Like many other large, metropolitan cities, Taipei has air quality issues such as smog. Even though Taipei has a very developed public transit system, many people still ride scooters which contribute to engine exhaust. However, compared to many other Asian cities like Shanghai, Taipei has done quite a good job managing its air quality, both due to its location next to the coast and strong environmental protection laws.
Taipei is also quite a rainy city. Its location means that it is hit by the Pacific typhoon (a hurricane, but in the Pacific Ocean) season pretty hard. This means that I always have an umbrella and packable rain jacket in my backpack.
Taipei is also a fairly large city with a population of over 2.5 million in the city proper and over 7 million in the greater metropolitan area. This means there are associated problems with congestion.
Otherwise, Taipei is quite an easy city to live in!
For many Americans that come here, the biggest challenge is getting used to the language barrier. However, Taiwanese people are generally quite friendly to foreigners and many people who live in Taipei can speak some English. Many of the places also have English signage like English menus. Many Americans who live here also take Chinese classes, so they can speak rudimentary Chinese, which is generally more than enough to order food and navigate the city.
Otherwise, it isn't so difficult to adapt to this environment. It is very similar to many other large cities in the world, so as long as you can stand crowds, you'll probably be fine here!
