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dkteachlife
Joined: 24 Dec 2010
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 Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:05 pm Post subject: @@@Name your CITY Good, Bad, and Ugly@@@ |
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I believe there needs to be a refresh on peoples views on the cities in SK.
The FAQ is seriously Dated. Can I get a Sticky on this one?
@@@Name your CITY Good, Bad, and Ugly@@@
City Slickers? Love crowds, museums, electricity of the city hum, all life's conveniences and dare I say it vices.
Seoul
Daegu
Incheon
Busan
Ulsan
Gwangju
Suburbanites?
Close enough to the heart of a megacity to visit, prefer a quieter life, walk to work without getting groped in the subway, might be able to get to know your neighbors a little easier, more greenery parks, hikes, biking trails, vistas?
add city
Small town living?
Too many people makes me claustrophobic, like to walk down the street and say hi to the baker, butcher, and candle stick maker. Grew up this way, don't mind being in a Maybury. Love the intimacy of the quiet life.
add small town
Add to the list. I know people will debate the list so go at it.
- What cities are currently heavily polluted? air, water, etc.
- What cities good for outdoors?
- Best of both worlds: Which cities are 1-1.5 hr train ride to a big city like Busan, Seoul, Incheon etc where you can live without the crowds but shoot into the city for a weekend or even an evening of culture?
- US Bases? how does that effect the culture around them? near what cities? Busan.
$$$Please add questions and I will try and update post with great questions which add to understand of what cities will best suit Teachers new to SK.
oh one more thing: please put your age range based on your opinion. It helps all who read to get perspective for themselves where they are in the age perspective.
age range 22-27
age range 27-35
age range 35-45
age range 45+
these are real general age ranges but represent real preferences in lifestyles too. Lets not flame out on how you are an exception to these, because you absolutely won't be placed in a box, but for conversation sake and general perspective, let's try. |
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johnnyrook
Joined: 08 Nov 2009
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| Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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Suwon:
The Good-
Close to Seoul
The Bad-
Lack of parks and decent public recreational spaces, at least where I live.
The Ugly-
For a city of its size it is really over-crowded. According to Wikipedia its population density is 9000 people per square kilometre, putting it way ahead of places like Busan and Daegu in South Korea, and even awesome Asian cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. Given its relatively small population, and dearth of interesting things to do and not a lot of foreign food choices, Suwon doesn't offer much to make up for having to live like a sardine.
edit- age 27 |
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Louis VI
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Location: In my Kingdom
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| Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Small City Living
all the basic amenities of a city (decent supermarkets, Korean restaurants, parks) without the commutes, subways, traffic jams, though also without big concerts, museums and much in way of foreign food restaurants
The Good:
Tongyeong
Chuncheon
Seogwipo
Changwon
Geoje
Jinju
The Bad:
Mokpo
Namwon
Gunsan
The Ugly:
Masan
Gwangyang
Yangsan
Pohang |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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Seoul Area:
Good: Anyang
Bucheon
Incheon (some neighbourhoods)
Ilsan
Bundang
Gwacheon
Bad: Uijeongbu
Ansan
Suwon
Gunpo
Ugly: Gwangju
Namyangju
Yangju
Pocheon
Guri |
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mmarion1234
Joined: 22 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:25 pm Post subject: City! |
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| thanks for posting this! I am moving to Seoul soon, not exactly sure where yet as I have been working with SMOE, and was curious as to which cities around there were good. I am so new to this! is Seoul pretty sweet? |
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BoholDiver
Joined: 03 Oct 2009
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 4:31 pm Post subject: Re: City! |
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If you like big cities, might as well go to the biggest. Seoul is the most exciting and convenient city in Korea.
| mmarion1234 wrote: |
| thanks for posting this! I am moving to Seoul soon, not exactly sure where yet as I have been working with SMOE, and was curious as to which cities around there were good. I am so new to this! is Seoul pretty sweet? |
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cheolsu
Joined: 16 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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| johnnyrook wrote: |
Suwon:
The Good-
Close to Seoul
The Bad-
Lack of parks and decent public recreational spaces, at least where I live.
The Ugly-
For a city of its size it is really over-crowded. According to Wikipedia its population density is 9000 people per square kilometre, putting it way ahead of places like Busan and Daegu in South Korea, and even awesome Asian cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. Given its relatively small population, and dearth of interesting things to do and not a lot of foreign food choices, Suwon doesn't offer much to make up for having to live like a sardine.
edit- age 27 |
What struck me living in Suwon for a year was that, going down some streets, they were simply awful places to live. There were no stores, restaurants, green space or anything of note or of interest in that area. I want to say that some areas between Ingyedong and Paldalmun were like that, but don't quote me on it.
On the other hand, I do think Suwon has a decent amount of greenspace. I don't know where you lived, but I lived by the bus terminal in the south end. I trained for a marathon living there and ran just about every morning. Most of the public areas are paved over, as is common in Korea, but I remember the following parks/green spaces:
- Hyowon park by Ingyedong
- a stream with a cycling and running path that follows the Samsung complex and then continues to the north end of the city
- you can run or walk up the steep hills to Hwaseong fortress, which is a great, long loop. The dirt path just outside the walls is great.
