Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Big Ben]

I'm sure this has been worked to death over the life of this site, but the search engine here doesn't really help with what I'm looking for. So, apologies out of the way, I'm hoping someone can break down the neighborhoods in Busan for me.

I currently live on Miami Beach and really enjoy the ocean every day. I'm going to miss it, but I hear that Busan has some good beaches. My question (s) then becomes should I try to live near the beach, or sacrifice that and enjoy being closer to the city? Do the beaches become ghost towns in the winter months? Is there a place in Busan that's a hop, skip and a jump away from both the city and the beach? (Ammenities like a gym, grocery store and the baths I keep hearing about are important too...). I haven't been assigned a school yet (should be this week), but, given my druthers, I think I might be okay enduring a longer subway ride if it meant really enjoying my daily living environment/neighborhood.

Any breakdown you can give me about Busan neighborhoods would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[hobakmorinam]

Haeundae is where it's at.



It's not Miami tho, haha.

[Goon-Yang]

But it is the Miami beach of Korea. Just like Jeju is the hawaii...lol

[chipsbebo]

Haeunde and Gwangli are where its happening for beaches and nightlife etc. Haeunde being the prefered choice.

Saying that, Kyungsung and Seomyeon are hotspots of activity and very central also. They are about 10 minutes away from beach via subway...

Hope this helps...

[Big Ben]

Thanks. Do these beach towns clear out in the winter, or are folks there year-round?

[Rutherford]

Haeundae and Gwanganli are busy entertainment and residential areas and the city edges up to the sand, so they stay busy year round.

Though Haeundae is fun for people watching during the high season in July and August when it's famously crowded, if you want to do anything but drink and eat chicken it's a lot more fun in May and September.

[Big Ben]

Well ... who don't like a big ol' seaside bucket o' chicken in July, you know? Let's hear it for the Colonel. But I DO enjoy swimming, running and laying out, and hear the area becomes a morass of people in the summertime, which might very well put those activities in jeopardy. Thanks, though, for the heads up.

This would be, hopefully, my last question on Busan geography, so I appreciate everyone playing along. I cannot seem to find a Busan map with a proper mi/km scale attached. Can anyone tell me how big this geography is, say, from Nampo-dong to PNU? And from Haeundae to Seomyeon to Deokcheon? I'm going to have to choose a gig by next week and want to do so wisely with a fair assessment of what kind of commute I'll be commiting to for a year.

Once again, thanks, thanks, thanks for all of your input ....

[Big Ben]

Important info needed above .... anybody ...? Anybody ...?

If not in miles, if anyone knows travel minutes by car, subway, etc. between these places, I'd be most grateful.

[georgeperec]

the subway pretty much covers the whole city.
takes about 2-4min from station to station.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/3883/busan.gif