 | Seoul Area Reviews Reviews | Tips 1 - 10 of 17 |  |
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Here's the story: a bud of mine said to meet him and some guys at 신천/Sincheon...sounds like 신촌/Sinchon, right? Everyone knows that Sinchon is a hot-spot (near Hong-Dae) for kids at the clubs...so I got a cab there. Meet at the McDonald's, sure, no problem. Turns out that Line 2 has both a Sinchon (where i was) and a Sincheon (where he was, near Chamsil). And, true to Korean style, there was a McDonald's near each subway station (but mine had a Burger King next to it, his a KFC). Took another hour to meet up with the group, but it was worth it. One of the guys said that Sincheon was the 'best kept secret in Seoul"...ya, I guess so! But it is a rockin' spot. Lots of youngsters from the Song-pa and Kangnam area and many, many bars, hofs, restaurants, clubs and...um...other places. There's even one that specializes in my favorite: Crowl Royal. The bar has massive posters with the bottle and purple velvet bag....ahhhh...home.
Anything. Leave a Comment Theme: Eating and DrinkingAddress: SinCHEON Station (Line 2) near JamshilDirections: Leave by exit #4 at Sincheon Station (Line 2) and take any of the side streets. There are literally hundreds of clubs here.
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| | | | Area Reviews: A Good Clubbing District | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Hongdae (Honggik University) This is a very much student biased area (and thus really cheap!). Again, it swarms with bars and pubs (Hofs as they are known in Korea) populated by a very friendly young crowd, always keen to practice English on you. The last Friday of the month, Hongdae goes wild with 'Club Day'. You pay the equivalent of about $10 and it gets you admission to 11 different clubs, all night, in and out as much as you want. On Club Day, Hongdae is as lively as anywhere you could find, with both Koreans and westerners. It's a great vibe. However the downer is, club day is Packed, packed packed! I was in NB (a hip hop club) last night and it was soooo packed I could even get t o the bathroom. If there was a fire, everyone woulda died. Club days are a great vibe, but I would suggest going later when some of the crowd has thinned. Hongdae is also great for Art...... It houses of of Korea's Art schools (Honggik Univ). Hence the cafe's are getting cooler, darker, cruddier. Painting and sculptures abound. It really is a great area.
Dress how it goes.... ^.~ Leave a Comment Theme: DancingAddress: Honggik UniversityDirections: Honggik Univ Station. Line #2 (Green), get out exit #6 and walk around until you find something you fancy. Or cab it to Honggik University main Gate. Just say to the cabby "Ajushi, Hongdae Jung Mun Jom ga Ju shill leyo"
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| | | | Area Reviews: Hongdae | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Hongdae is one of those places on earth that I truly hate. It is a place where the locals like to hang out, but no one else is welcome. Granted, there is a pretty good reason for this. In May of 2004, an American GI stabbed a local Korean man. I don't know the situation behind it, but the stabbing has lead to an Anti-American feel to the area. Granted the signs say no GI's, but if you are a westerner, it really means you. Take for example, me. I am old,fat, bald, and so out of shape that I was sweating buckets going down the steps in Seoul's humid climate. Yet, I was mistaken for a young in shape GI. I know this because everyone there gave me the Yankee Go Home phrase, even the messed up Australian kid who was selling drugs in a corner. no problem, I was happy to go. I wouldn't even say it was the one bar I went to, it was all five. Some wouldn't even let me in the door. Plus, this is the only place in Asia where I constantly felt that my life was in danger. While clubbing is fun, and this is a good place to do it. It is not worth the BS you have to go through if you are not Asian looking.
Depends on th clubs Leave a Comment Theme: OtherDirections: Green line to Hongik University.
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| | | | Area Reviews: Hyewa | Tip Rating:  | | | | |
This is probably my favorite nightlife area in Seoul. It is not as unfriendly as Hongdae, and the GI's haven't ruined it or made it feel creepy like they have in Itaewon. The people are friendly and there is a lot of stuff to do here. All around the area you will find restaurants, clubs, and noraebangs (kareoke) for hanging out at. One of my favorite clubs though, is "The Flair". Imagine a whole bar of people doing bottle spinning tricks like the ones from the movie Cocktail. It is really impressive. I have a more detailed review elsewhere. If you are a westerner, politeness and friendliness pays off. You are sure to meet friendly people who will be fun to be around. If you are out to pick up women, go back to itaewon, you will have more luck there, it is just not that kind of scene here.
