Well, just going to let everyone know, I took a job with Hess in Donghu starting at 600 NT per hour, and I plan to move into my new apartment there around Mid-June (I start about one month later).
I’ve seen that there is a list of restaurants in and around Donghu in another forum. I’m also wondering about other things, though.
Any Night Markets? Parks? How cheap are the Chinese food restaurants and vendors? Any movie theaters?
Anything to do in Donghu? I know it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere… The new MRT should help, I hope.
[quote=“XinBiDe”]Well, just going to let everyone know, I took a job with Hess in Donghu starting at 600 NT per hour, and I plan to move into my new apartment there around Mid-June (I start about one month later).
I’ve seen that there is a list of restaurants in and around Donghu in another forum. I’m also wondering about other things, though.
Any Night Markets? Parks? How cheap are the Chinese food restaurants and vendors? Any movie theaters?
Anything to do in Donghu? I know it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere… The new MRT should help, I hope.
Let me know anything you know![/quote]
Tell ya what, edit your title to “what is there in Donghu?” or something, and we’ll all see what we can tell you. The night market isn’t much to see, and Raohe is the closest one. There are tiny neighborhood parks, and a much larger nicer one nearby in Neihu (Dahu Park). Eating is dirt cheap, and there is a wide assortment of small stores lining most every street in Donghu, which makes it one of the most convenient places in Taipei to go shopping, especially if you’re on foot or on a bike. There’s one movie theater, Hala. The MRT hasn’t opened yet but will soon. There are LOTS of bus lines, though. There isn’t much to do in the way of entertainment, but it’s a decent place to live. Drop me a line when you’re in the neighborhood and I’ll give you a quick tour.
I live in Donghu as well but I don’t consider the middle of nowhere. I drive so it takes me five minutes to get on the highway then 20 minutes to get almost anwaywhere.
No real nightmarkets but two good morning markets.
Movie theater, Eslite Bookstore, World Gym a department store (is it closing down or not)?
Five minutes to Dahu park, BiHu Lake, tons of hiking trails and two great livers that my kids and dogs all love swimming in.
Everything here is cheaper than in town. I can get a foot massage for 400nt, a hair wash and style for 136nt, dinner for 50-100nt.
Best all of free fresh air! I almost gag when I need to walk downtown compared to walking around here.
Enjoy, I wouldn’t live anywhere else (well, maybe the coast)
Wow, I’m excited! My girlfriend is trying to get me to live in Xihu nearer to her. Xihu, by the way, is also in Neihu… I don’t know if people usually get that specific, it’s the first time I’ve seen Xihu on the forum so I just wanted to mention it.
But, in any case, my work is in Donghu so I’ll probably be spending a good portion of my days there.
Does all of Neihu have clean air?
[quote=“XinBiDe”]Wow, I’m excited! My girlfriend is trying to get me to live in Xihu nearer to her. Xihu, by the way, is also in Neihu… I don’t know if people usually get that specific, it’s the first time I’ve seen Xihu on the forum so I just wanted to mention it.
But, in any case, my work is in Donghu so I’ll probably be spending a good portion of my days there.
Does all of Neihu have clean air?
Thanks for all the help![/quote]
Well, you could live anywhere on the Neihu MRT line, which will open soon, and travel to her place would be quick. Even on a scooter, as long as you’re somewhere on that line, the job and GF won’t be far. You could live near the Dahu park station, or the Donghu station. Will you have a scooter? Where’s your apartment? Have you signed a lease, or are you still looking? If it’s on or near Kangle Ave., I can show you shortcuts over the PBS hill, to either Kangning Rd. (bypassing the Donghu Rd. traffic) or directly to Dahu park. You might even want to take a tour with me before deciding where to live. Oh, where’s the Hess branch exactly?
Now, this Hess branch is a bit unique because I got it through Reach to Teach. It is owned by a person but it is technically still somehow a part of Hess, which is why I’m getting paid more than most people who work for Hess. The plus side: I get more money and training takes place in my school. The downside: really rigid Hess materials and class lessons with weaker training than provided by corporate.
