Ill be flying to Taipei by the first week of november and i still dont know where im gonna be living.
Ive checked out some housing websites but didnt help me that much…specially cos i dont know the city (areas, distances, etc).
All i know is that im gonna be working in Tucheng (or something like that)…Tucheng is well conected by the subway, but i dont wanna live there.
So…is there any cool area halfway (or so) between Tucheng and downtown…and is it well conected with subways, bus, etc?
Or…is Tucheng close enough to be living downtown and going to work everyday without spending too much time on it?..if so…where in downtown do u think i should look for?
Thank u so much and i hope u can help me with this issue…i will really appreciate it!!!
If you get a scooter, then buy a dog and live in the mountains then you can buy a car because you have a place to park it. Anywhere on blue line is good and Banchiao might work for you being half way between your job and Taipei. It also has more restaurants and is not quite as redneck as Tucheng, but that’s more like the difference between rednecks in the Ozarks versus those that live in say Northern Florida.
I would guess at about 25-30 min. If you keep your job and your living space both within walking distance of the MRT then a commute is not that bad since all you really have to do is sit there. Driving a scooter or a car to work would be much more stressful. I commute about 40 min. to work and I love having the extra time to read on the subway.
Banqiao is way better than what it was, that being said it is hopelessly crowded and if I can avoid going through there now(It’s easy I live in Changhua) I most certainly will. There are a lot of restaurants and shopping there. The MRT opened a lot of it up and they are building so many damn apartments there that traffic will be one parking lot in another 2 years, not that it moves that much now as it is.
Tucheng is an industrial factory town with not 1 but 2 industrial parks. You could find a Filipino gf in Yongfeng Industrial Park. It’s cheaper and the places are bigger. The real jewel of Tucheng that no one knows or talks about is the mountains to the south. If you have a scooter, than that opens up a lot of clean living for you. You will also need a dog, preferably something that barks a lot at strangers and will bite them and not you. The rednecks will rob your house in the mountains otherwise.
Tucheng is large and I doubt your school will be that close to the MRT. I would use google map to locate the school and the nearest MRT station. You will be close to Sanxia which has some nice treats and Belgian Pie has a great restaurant there that I haven’t eaten at, but I ate at his first one and it was great.
It would take 30-40 minutes from Taipei train station to Tucheng.
If you have any questions or interests we can let you know where to go.
Get yourself a motorbike (you can even rent one) and you might consider Zhonghe or Yonghe.
There are lots of foreigners and it could be an interesting alternative,.
I would be up in the mountains in a heartbeat, e.g., Cingyun Rd., with dog and motorcycle. You’re prolly gonna have to commute from the nearest MRT to school if you do the MRT commuter option, so do the mountain option instead and get your crowd/noise experience when you come down from the hills and leave your wheels at the MRT instead of at the school.
I am choosing between working at a school in Hsinchu or Tucheng. They are both the same type of school and I know it is where I want to work, but I’m having trouble deciding on the location. Any advice?
Tu Cheng does not suck it is 25 minutes by MRT to Taipei train station and 20 minutes by scooter into some beautiful mountains. It is also cheap to live in Tu Cheng. Pan Chiao on the other hand sucks balls.
If the OP is new to Taiwan, then Banqiao makes the most sense until he adapts to this environment and finds his own rhythm. Telling a newbie to go live in the mountains when he first gets to Taiwan is pretty daft, IMO, no offense meant.
