Korean Job Discussion Forums

[skofe]

Hey guys, I just accepted an offer with YES Young do in Suwon, South Korea. I arrive Dec 28th 2009.
they are placing me in Yeongtong-dong, near the KyungHee university.
What kind of advice could you give me on the area in regards to places to visit, places to eat, places to avoid, and nightlife?
All advice is greatly appreciated. If you can just point my research in the proper direction, thatd be great too.

[Owen Yu]

Here are some Facebook groups I found:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=169113698683
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2226002241

[skofe]

BIG HELP
Thank you

[SarahMarin]

The walk from Kyung Hee to downtown Yeongtong (where the Home Plus is) takes about 10 minutes, give or take. All the good nightlife is down in that area. If you want to go to a bar near Kyung Hee, I like the Trailer Bar. I can't remember the name exactly but it's outfitted to look like an old car-trailer. It's chill and mostly Koreans hang out there.

If you want to go to a foreigner bar, the place to be is Now Bar. On any given Friday or Saturday night there are 50+ foreigners there drinking, playing darts and shooting pool.

Other than that, everything is fine. There is nothing really fabulous or really terrible worth mentioning.

[SarahMarin]

The walk from Kyung Hee to downtown Yeongtong (where the Home Plus is) takes about 10 minutes, give or take. All the good nightlife is down in that area. If you want to go to a bar near Kyung Hee, I like the Trailer Bar. I can't remember the name exactly but it's outfitted to look like an old car-trailer. It's chill and mostly Koreans hang out there.

If you want to go to a foreigner bar, the place to be is Now Bar. On any given Friday or Saturday night there are 50+ foreigners there drinking, playing darts and shooting pool.

Other than that, everything is fine. There is nothing really fabulous or really terrible worth mentioning.

[allovertheplace]

I lived around there for a contract. Good area to be in, Now bar gets old fast because of the amount of foreigners but it can be awesome if you have some buddies. Also, 5100 bus to gagnam takes 35 minutes or so. Good food options around as well. In the summer a little park there gets about 50 foreigners a night drinking which is cool.

Have fun there, if you need more advice pm me, I miss it there sometimes.

[WavFunc]

I've lived in Yeongtong-dong for a few years. I live near the Digital Empire I building now where half the foreigners in this area live (망포동). You will also be near this area by the sounds of it (Kyunghee university).

Its a clean, suburban area with a lot of open spaces. Most of it was built within the last five years so its all very new and well maintained. There aren't any poor "villa maze" areas that foreigners usually end up in so your school will probably put you in a nice apartment.

My only complaint is that there is no subway station and that it can be a little bit boring. There aren't many good restaurants (you need to go to Suwon station for Indian food) unless you like that Pizza Hut, VIPs or Outback crap. You can tell its definitely a place where people live and not where people play.

Anyway, I think it can be a very good place to start depending on your personality. You'll be comfortable but if you want some adventure it isn't too far away.

Take the #7-2, #7-1 or #900 bus to Suwon station (20 minutes) and then take the 무궁화 or 새마일 train into Seoul Station (25 minutes) and you can be in Hongdae, Itaewon or any other area in just over an hour

[skofe]

Whoa thanks for the replies guys, all this helps me out alot. I'm supposed to be landing there Dec 27th 2009.
Would you guys recommend me getting a scooter as soon as i get there? When does it get too cold to ride? I think the part im looking forward to most is whippin around on a scooter hehe but I realize I'm getting there in winter so the scootin may have to wait.

[WavFunc]

[CanadianBanana]

I lived there for a year and a half.

Major buses into seoul go to Sadang, Gangnam, Jamsil, and Gangbyeon.

Great neighbour hood. everything is with in 4 blocks of each other. Homeplus, Post office, good dining for both koreans and foreinger taste.

At night the area is full of Samsung workers getting hammered by 9:00pm. and the streets are littered with pamphlets. but its all cleaned up by 8:00am.

NOW bar. Free pool, cheap beer.............same old OLD crowed (expat type). Like Zero Koreans. Never was a fan.

Great place, but in the end everyone always meets in Seoul.

Oh yes the subway. dont expect it to be finished anytime soon. I got excited 3 years ago. Probably another 3 years away from completion.