Taipei's downtown - arriving at Taipei
eh... I don't get it. What part of Taipei is the downtown?
I'm arriving in Taipei in a few days and trying to plan my accommodation. I still can't figure out which part of Taipei is considered to be downtown? is it next to Taipei main station?
I would appreciate any help in finding mid-range accommodation in downtown Taipei (40-70US$).
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activity centres in Taipei
Taipei doesn't have a single downtown area. It is better to think in terms of activity zones and there are several major centres in the city. Historically, the area around Ximending and Taipei Station was the city centre. However in recent years there has been a lot of development in the east of the city, especially around Taipei 101.
In summary a few of the major activity zones are (1) Ximending - youth-oriented shopping and entertainment area, (2) Zhongshan North Road - popular with Japanese and contains a number of upmarket hotels; nearby Linsen North Road, the closest Taipei has to a red light district, (3) Xinyi/Eastern District includes the Sogo shopping area in Zhongxiao East Road and Taipei 101 and World Trade Centre, (4) Guting/Gongguan - the area around Shi-Da and NTU is popular with university students and foreigners.
The MRT now seemlessly connects all the major activity areas. So as long as you choose a hotel near an MRT Station you shouldn't have any trouble getting around the city. It is not really essential to stay near Taipei Station even though it is a major hub for buses and Taiwan's three major rail networks (HSR, TRA and MRT). Banqiao in Taipei County acts as a secondary transport hub. It is also possible to catch trains from Songshan Station in the east of the city. Intercity buses also depart from a number of points around the city.