Korean's tend to dress a bit more conservatively. Some of the clubs you go to will have a feel that is more business casual, others jeans and a T-shirt are probably overdressing. Dance Club slutty - look? Probably not. But if you dress modestly, and non-offensively you should be ok. Leave a Comment Theme: OtherDirections: Off the light blue line (stop 420) and pick an exit, you will be in the middle of it all.
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| | | | Area Reviews: Gangnam | Tip Rating: | | | | |
I discovered Gangnam while working for a technology company. There are many of them in the area (tech companies), but it is also a really fun place to hang out. There are many movie theaters, bars restaurants, and at night they bring out the roach-coaches for street dining. The good thing about the area is that many of the restaurants stay open 24 hours, and a lot of the bars are open late too. So, if you are out late, and miss the last subway train, you can go clubbing until 4 or 5 in the morning, then get some food before catching the subway to work. It seems to be a very young crowd here, this doesn't always work to a westerners advantage, I think too many people think of the GI's in their clubs and tend not to want them here. I went with Korean Co-workers and didn't have any trouble though, even met some new people. If you are a westerner looking for a place to hang out, this probably won't be the best place for you, I would stick to the university areas. But, a good time can be had here. There are a lot of arcades where you can get your groove on playing "Pump" it is a dance type game similar to Dance Dance Revolution or games of that generation.
Jeans and a T-shirt won't work here, except for perhaps the arcades. Business casual is what Korean's seem to relax in, so at some of these clubs you may see a higher level of dress than that. It will all depend on where you go though. Leave a Comment Theme: Other
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| | | | Area Reviews: Itaewon Area - Foreigner bars, Hooker Hill | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Itaewon is the area in Seoul for military, foreigners and expats to just relax and drink. Be cautious in Itaewon! For every "legitimate" bar with food and drinks, there are three offering women at very high prices! If a woman sits with you at a bar, she is probably just as interested in your wallet as in your personality. Itaewon is full of military from nearby Yongsan Army Garrison and other bases, so you have to be a little bit cautious. Luckily the curfew is now midnight, so if you start your partying late, you can generally avoid them. Here's an article on the changing nightlife scene in Itaewon (http://theseoultimes.com/ST/db/read.php?idx=1244) Of the legit bars, try the following: 3 Alley Pub, Scrooge Bar, Big Electric Cat, Gecko's Garden, Flair, The Loft, Panchos. Bars here are always opening and closing so names, locations, quality, and friendliness may have changed tremendously since my last visit in May 2004. If you see something I have listed that is wrong, please let me know! Continue to view the rest of my nightlife section to see detailed reviews of these bars. Also close by Itaewon is a small nightlife area in Hannam-dong, about 1km away. Not a whole lot here, but we liked bars called Scarlet and Barabar. Leave a Comment Theme: Eating and DrinkingAddress: Itawon-1-dongDirections: Subway Line 6 to Itaewon StationWebsite: http://www.seoulstyle.com/bars-clubs/bars-in-Itaewon-Seoul.htm
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| | | | Area Reviews: Sinchon Area - Traditional Korean with West flair | Tip Rating: | | | | |
Sinchon is a typical Korean nightlife area with mostly quiet bars, few clubs, and no Westerners. The area around between Sinchon train station and Sinchon subway station is a popular spot for Yonsei University and Ewha Women's University students. It has dozens of traditional Korean bars, jazz clubs, and restaurants. Sinchon also has a good deal of Western Bars and is probably the #4 area for foreigners, behind Itaewon, Hongdae, and Daehongno. My favorite bars in Sinchon: Rolling Stones, named after the American band, is one of the best Western-style bars in the Sinchon area. The customers are a good mix of Koreans and westerners, and they play great rock and classic rock music. Rolling Stones serves strong mixed drinks at good prices. Dream On is a cozy hangout in Sinchon with "ice bars" -- tables with self service beer in a tub of ice the middle. Mostly Korean customers here, and the music is generally American pop. They have an amazing selection of vinyl records. What's Up is a fusion style bar in Sinchon. It has the blueish lights that might remind you of a bug zapper and expensive drinks. Leave a Comment Theme: Eating and DrinkingAddress: Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, SeoulDirections: Take subway line #2 to Sinchon Station and use exits 2 or 3Website: http://english.tour2korea.com/03Sightseeing/ThemeTours/sinchon.asp?kosm=m3_3&konum=subm2_2
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