This was the third time I stayed with Kate. (Actually, the fifth time in 3 summers, since in two of the summers I split up my stay. Staying in Kate's skygarden is like staying in a cabin in the country. With all the greenery of the garden and the quiet of being on the 4th floor off of a quiet street, you can often feel like you are living outside of the city. But then you just walk downstairs and find your self in a student oasis, with at least a dozen cafés within a few minutes walk. (Not including the two large Starbucks on the main avenue.
Food is everywhere in this part of town. Check out the Japanese restaurant down the road for really cheap sushi, or the Guild, right across from the University, for some really decent NY style pizza. There's some really authentic Israeli style felafel right down the street. For late night snacks, there's Japanese fast food legend Yoshinoya, open until 4am, across the big boulevard. And, needless to say, lots of Taiwanese restaurants, but they tend not to have english menus.
Gongguan metro station and Taipower metro station are both about a 5 minute walk, which means all of Taipei within easy reach. There's a Ubike rental near the Taipower metro if you want to pedal around town. Or if you'd rather ride in comfort, your uber app will work just fine in Taipei. Drivers found Kate's place without any problem.
In conclusion, Kate's place is in a great location, with lots of food and drink options and easy access to all sorts of transportation. I'm already looking forward to my sixth stay. (I recommend you read my other reviews for even more detail than here.)