Most professional athletic stadiums in the U.S. — the kind I grew up with on humid Midwestern summer days — stand removed from the city, looming where freeway exits truncate, surrounded by acres of asphalt parking lots. Sprawl and the endless parking lots that accompany it are generally two of my least favorite characteristics of life in…
A good portion of Seongsam-gil (성삼길) running north from Exit 2 is lined with auto mechanics – grease and tools, garage doors open to the street. At the end of the road, fronting the T-junction with Gwangnaru-gil (광나루길), another type of reconstruction is the focus at the Korean Dental Association (치과의사회관). But with flawless teeth…
The area just north of Ahyeon Station was busy on the Saturday we visited it, buzzing with kids with a day off from school. We were walking north on Buk-Ahyeon-gil (북아현길) from Exit 1, and a good portion of those we were sharing the street with were of the plaid skirt and blazer set. I…
It’s always been a mystery to me why Seoul doesn’t have a proper Chinatown. Whether it’s San Francisco, Bangkok, or Cholon in Ho Chi Minh City, these ethnic enclaves with their hanging roast duck, temples devoted to Tian Hou, and kitschy Mao souvenirs are always one of the most interesting areas of a city, not…
Seoul Sub→urban 