|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
dk0402
Joined: 18 Mar 2009
|
 Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 7:53 pm Post subject: best cities to live in |
 |
|
| just wondering what are the best places to live? In terms of nightlife, things to do, friendly people, air quality, living conditions, etc. I am just thinking about different places to live, not sure which ones are best. I tried to look for a thread but didn't find one, if there is on that exists on this site please let me know. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
semi-fly
Joined: 07 Apr 2008
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The sad fact is most of the responders will recommend you live in Seoul since it's the place to live since it fits in with what you are looking for. Other options of course would be Incheon or Pusan since they have a large expat population and should accommodate you with a night life and some friendly faces.
What I suggest is making a list of things you want to have in a city beyond a night life, friendly faces, etc. Do you want easy access to the ocean, English language bookstores, large outdoor markets, access to a Costco (or similar stores), etc. Reply with this kind of information should help others point you in the right direction. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dk0402
Joined: 18 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 8:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| semi-fly wrote: |
The sad fact is most of the responders will recommend you live in Seoul since it's the place to live since it fits in with what you are looking for. Other options of course would be Incheon or Pusan since they have a large expat population and should accommodate you with a night life and some friendly faces.
What I suggest is making a list of things you want to have in a city beyond a night life, friendly faces, etc. Do you want easy access to the ocean, English language bookstores, large outdoor markets, access to a Costco (or similar stores), etc. Reply with this kind of information should help others point you in the right direction. |
ahh good point i should have mentioned more. I just want to make sure I don't end up in a rural area with nothing to do, I want to be in a city with at least a moderate amount of social activity. Proximity to the beach would be nice, I also would like to be near cheap, good places to eat. Not sure what kind of markets like costco are out there but I would definitely need to be close to one because I can't eat out every day. Also, I am an athlete, and I love playing basketball but i am not sure if it is popular out there. Any parks or recreation areas, gyms, would be a major plus as well. As far as nightlife, I enjoy things like jazz bars, pubs, etc but I'm not big on clubbing. Would also be cool to be around some historical sites, or tourist attractions such as theme parks, gardens, as well as ancient buildings and things with historical importance because I am a history major so I am interested in things with cultural importance. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
waynehead
Joined: 18 Apr 2006
Location: Jongno
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:08 pm Post subject: |
|
|
If it's not Seoul, then satellite cities like Bundang or Bucheon are pretty nice.
Bupyeong, in Incheon, where I live is ok, but honestly I wish I lived in either Seoul or the aforementioned two cities.
I haven't spent a lot of time down south but I liked both Gwangju and Busan when I was there, and especially in Busan there'd always be plenty to do and see.
Daegu and Daejon...I'm no expert, and will happily be proven wrong, but both places seemed like dumps to me. Incheon (for the most part) is a dump, too. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DCJames
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| seoul is the only answer |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Forward Observer
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Location: FOB Gloria
|
| Posted: Sat Apr 11, 2009 9:45 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| DCJames wrote: |
| seoul is the only answer |
Only hicks and country bumpkins will disagree  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ukon
Joined: 29 Jan 2008
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
SEOUL for all of those except beaches....Busan has beaches!
Truth be told, Seoul is not all hustle and bustle....if you want a quiet area or whatever you can live in one....Mine is next to an entertainment district, in a family area....It's quiet as hell unless I walk 7 minutes away from my house.
As for clubbing, learn to enjoy, it's likely where you'll meet the majority of women outside of friends, language exchanges, and adult students. There isn't really bars in a tradition sense where you can go find some cute girls(they exist, but not very common like back home..koreans like Hoffs). Jazz bars are a plenty in Seoul.
Some don't like Seoul, but I'm guessing they just didn't like the area they lived in....For instance, If I was set up in itaewon, My impression of seoul would likely be much more negative.... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 1:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
| semi-fly wrote: |
The sad fact is most of the responders will recommend you live in Seoul since it's the place to live since it fits in with what you are looking for. Other options of course would be Incheon or Pusan since they have a large expat population and should accommodate you with a night life and some friendly faces.
