我的假文青朋友推薦我經過草悟道時，一定要到附近的范特喜文創聚落看看，為甚麼我叫他假文青呢？首先，他常做文藝青年的打扮，例如喜歡穿著寬鬆的復古服飾，並表現出對藝術、電影、文學等的熱愛，常談論當紅的文化作品或經典藝術家，如九把刀，但是我覺得他只是隨波逐流地關注流行文藝話題，並未真正深入體會作品的內涵，好啦！其實我也是假文青，所以我們還蠻有話聊的。
不過，他推薦的地點，真的是所謂文藝青年喜愛逛的地區，離台中地標草悟道大概十多分鐘的路程，一路上很多的特色小店跟餐廳，幾家老宅咖啡，店面多由老宅改建，木造老屋外圍爬滿了綠色植物，彰顯著歲月的痕跡，特別流露一股懷舊風情，內用的甜點是現點現做，需要等十五分鐘左右，不過咖啡味道普通，但在這裡休息一下，就是圖個氣氛。
不確定是否這個區域夜生活豐富，據我觀察，這一帶有很多家居酒屋，像是從台北開到台中的吳留手居酒屋，外觀是日系木造建築，懷舊腳踏車及日式清酒筒等帶出濃濃日式風情，在台北時吃過一次，食物很普通，但是聚餐的氣氛很不錯，沒想到在這裡也有分店，附近還有不少家居酒屋，不過都在準備中，它們應該傍晚才會開始營業，可以想像到，夜晚熱鬧的情景。
KerKerland是一家明信片專賣店，可以在這裡製作專屬於自己的明信片，但是二樓是一家有著開闊空間的咖啡廳，算是複合式經營，義波羅窯烤披薩是家義式餐廳，朋友推薦它的現點現做的手工柴窯披薩，口味的選擇非常多元，大概價錢在一百四十元台幣上下，可惜的是，我去的時候，店家沒營業，只能在門口張望。
總之，這一帶藏身在巷弄之間的特色小店不少，每家店真的都很有自己的特色，難怪，我的朋友一定要我過來這邊看看，很明顯地逛一次，絕對逛不完這裡所有的店家，希望下次我還有時間，在這裡多跑幾家店。
My pseudo-hipster friend recommended that when I pass by Caowu Road, I should definitely check out the nearby Fantasy Art Village. Why do I call him a pseudo-hipster? Well, he often dresses like a literary youth, wearing loose vintage clothes and showing an apparent love for art, films, and literature. He frequently discusses trending cultural topics or classic artists, like Giddens Ko, but I feel like he’s just following the flow and not truly grasping the deeper meaning of these works. Well, to be honest, I’m also a pseudo-hipster, so we actually have plenty to talk about.
However, the spot he recommended is indeed an area loved by so-called "literary youths". It's about a ten-minute walk from Taichung's landmark, Caowu Road. Along the way, there are many unique shops and restaurants, including some café-restaurants housed in old buildings. These wooden old houses are covered with green plants, showing the marks of time and exuding a nostalgic charm. The desserts are made fresh to order, so you’ll have to wait about fifteen minutes, though the coffee tastes pretty ordinary. Still, it’s more about the atmosphere than the taste.
I'm not sure if this area has a rich nightlife, but from what I observed, there are quite a few izakayas around. For example, there's "Goo Liusou Izakaya", which opened its branch here in Taichung after starting in Taipei. Its exterior features traditional Japanese wooden architecture, along with nostalgic bicycles and sake barrels, giving off a strong Japanese vibe. I’ve eaten there once in Taipei—the food was pretty average, but the atmosphere for gatherings was great. I was surprised to see they have a branch here. There are many other izakayas nearby, but most of them were still prepping for opening—they likely start serving in the evening. I can already imagine how lively it must be at night.
KerKerland is a postcard specialty store where you can make your own custom postcards, while the second floor is an open café, a hybrid business model. Yibolo Wood-Fired Pizza is an Italian restaurant, and my friend recommended their handmade wood-fired pizzas, freshly made to order with a wide variety of flavors. The prices are around NT$140, but unfortunately, when I visited, the place was closed, so I could only peek from the outside.
In short, this area has a lot of unique little shops hidden in the alleys, and each one really has its own character. No wonder my friend insisted I come here. It’s obvious that you can’t explore all the stores in just one visit. I hope I have more time next time to check out even more of the shops here.
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