Hongdae/Itaewon

Before I came to Korea, I really wanted to go to the Hongdae district, which is supposed to be the hipster hangout in Korea. I think it gets its name from Hongik University, which I believe...is an art-type school. I got a chance to go see the district last Saturday...and it was really crowded!!! I think if I want to go back to Hongdae, I'll have to set an agenda. Just trying to walk around without a plan was confusing and the amount of people in the streets just made everything harder to absorb. But there were a lot of street performers the night that I went and they were pretty decent! After a bit of walking around, we decided to take a break at a karaoke spot (My first karaoke experience in Korea!!). If you're going to sing for a long time, it can be much cheaper than it is in the US. In the US, it costs about $20/hour to use a karaoke room (at least where I live), but in Korea, it's about a 20,000 W flat fee. The age group around Hongdae seems to be from highschool to late 20s? I don't have to feel out of place yet! If I have time, I might go back, but maybe on a weekday, when it's less insane.

Hongdae

Street Performers in Hongdae

To recover from Hongdae, we stopped by a bar in Itaewon. Itaewon is known for being a mecca of ethnic/foreign cuisine, etc. (I didn't really explore enough to see everything). The bar that I went to was off a street where there are apparently a lot of transvestite prostitutes, hmm...I didn't explore enough to find out, haha. I can't remember the name of the bar that we went to. I want to say it was called Flow, but I could be wrong. The bar had a nice vibe, maybe because it was a slow night for them. It could also be because my cousin knew the manager, so I felt pretty at home. There were people dancing and singing, playing pool,...I just ate some pizza, had a beer, and threw some darts. I had a drink called the "brainhammer", which looked really interesting! If I lived in Korea, I might frequent this bar, just because it has a very laid-back feel to it, at least in my opinion. I think around midnight, they give out free shots, so that could be a plus, depending on what you're into.

Brainhammer at Flow

On my list of "youthful" activities to do in Korea:
Shopping in Hongdae - check!
Bar in Itaewon - check!
Clubbing - ?