What I suggest is making a list of things you want to have in a city beyond a night life, friendly faces, etc. Do you want easy access to the ocean, English language bookstores, large outdoor markets, access to a Costco (or similar stores), etc. Reply with this kind of information should help others point you in the right direction. |
I really dislike Seoul to live in - I go to Seoul every single weekend and I don't really like it. Sure, it's fun to go out and stuff, but I wouldn't want to live there. I live in Daejeon, the 5th largest city in the country, and I think it's fine. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 3:25 am Post subject: Re: best cities to live in |
|
|
| dk0402 wrote: |
| just wondering what are the best places to live? In terms of nightlife, things to do, friendly people, air quality, living conditions, etc. I am just thinking about different places to live, not sure which ones are best. I tried to look for a thread but didn't find one, if there is on that exists on this site please let me know. |
Seoul is obviously a distant number 1 in all categories except air quality. You could probably compromise by living immediately outside Seoul, where the nightlife, things to do, and living conditions drop somewhat and the air quality raises somewhat.
Just remember Cohiba's Law. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jsk
Joined: 31 Oct 2008
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 6:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
Seoul is obviously the place for convenience, nightlife, and things to do. I'm living there now.
But for air quality, traffic, cost of living, and friendliness to foreigners, I found my time in Daejeon to be better. I had a much nicer apartment there. The Dunsan (new downtown) is fairly modern. I know a few foreigners who've lived in Korea for a long time (5-10 years) and they've settled on Daejeon as their long-term residence. Also, it's only a 50-minute KTX ride from Daejeon station to Yongsan. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
semi-fly
Joined: 07 Apr 2008
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 8:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
| tzechuk wrote: |
| semi-fly wrote: |
The sad fact is most of the responders will recommend you live in Seoul since it's the place to live since it fits in with what you are looking for. Other options of course would be Incheon or Pusan since they have a large expat population and should accommodate you with a night life and some friendly faces.
What I suggest is making a list of things you want to have in a city beyond a night life, friendly faces, etc. Do you want easy access to the ocean, English language bookstores, large outdoor markets, access to a Costco (or similar stores), etc. Reply with this kind of information should help others point you in the right direction. |
I really dislike Seoul to live in - I go to Seoul every single weekend and I don't really like it. Sure, it's fun to go out and stuff, but I wouldn't want to live there. I live in Daejeon, the 5th largest city in the country, and I think it's fine. |
The idea of living in a place with 10.4 million people and probably twice that in the satellite cities will most likely drive away a number of people as most cities in the states have at most a third that (there are exceptions of course).
dk0402: You say you don't want to be in a rural area, can you define rural area? The definition of rural on Dave's varies from one person to the next. Another question that goes along with what I wrote above is do you have a problem with large areas (i.e. cities with 5+ million people)? How immersed do you want to be? Do you want access to Korean language classes, etc. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
aquaponics08
Joined: 22 Dec 2008
Location: Korea
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 5:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| I hate Seoul. I go there once in a while, but don't actually enjoy it. I live in the boonies in EPIK. I live a 5 minute drive to work, have a 33 pyong, 3 bedroom-2 bath apartment. It'd quiet, clean and no crime. I could never have that in Seoul! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dk0402
Joined: 18 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
hey thanks for the responses everyone it helps a lot.
To semifly: maybe rural was the wrong word basically I just want to be in a large populated area with social opportunities, I wouldn't mind a huge city with several million at all. I also wouldn't mind cities smaller than seoul as long as they are good places to live. I speak relatively decent Korean but I wouldn't mind taking some more classes to improve, that would be cool as long as it was affordable. Hopefully this gives you an idea of where I am coming from. Oh by the way, not sure if I mentioned it but I am korean (gyopo) and I get along with Korean people very well, so a large city would be fine with me. I would definitely be interested in a place where i could network and socialize. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
samcheokguy
Joined: 02 Nov 2008
Location: Samcheok G-do
|
| Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 11:51 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| dk0402 wrote: |
| I get along with Korean people very well. |
What the hell? You've met all of them? THey are all the same? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dk0402
Joined: 18 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:12 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| samcheokguy wrote: |
| dk0402 wrote: |
| I get along with Korean people very well. |
What the hell? You've met all of them? THey are all the same? |
if you are not going to answer my thread in any way, please don't respond. not trying to offend you, I only want serious answers. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
