a shithole if there ever were one).
Jobs you say? I worked in Taoyuan for a year. I sold stuff abroad, and did not teach. It’s not all that easy, but not impossible either.
Parks? They have them, and at least 1 is big.
… But well, if you hole yuorself up in an overprized shithole of a taofang, and sit and complain, the place will be a shithole to you.