Korean Job Discussion Forums

dereklee003 · Joined: 03 Jan 2009

I am hoping to start teaching somewhere in Busan soon, and was just wondering where are the best places to live in Busan?

Near Hauendae beach? in Seomyeon? Near PNU?

Ideally i would like to be in an area that is not too far from the beaches, near a downtown area, with lots of things to do...

Chet Wautlands · Joined: 11 Oct 2008

I've never lived in Busan, but I'll get this started. The beaches in Busan are nice, but they aren't a deal breaker for most people. Seomyeon would be great because it's central. Have you been to Busan before?

dereklee003 · Joined: 03 Jan 2009

Not yet...only via the internet...but i grew up in Seattle and am used to living by the ocean so yeah, Busan will be nice for that...is Seomyong the biggest "downtown" area?

afsjesse · Joined: 23 Sep 2007 Location: Kickin' it in 'Kato town.

I lived in Busan for about 10.5 months and loved it. If you're trying to find a hagwon gig where you can be location specific, it can be easy to live where you want. Alot harder for PS as you cant choose your school for Busan.

Haeundae is the rich part of town. Famous for the beach and the western shopping areas that surround it. Things are more pricey here also. Drawback is its 30 minutes from Seomyeon via the subway.

Gwangalli is my favorite beach. Its 15 mins from Seomyeon and from Haeundae. It's beachfront has alot of good coffee shops and bars.

Seomyeon is dead smack in the middle of the metopolis. Lots of western shopping outlets, western restaurants and coffee shops. It's busy due to it being the business hub of town.

Dongnae/PNU area is a good spot to be for night life. Its a university area with lots of people and foreigners. Also close to the bus station so it's convenient for trravel.

Kyungsung/Pukyong National Universities are great because they're close to Gwangalli and they are another good night spot to hangout at.

Nampodong is the old downtown. Filled with outdoor markets with just about anything. Jagalchi Fish Market is also there and is interesting. Lots of coffee shops ther're as well.

Saha-gu and Dadaepo is where I used to live. Far from Seomyeon but not western oriented. Dong A University is there and it has a mildly good night life filled with Korean/Western Bars. Not many foreigners either. Dadaepo and Songdo Beaches are near this area and are quite nice.

Hope this helps.

Jesse

Chet Wautlands · Joined: 11 Oct 2008

So, like Jesse said, Seomyeon would be a good bet if you want to be within striking distance of most of Busan. Again, from my experience, the beach is nice to visit but it's not a world class beach by any stretch of the imagination. If I were to live in Busan I'd pick Seomyeon. Clubs, shopping, and western restaurants are nice, and being central is awesome.

D.D. · Joined: 29 May 2008

Seoymeon casino also has free drinks. I like the Jim beam and coke, as you cant beat the price. Just be sure to keep your money away from anything other than the 5000 BJ table.

s_lebeau · Joined: 15 Feb 2008 Location: the frozen tundra

Haeundae is the best area, for sure. Great beach, close to 2 other nice beaches, lots of expats, a couple decent expat bars, a traditional market, Dongbaek park, surfing close by, international restaurants, movie theaters, malls, groceries, a train station (to whip up to the countryside or Seoul on the weekends), etc. Thirty minutes on the subway to get to Seomyeon really isn't that bad.

And while the beaches aren't the best in the world, they are very nice... particularly during the off-season (Sept-May).

Benicio · Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 3:50 pm Post subject:

I've lived in PNU for 9 years and like it just fine for the bar and local scene around. I work around here, so that makes it all the more attractive for me.
Sounds like what you want would be around Gwanganli Beach- beach, great bar scene, close to downtown and the Haeundae area.

I would NOT live in Seomyeon. Wouldn't be able to understand why anyone would want to live smack dab in the middle of the city. It's a big nightlife area for the Koreans, but all the cool stuff for the foreigner crowd is out by the beaches or in PNU.
Just my 2 cents

Pa Jan Jo A Hamnida · Joined: 27 Oct 2006 Location: Not Korea

Dadepo is out of the way. Choryong Dong is ok but avoid Texas Street.
Nampo Dong is enjoyable but Haeundae is the upscale place to be.h

chevro1et · Joined: 01 Feb 2007 Location: Busan, ROK

I live in Heaundae and love it. Probably the only other area of the city I would want to live in is near Kyungsung Uni/ Gwangalli area. When I lived near Seomyeon, I found myself going to these other areas much more often than actually sticking around Seomyeon.

bizrandom · Joined: 23 Oct 2007 Location: Busan

I would say that Kyungsungde has the best night life, Seomyon and Nampodong have the best shopping. Gwangalli, and PNU have really good qualities (beach, night life, close to subway...). I lived in Gwangalli, and was in Kyungsung all the time, the cab home is cheap. I live in PNU now and am enjoying it, because I can get to other places quite quick (other than Kyungsungde, but it is better for my savings)

I say look up the subway map for Busan, and that will give you the best idea of how far everything is from everywhere else. Personally, if you want the best location, central is better, but you had better like the subway or bus system.