Job Discussion Forums

[gingerlady]

Hello!!

I might be going there for a summer camp, I've looked on tealit.com and found a studio that sounded nice for 8000NTD--is that a decent price? Anyone jknow of any nice areas in which to hunt for an apartment or house to share? Is it windy in Hsinchu? Someone told me its very windy there.

thanks!

[MomCat]

Hi Gingerlady,

Unfortunately, $8,000 for a studio is about right if it's near downtown, Science Park or one of the two big unis.

Nice area? That's relative. All areas in Hsinchu are safe, most are pretty homely, some are convenient. I'd suggest looking for a place near where you'll be working so you can walk. The chances of our one, frequently-running bus going by the school are pretty slim. If you're not close enough to walk, you'll be paying for taxis.

The Science Park area is newer and nicer but quite far out. The one bus goes within a 10 min walk of the residential area.

The areas just around Tsing Hua University or near the train station are the most convenient (near the bus, lots of eateries) but are older and dirtier.

You might ask the school if they have any teachers that are leaving for the summer and would like to sublet their place.

Windy? Yes. Windy enough that the city seldom bothers to shut down during typhoons unless they're right on top of us.

Enjoy your time here if you do spend the summer.

Cat

[IrishTony]

Try to find a place close to where you'll be going for summer camp. As I remember the bus system in Hsinchu is not great, and as MomCat pointed out you'll be relying on Taxi's otherwise.

If you're social life is a priority, you might want to try and find a place closer to Hsinchu centre where there are plenty of shops, bars, restaurants, etc.

The 'nicer' places tend to be out of the city centre in areas like Jue-bei. But there really isn't much to do in those areas.

Don't worry about it being windy. Trust me you'll be grateful for any wind, fan or air conditioner in Taiwan during the summer months!

Tony


www.taiwancelts.com

[Taiwanlight Zone]

Now you're getting advice from a real old-timer (the rotting corpse rises from the grave...) the 90s to be precise. I lived in Jubei (then known as Chubei, don't you wish they could decide what kind of romanisation they want to use and stick to it, but I digress) which was much less built up then what it is now (I visited back in 2006 and was saddened to see how built-up it's got). I would suggest getting a place if you can near one of the universities. Their campuses are like big parks and if you're near them you've got a nice place to walk to get rid of those 'Hsinchu City blues' (have I coined a new phrase?). It's a dynamic place with its own points of interest but not the most beautiful location (I'm sure you've figured that out all ready). I particularly recommend Jiau Tung university which has a fantastic campus and also probably the best university library in Taiwan if you're a book reader (unfortunately you can't borrow but if you leave your id you can go in for a few hours and bookworm to your heart's delight). One warning, if you like going to bars go to www.forumosa.com and search for 'Pig and Whistle' and consider whether you want to go to a place like that. At weekends you're close enough to Taipei to go in and savour its delights (I'm talking parks, museums theaters and other cultural delights here folks not just the bars and barber shops [see other threads]. Hope you enjoy your time in Hsinchu, give the place a chance.