Korean Job Discussion Forums

kangnam mafioso · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Location: Teheranno

I lived in Seolleung-dong my first year in Seoul. It's a great neighborhood -- very 24 hours with a good urban vibe. I could walk out of my door in the middle of the night and find all kinds of places open ... restaurants, pc bangs, saunas, etc. The pronunication of the area is tough. I'll never forget my first night going out to Itaewon and trying to take a taxi back home. I was pronouncing it with the l's and I kept ending up at Seoul station. I must have spent 40,000 won trying to get home. There is a good park if you are looking for a place to walk -- Seolleung Park or something -- there are a bunch of ancient tombs there, but it's clean with lots of trees and trails. You can see it on most maps. They even have a little cafe there, but not sure if it's open in the winter. Nice place to get a coffee and read or study Korean in the spring as they have an outdoor seating area. There is a little street that sits a block over from the Renaissance hotel (it runs parallel with the main road). There are a lot of bars there ... try Bar Boston.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

I like to walk from Starbucks to Starbucks. You get a much better sense of Seoul when you explore it on foot. For example, I'll walk from the Hyehwa Starbucks to the Insadong Starbucks. You find some really fascinating things along the way.

HamuHamu · Joined: 01 May 2003 Location: Seoul

I also love to walk around the Seolleung area. My boyfriend and I walk around there every Saturday or Sunday (one day of exercise is enough!) I always thought that that "nice vibe" everyone is talking about is because it seems like such a business district, that is dead quiet on a weekend, or outside of normal office hours. So the sidewalks and streets are empty and feel relaxed.

This morning I got up wearly and did our usual circuit (solo Sad

) and what is normally a two hour walk took me about an hour and ten minutes -- mainly because it was literally EMPTY - barely a car or other person in sight, and so there was no waiting for traffic lights...I just jay-walked my merry little way. Well, that and there was no stopping at every single vending machine for a mini-cup of coffee...

And I love walking around at holiday time - the few people you do see on the street don't stare, but smile and say hello.

tommynomad · Joined: 24 Jul 2004 Location: on the move

My favourite thing to do whenever I hit a new metropolis is to dump the bags and start walking.
First day in....
Amsterdam: 7 hours
Moscow: 5 hours
Lima: 6 hours
Seoul: 5.5 hours
There's just no better way to see a place and get a feel for it. I try to follow up my daytime walk with a late-night one a day or two later. Nothing like jaystumbling across 8 lanes in Lima at 3 a.m., with military keeping me safe from the muggers....

Took my gf to the bus stop yesterday, decided it was a nice morning for a walk. 5 km along a stream uphill, past farmers' fields--bloody gorgeous.

Cthulhu · Joined: 02 Feb 2003

tommynomad wrote:

mithridates · Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2005 6:18 pm Post subject:

I like to do that too. Now that I've moved to my new place, thanks to my walk last night I have the whole area from Gangnam to Apkujeong inside my head. Before they were floating, stand-alone subway stations in a sea of who-knows-what.
Since last week my left heel has begun making a squeaking sound though, quite annoying. I have size 13 / 310 mm shoes so it's no fun trying to find a new pair.

animalbirdfish · Joined: 04 Feb 2004

As suggested in case of a house fire...grab a wet blanket and cover yourself and your mouth.

I'm with you all - I love walking, but I think I'll have to adopt the wet blanket over the mouth just to keep my lungs free of the Morning Oysters.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

Derrek · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

Derrek · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

This girl likes walking in Seoul:

(for the rest, go to my diary section at my website link)

the saint · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: not there yet...

I just got a mountain bike and it kind of combines the freedom of a scooter with the health of walking. Sure, the pollution is an issue but cycling to and from work everyday is going to do a whole lot more for me than getting a bus - especially psychologically. Most sidewalks/pavements are large enough on the main roads that you don't have to risk your life in traffic.

I do recommend walking or cycling Seoul too because, as the others have said, you turn up some really unexpected finds sometimes.

Manner of Speaking · Joined: 09 Jan 2003

I live near Sadang Station...one of my favorite things to do on a weekend morning is to take the subway down to Sollung Station, have the buffet breakfast at the Renaissance Hotel, then walk back home. I like this area because the streets are really wide and you don't have to deal with big crowds so much or bumping into people all the time. Another area that is nice is down near the Nambu(?) express bus terminal.

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

I have found it OK walking around eastern Seoul, around the Chamsil and Olympic Park area. Central is busier. Gangnam is too busy, as is around Yonsei.