Long story short, you won’t find this branch on the Hess website, but I’ll let you know the address when I know. I should find out more about that this week.
I noticed that Donghu isn’t too near Xihu, where the GF lives. So I’m wondering how quick that MRT ride would be. Of course none of us can know until it opens, I guess! Anyway, she’s quite determined to force me to live as near her as possible but I’m pretty open and trying to get her to let me look at some places in Donghu, closer to where I’ll work. Of course nothing can be decided until I can find the actually distance between the apartments and my school/the MRT stations.
No, I won’t own a scooter, at least not for a while. No, I haven’t signed a lease yet either.
So did you move to Donghu? How are you finding it? I am thinking of moving there too, and have been a couple times on my scooter to cruise around and 'suss if it is worth the effort to uproot myself and then pay higher rents. I must say, clean air is a big draw (But then, so is stability).
There are a lot of pros and cons on either side for me. I currently am in the middle of a lease, and have a great apartment and otherwise excellent situation (except the air and mediocre dog walks).
Pickwackit - where would you recommend living for great dog walking? Ideally, I’d like to live somewhere where I can walk (or hit the hiking trails ) with my dog without having to drive there (ie before work, right after work, and before bed walks). I checked out Lotus Hill (thanks Maoman) and the area around Kangning, Donghu, and way up Kangle (thanks, DB). I couldn’t seem to figure out where most of the hiking trails started with relation to the houses. I did see a couple hike entrances and a great bird refuge(?) waay up Kangle (I think) but the community there was gated and the guard was pretty insistent that there was nothing for rent of sale there.
I have heard that the area around DaHu park floods. No idea how serious that is.
While I don’t have to find the ideal apartment now, I do need to decide now (this weekend) whether I will move there in the coming months or not, and that means figuring out if the “ideal” place exists - with fantastic dog walking options and livability for me (that justify a big jump in rent from where I am now). I have a few hours free Sat and Sun, and plan to use every second I can exploring the area further. I’d love any more tips, as my time for cruising the area is woefully limited - takes me an hour just to get there.
Sorry I am just replying now but my F.com page has gone all funky on me now. (Just type no borders, headers etc anyone know what that is)
Anyways, I live at the end of Kangle in one of the gated communities called Long Shan Lin, it is the one with the dragon on it. There are places for rent here but as far as I know it is all large houses not apartments, around 30 000nt as far as I know.
Going down KangLe, befor you get to my place, the are quite a few new biuldings that have signs up. All very close to hiking trails and a grea place for dog walking.
As for the flooding, that was fixed in recent years with the widening of the rivers and compleation of the MRT.
I’d be happy to take you around sometime in the next couple of days f you are still looking.
I was thinking the same thing. That’s not a bad area if you have a dog. It’s by the 287, 281, blue 12, 630 and 903 bus depot (where the buses park).
(Fingers crossed.)
Yeah, no flooding since Nari. It seems to be safe now. But just don’t live on the first floor and you’re fine anyway.
We’re fairly near piwackit too, near the Donghu Junior High. It’s a good area to live in, IMO. I’ve been here 15 years. I don’t have good leads on apartments, but you can probably find something in the 35 ping range for $18,000 or so. Don’t rent on the main roads, which are noisy. The alleys are better IMO. I personally like living within walking distance of a good vet, supermarket and wet market. There’s a good vet right by the Domino’s on Kangle shortly before you reach the junior high.
If you want a scooter tour I’d be happy to show you around Donghu too; and we’d be happy to meet up for a bite to eat with piwackit as well.
That sounds excellent. Thanks a lot, both of you.
I decided I am going to really take my time finding a place to live. Get to know the area and explore. Trying to find a place right away was too stressful.
Ooh - big changes ahead for me!
I’ve been here 15 years. I don’t have good leads on apartments, but you can probably find something in the 35 ping range for $18,000 or so. Don’t rent on the main roads, which are noisy. The alleys are better IMO. I personally like living within walking distance of a good vet, supermarket and wet market. There’s a good vet right by the Domino’s on Kangle shortly before you reach the junior high.