Busan Nightlife

Crossroads is a great place to just chill with friends. The atmosphere is very laid back and tempers never seem to flare here. Located in the PNU area, this little club will see a healthy mix of locals and expats on any given night. The music is usually folky or old rock/pop, such as John Lennon, Janis Joplin and Bob Marley, along with contemporaries like Dave Matthews and the like. There aren't many seats in the house, so if you prefer to sit and chill, get there early. Lots of opportunities to mingle here. There is internet available. Usually, there is live music on Saturday nights, and drink specials all week.

The Basement is a funky little spot in the PNU area. It is located in the same building as Crossroads, Busan's infamous foreigner chill out spot. The Basement has a very different atmosphere, very cool, great music (think Roots, Beastie Boys, and other hip hop or R&B), and a decent drink menu. If you visit on Friday or Saturday night, you'll find tons of expats chilling, and very few military types. There is internet available in the corner!

The area has many bars, singing rooms, night clubs, and restaurants that stay open late, so many people head here before or after catching a movie. The trendier shops also stay open to cater to the younger generation crowd. Many street vendors serve snacks and drinks

Texas Street is to Busan what Itaewon-dong is to Seoul. Located near the harbor and Busan train station, many stores here cater to foreigners, selling blankets, hand bags, shoes, clothes, and leather goods. During its popularity as a red light district for military men based in Busan or passing through, it was called Texas Street due to the image of Texas in America as a wild, frontier area.

Okay, I have to admit that Vinyl has all the traits of a seedy nightclub: It's in a basement, it's small, it's very dark, it's smoky, it's crowded, it's loud, and so on. That being said, it is a great escape if you're looking for some Western flavour on your travels.

Vinyl is always full of foreigners. The mix is usually mostly foreigners with a few Koreans who generally speak English very well. The music is Western. The Saturday evenings when we have gone, there has been a DJ spinning a lot of great dance music, so it's got a bit of rave flavour to it.

I think the best thing about Vinyl is the fact that if you've spent any amount of time in Busan, you'll probably spot someone you know! The foreign community is quite small, and there are a few well known foreign clubs, so get ready to do a bit of networking... !

Last thing: the drinks are pretty expensive. If you're looking for a buzz, hit the Family Mart up the street and pick up some Soju or beer before you go, and have a little picnic on the tables outside the Mart.

Dress Code: Pretty much anything goes, although I do recommend closed toed shoes, as the dance floor is pretty busy. One other tip: this is a foreign bar, so act like you would at a bar at home. Don't leave your wallet or purse unattended.

The "Basement" is a small venue, but nice nonetheless. It is a typical hangout of both locals and foreigners. They have live music typically on Fridays and Saturdays.

Following the map that is linked below, it is a ~8 minute walk from the PNU subway stop.

Dress Code: Dress code is completely casual.

Fridays and Saturdays from 9pm to 3am, there are drink specials of 15,000KRW for all you can drink. Drinks include mixed drinks with Jim Beam, Vodka, Gin or draft beers.

Musical guests are local bands, many of which are ex-pats who are living local.

There is a good quality pool table and plenty of seats for all guests.

Dress Code: Dress code is completely casual

Soemyeon is a very popular area for Busan residents for nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and shopping. My favorite nightclubs are New York, New York and Hollywood, but there are many others. I have eaten at a few good restaurants in Soemyeon including a Japanese restaurant on the corner just down the block from NY, NY. Soemyeon also boasts the ritzy Lotte Hotel with rooms around 200,000 won a night.

New York, New York is a very popular nightclub located in Busan's Soemyeon area. It is a huge room, with a long rectangle bar, and a modest dance floor. NY, NY stays open until the wee hours of the morning. Word is that NY, NY is now Korean-only, but you should be able to get in if you are a Westerner with Korean friends.

Hollywood Club is located across the street from New York, New York in Soemyeon. It has a similar layout to NY, NY, just a little smaller and darker.

On a bright sunny afternoon I was wandering on top of Yongdusan Hill when I heard the malodic tunes of some tinny speaker box. Interesting music I though I'II search it out. To my pleasant surprise there I discovered a small group of men and women in their mid 60s at least dancing ballroom / disco style to this charming Oriental electronica. It was it appeared an illegal rave party for the young at heart. Sadly an embarrassed young police officer had been summoned by some party pooper to close down the rave party. If he hadn't have intervened I would have joined into the fun my self.