Korean Job Discussion Forums

[tombirner]

Got a job starting there in March, at Hakdong Elementary School (anyone know anything about the school as well?). Is this a cool neighborhood? Any peeps feel like giving me some pros and cons?

The gist I've gotten is it's basically in Gangnam, very cool/fun hood, but probably kind of expensive and upscale (uptight?) for my scummy ass.

Also, should I expect my apartment to be tiny? They offer a 600,000W housing allowence... which should I opt for? I don't want a roommate... I have plenty of savings, so key money isn't a problem... think I could find a decent studio or 1BR not too far away for around 600,000W??

[RACETRAITOR]

Kind of a bland area, just tall buildings and wide roads. It's central though.

It's probably close to that mass murderer who killed six or seven girls because "nobody liked him."

[tombirner]

Strange, that wasn't what I was told (by an unbiased party). But no biggie. Maybe the apartment won't be a closet, if the area isn't trendy and expensive.

Anyone have any more thoughts about the real estate end of it? Think I could get a decent studio or 1BR ten or twenty minutes away for... I don't know... six or seven hundred thou?

[bassexpander]

Expensive area.

My advice would be to get something maybe 4 to 5 stops away on the Hakdong subway line (olive line) and commute there. There are tons of low-priced places around Konkuk University, which is 4 stops away from Hakdong. That'd be about 11 mins out.

The olive line is a fast line. That same line is on the way to Costco at Sangbong, and there are some low-priced places as you get 20 mins away from Hakdong heading East. Like around Gunja to Sangbong. That's because that general area is where LOTS of motels are. Koreans are afraid to live near motels and clubs. Going there to cheat is OK -- they just don't want to live by them.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Watch out for people that nobody likes. If you go too cheap, you're bound to run into those types.

[RACETRAITOR]

[bassexpander]

And Konkuk is a fairly interesting/exciting area to live in. E-mart is there (woo-hoo) and lots of small restaurants of varying price ranges catering to uni students.

[Xuanzang]

[tombirner]

What do you mean? You don't get why the school doesn't offer me housing? They do- they either find a place for me or give me 600,000W a month... it's up to me.

I'm just trying to figure out if I should take their apartment or look for a place. I'm from New York, so the places I've heard of to rent in Seoul are SO cheap compared to what I'm used to. So I don't mind a commute if I can find a bigger 1BR (actually looking at a 500,000W 2BR in Yongsan this weekend) outside Gangnam. I'm worried with the hood being so expensive, rents must be high, thus my apartment will be like a dorm room if it is provided nearby the school.

[Xuanzang]

[tombirner]

Yeah, they pay my key money. However, they said they don't usually find a place for me until a week or two before my contract begins, and I'll be in Thailand during that time.

I basically described to them my preference... space over location. So we'll see where that gets me.

[seoulsister]

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