I have been coming to Taiwan for several years, and have recently been staying in the Xinzhuang district, the hotels and restaurants are cheaper than central Taipei, and the quality is very good. The Xinzhuang sports complex is a great asset to the area, it has a newly completed swimming pool complex and running track, situated within a very nice park area. I tend to do a lot of jogging and swimming when I'm working in Taipei to help burn off the huge amount of food I manage to consume when I am here :) so the area is perfect for me. There is also a newly developed 'creek' (which used to be a municipal drain or something) which extends about 2km from the NW corner of the park, which is also good for running and walking. There is also a gymnasium, tennis courts and basketball facilities, as well as free outdoor gyms and children's playgrounds...