17. Neihu

To the east of Yuanshan are the neighborhoods of Neihu and Tahu, which offer the best hiking trails inside Taipei, some of which lead all the way to Yangmingshan National Park (if you can find the right one!). Tahu - which means "Big Lake" - indeed boasts a lovely lake (though not all that big), with a pagoda set out in the middle.


18. Shihlin

The traditional night market has a mystique all its own. A mixture of flea market, food fest and carnival, it fits in perfectly with the late-night lifestyle of the Taiwanese, and there's no better place to dive right in than Shihlin. Just north of Yuanshan, it may be the biggest, boomingest market of northern Taiwan. There's a little bit of everything here, from petshops to dimestores to an array of outdoor foodstalls, to street stands selling anything and more.

Shihlin also plays host to the new, excellent Ken Tu Yuan teahouse and Fin's Sealife Aquarium, a great place for kids.


19. Tienmu

Home to Taipei's American, English, French, German and Japanese schools, Tienmu has long been the preferred residence of the expatriate set. Once upon a time, it was the only place to go to stave off those cravings for goodies from the homeland. While Western restaurants and products are now to be had pretty much anywhere you look, Tienmu remains the best place for gourmet imports.

Lately its reputation as a "foreign concession" has diminished somewhat, as a wave of boutiques, cafes and coffee shops has swept in, luring the locals, and turning Tienmu into the next serious contender for the East District's crown of fashion heaven.

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