Man this thread is vague. Are we talking about Hualien City or Hualien County? Huge difference. Where in Hualien is the OP talking about? The difference between Hualien City and Guangfu is vast.
Hualien City is fine. I don’t know why people are connecting Hualien to “chasing tail” or “partying.” It’s a city like any other, and much bigger than Taitung City to boot. My complaint about it is the rain. I moved away from Seattle to escape that kind of rain. Beautiful when the sun is out, but it’s much sunnier further south.
There are plenty of expats living in Hualien City, And yes, of course, there are breakfast restaurants. Hualien City has McDonald’s, Starbucks, all that stuff.