- Kyung Hee University is also a great area, particularly for cherry blossoms in the spring
- Gwanggyosan in the north end, as well as the reservoir
Now that I live in Seoul, I still like coming to Seoul for the way that Suwon is easier to wrap your head around, and the way it's a real city with its own identity rather than a simple suburb. Seoul restaurants sell "Suwon-style galbi", and there's the Hwaseong fortress in the centre, as well as the soccer team.
No, there aren't many foreign restaurants, though I've introduced literally dozens of people to the Indian restaurant at Suwon station. With your back to the Suwon station building, walk right to the pedestrian bridge. Crossing the bridge, you should see the main station roundabout on your left.
Cross the bridge and go around the corner for the main road, with the station to your back still. After maybe 200 m, you'll see an AuAg on your right. Turn right there and the restaurant (Turkey Kebab House) is in the alley. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Given its relatively small population, and dearth of interesting things to do and not a lot of foreign food choices, Suwon doesn't offer much to make up for having to live like a sardine. |
I've moved to Suwon, specifically the Suwon Station area, fairly recently and I've actually been pleasantly surprised by the number of foreign restaurants here. Within 10-15 minutes walk from my apartment there are three Vietnamese restaurants, two Indian restaurants, probably about a dozen Chinese lamb restaurants, a wine bar, a VIPS, an Outback, a Middle Eastern restaurant, and a kebab stand. Seven stops south is Songtan, which has a pretty big variety of foreign restaurants, including Mexican.
It's not Itaewon, but I was pleasantly surprised at the choices available here. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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| BoholDiver wrote: |
Seoul Area:
Good: Anyang
Bucheon
Incheon (some neighbourhoods)
Ilsan
Bundang
Gwacheon
Bad: Uijeongbu
Ansan
Suwon
Gunpo
Ugly: Gwangju
Namyangju
Yangju
Pocheon
Guri |
The rest of Gunpo sucks, but Sanbon isn't bad. |
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cheolsu
Joined: 16 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| probably about a dozen Chinese lamb restaurants |
Are those by that grocery store on the side of Suwon station going towards Asia Cement and Seryu station?
The Chinese lamb skewer restaurants probably don't count as a foreign restaurants to a lot of people because they tend not to target Westerners, at least not the ones I've seen. The last one I went to had a waiter that didn't even speak Korean. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:37 pm Post subject: |
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| cheolsu wrote: |
| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| probably about a dozen Chinese lamb restaurants |
Are those by that grocery store on the side of Suwon station going towards Asia Cement and Seryu station?
The Chinese lamb skewer restaurants probably don't count as a foreign restaurants to a lot of people because they tend not to target Westerners, at least not the ones I've seen. The last one I went to had a waiter that didn't even speak Korean. |
I'd call that the very definition of "foreign".
They're all over the Suwon Station area, but yes, there's a big one on the way to Seryu Station. They'll pretty much all have the Chinese character for sheep on the sign or the door, which looks like this:
羊 |
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cheolsu
Joined: 16 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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Absolutely, that is the definition of foreign. I was thrilled to see that, actually. It's so interesting to go to a place like that. I do speak some Chinese and while he'd been very cold up until that point, when I asked him in Chinese if he was Chinese, his smile obscured his face.
Those places are a nice, unfiltered way to meet Chinese people who haven't been very Westernized. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 11:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Son Deureo! wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Given its relatively small population, and dearth of interesting things to do and not a lot of foreign food choices, Suwon doesn't offer much to make up for having to live like a sardine. |
I've moved to Suwon, specifically the Suwon Station area, fairly recently and I've actually been pleasantly surprised by the number of foreign restaurants here. Within 10-15 minutes walk from my apartment there are three Vietnamese restaurants, two Indian restaurants, probably about a dozen Chinese lamb restaurants, a wine bar, a VIPS, an Outback, a Middle Eastern restaurant, and a kebab stand. Seven stops south is Songtan, which has a pretty big variety of foreign restaurants, including Mexican.
It's not Itaewon, but I was pleasantly surprised at the choices available here. |
It's a good place. Been to Parapanada in the KTF building near the subway station? GREAT restaurant that Koreans know but foreigners- no. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 11:14 pm Post subject: |
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| I'm not familiar, what kind of restaurant is that? |
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definitely maybe
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 6:07 pm Post subject: |
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| BoholDiver wrote: |
Seoul Area:
Good: Anyang
Bucheon
Incheon (some neighbourhoods)
Ilsan
Bundang
Gwacheon
Bad: Uijeongbu
Ansan
Suwon
Gunpo
Ugly: Gwangju
Namyangju
Yangju
Pocheon
Guri |
Uijeongbu is coming around. Jungangno has been turned into a pedestrian street, so the city center and the area around Jeil Market are coming together nicely with a wider a variety of newer buildings that house more restaurants and shopping. There's also a relatively new restaurant on the backside of Uijeongbu Station across from Taeheung Cinema called The Burger that serves arguably the best burger in Korea. They're big, meaty, and they don't have that funny taste of filler that ruins so many burgers around the country. |
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