Mechanics and macchiatos: coffee shops infiltrate street of car repair workshops in Taipei, Taiwan

Coffee shops, bars and clothes stores have moved into narrow Chifeng Street in Taiwan’s capital city, a place known until now for its car repair shops

Their presence draws plenty of Taipei folk and tourists – but is driving up rents and could pricing the mechanics out of the street

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Chifeng Street in Taipei, home to coffee shops, boutiques, and car repair shops. The newcomers have pushed up rents, and the garages may be forced out. Photo: Chris Stowers/PANOS

Published: 12:15pm, 13 Jan 2020Updated: 10:38am, 14 Jan 2020

A dozen 20-somethings sit in Iki in Taipei on a Saturday afternoon, drinking cafes au lait and swapping gossip under a log ceiling. Halsey’s album, Hopeless Fountain Kingdom, plays in the background.

The sounds and smells from a car repair shop from across the alley pour through the cafe’s open windows, but the coffee crowd pause only to take photos of their desserts for social media.

Scenes like this can be found all along Chifeng Street – a half-kilometre strip in Taipei, Taiwan – and in a dozen nearby side alleys. The cafes are so popular with regulars and tourists alike that some limit customers to a maximum of 90 minutes.

Lin An-chiu, 33, stands on the pavement ordering a coffee to take away. A couple of metres away, one of Taipei’s signature yellow taxis is getting an oil change. “I think to keep this sort of appearance makes the street stand out,” says Lin, who works in a nearby restaurant. “Hardly any other places look like this. I like this sort of feeling of conflict.”

The sounds and smells from a car repair shop from across the alley pour through Iki’s open windows. Photo: Chris Stowers/PANOS

For some five decades, the area was dominated by repair shops, which is why many locals call the area “Forging Metal Street”. Now, only about 20 car repair shops remain on Chifeng Street – and they share it with at least 15 cafes.