The Calligraphy Greenway is not a point. It is a line. The Science Museum at the north end, the Art Museum at the south, crossing Gongyi Road, Xiangshang Road and Wuquan West Road in between — about two and a half kilometres.
This piece walks it as a route map: four stops, north to south, each with one opener and one fallback, which road to turn onto and how many minutes written as they are. September evenings are still hot; leave after six.
0 km — Science Museum stop: open, but do not fill up
The Taiwan Boulevard trunk bus stops at the Science Museum, about fifteen minutes from Taichung Station. Off the bus, facing Taiwan Boulevard, ABV Bar & Kitchen 地中海餐酒館 台中概念店 (ABV Bar & Kitchen, Mediterranean, Taichung concept store) sits on this stretch at No. 320 — about 4,350 reviews at 4.8, generous portions, opens early, a good place to line the stomach first.
The rule at this stop: one glass. Three more stops to go.
With the museum at your back, walk south along the Jingguo Greenway — trees on both sides — about twelve minutes, across Gongyi Road, to CMP.
1.2 km — CMP stop: the main course, no walk-in queue after eight on weekends
PARK2 CMP / Eslite Greenway at No. 68, Gongyi Road is the interchange of the whole line. Turn east onto Zhongxing Street: 吳留手串燒居酒屋 勤美店 (Wuliushou Skewer Izakaya, CMP) at No. 111, about 19,600 reviews at 4.9 — no other shop in West District comes close to that count. After eight on Friday and Saturday, no booking means queuing, past the point where queuing makes sense.
Cannot book, fall back to Xiangshang North Road. 川丰居酒屋(鐵板串燒) (Chuanfeng Izakaya, teppan skewers) at No. 138 has 600-plus reviews at 4.5 — the lowest rating of the three, which is exactly why it most often has a seat; 虎川千代居酒屋-台中勤美店 (Hukawa Chiyo Izakaya, CMP) at No. 156 has 2,800-plus at 4.8, and 將軍府日式居酒屋 勤美店 (Shogun House Japanese Izakaya, CMP) at No. 159 has 2,200-plus at 4.8, facing each other across the street. All three are two minutes apart on foot; if one is full, walk to the next, no re-routing needed.
For Italian instead, ISOLABO PASTA at No. 9, Lane 1, Zhongxing Street has 400-plus reviews at 4.5; for wine rather than sake, DIO Wine 葡萄酒餐酒館 (DIO Wine bistro) at No. 15, 1F, Lane 3, Zhongxing Street has 60-odd reviews — small sample, keep it as backup.
Back to the greenway, south past Xiangshang Road, about eight minutes.
1.8 km — Shen Ji New Village stop: the slow stretch
Shen Ji New Village at Lane 368, Minsheng Road pulls its shutters gradually after eight in the evening, and the crowd thins to just right. This stop is not for eating. Only drinking.
Turn into Lane 79, Xiangshang Road Section 1: rizy at No. 56, 2nd floor has about 135 reviews at 4.8 — upstairs, small, quiet; in the same lane, 泰瑪沙-Thai Spa 泰式按摩 (Taimasha Thai Spa) at No. 24 has about 1,170 reviews at 5.0 — anyone whose legs are done can get off early here and it still counts. 久酌居酒屋 • 向上店 (Jiuzhuo Izakaya, Xiangshang) at No. 260, Xiangshang Road Section 1 has about 127 reviews at 4.9, for anyone who still wants a couple of skewers.
Goût Bar 好吧 at No. 46, Cunzhong Street has 380-plus reviews at 4.5, and its counter seats are friendly to one or two people.
Keep south along Meicun Road Section 1, about ten minutes to Wuquan West Road.
2.6 km — Art Museum stop: the closer, arrive before eleven
The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts at No. 2, Wuquan West Road Section 1 is the terminus, and the parkway lights are still on. 月聲-Moonsound at No. 674, Meicun Road Section 1 has about 143 reviews at 4.9 — the bar closest to the museum; 鳥重地雞燒 (Torijū yakitori) at No. 132, Gongzheng Road has about 2,100 reviews at 4.8, for anyone who wants to sit down late to something hot. Vender Bar at No. 118, Wuquan West 4th Street has 600-plus reviews at 4.6, for a bigger, louder crowd.
Position stated plainly: most places on this stretch close around midnight, exact hours per what is posted. Arrive at the Art Museum stop after eleven and mostly what is left is the walk. If you want to drink until two, this line is not for you — move on to Qiqi, about fifteen minutes by car.
After the terminus: massage, or double back
Two and a half kilometres on foot, and Dahe Road is right beside the museum: 熊腳丫足體養生會館 (Bear Paw foot massage) at No. 21 has about 1,900 reviews at 4.8, 婧仕女微旅 (Jing Ladies’ Retreat) at No. 3 has about 1,700 at 4.9, both within a three-minute walk. To return to the north end, 春不荖足湯養生館 中港行館 (Chun Bu Lao Foot Bath House, Zhonggang) at No. 157, Taiwan Boulevard Section 2 has 22,000-plus reviews, about ten minutes back by cab.
If you drank, it is a cab or designated driver, no exceptions. This line was built for walking; the way home is not the part you drive. Leave the car overnight in a lot near CMP and collect it tomorrow.
For the version that starts at CMP and threads the Zhongxing Street lanes, see the Calligraphy Greenway bistro cluster; the date-night arrangement is in Taichung date-night routes; full lists at West District bars and bistros and West District massage, the whole district on one page at West District.