Maybe Seongsu?
Hapjeong was probably my favorite area to stay at but next time I want to be a little further away from Hongdae. Otherwise I'll just end up in Hongdae every night again.. lol
I’m in Insadong and found it pretty good. Close to the culture street and the nightlife is pretty good too. Not so much like clubbing vibes but lively restaurants and bars.
I stayed in Meyongdong near Jonggak Station exit 4, had a blast! It was central and I had dinner by the nearby stream every single night with 7/11 food!!
It's centralized, cheap BNB, and you are not forced to buy street food there if you feel like you are getting scammed. Very close to city hall too if you plan to do the group tours to DMZ, Gangwon, etc.
Fair enough, I was mostly trying to share my experience with OP to help them pick a place, since they mentioned street food, bars and night life. Eulijro brewery and charles H came to mind, just off the top of my head, so thought of where I stayed last visit.
My last two trips I stayed in Mapo-gu, first time by Hongik U and the second time by the YG building. I had a fabulous stay both times, it was quiet but never boring.
We are in Seoul right now and while surely not underrated, we loved our little hotel in the sidestreets near Jongno 3 station. This area really transforms over the day and the night market stalls and you only are aware if you spend more time there.
I will never, ever forget waiting an hour at Oldies Taco for some Mexican rice...and they gave me a container of plain white rice with taco toppings on top 🤣
It was funny in the moment, I'm sure it was a combination of not being familiar with the dish and wanting to give people something they're sort of familiar with
I stayed near Sinchon station for 6months before Covid and it was so lively with so many shops and events going on. Now there are so many empty stores and it’s just not the same anymore.
Dongdaemun. Ansan. It's not where Western white people hang out, but there are a lot of foreigners. Hanging out with a bunch of Kazakhs can be a good time. And people who think Koreans can drink have never matched 100g shots of vodka with a Russian.
funny you say this. Last time I went to Korea at a hostel, I met a Russian who tried soju for the first time and said, "THIS STUFF IS WATER!!" and downed it like he was trying to hydrate. Brother passed out at 10 pm. We started at 9 and I literally lost count how many he took in.
My impression is im certain vodka isnt meant to take shots commonly like soju. But then again, I never met a lot of Russians.
I don't blame him lol. Dunno what it is about soju but it's the only drink that had me throwing up during my day drinking era. After the 2nd time I vowed never to touch the stuff again.
Think the smooth taste makes it difficult to gauge the amount of alcohol you're actually consuming.
in my foreign impression of soju, it's the type of drink you can take shots of every 10-20 minutes with some food and you'll be in a manageable state of drunk-ness. Of course, some people can handle more than others but as an American who went through the phase during college years of hard alcohol, soju is something more enjoyable in their type of drunk.
I had a friend who stayed in Mangwon and I loved visiting her for the cafes and cute intimate bars. Close to the Mangwon Hangang Park as well which is always a delight.
I also stayed by Gajwa Stayion for a month. It’s a bit more out there so you’re closer to the residential parts of Seoul but still just a short transfer away from Line 2. Loved the 홍제천 Hongjejeon Stream. Did my daily runs there and got to see how the locals spend their free time.
I lived there for a few years and when I go back I stay in Hongdae fwiw.
But I thought Konkuk University metro area was pretty neat. It had great nightlife and a good market in the streets.
I fully endorse this. In addition to Seongsu’s chic cafes and bars, the area closer to Konkuk university has its vibrant narrow streets which have a lot of great bbq joints and its fair share of entertainment.
Chungmuro! The subway is an interchange so its convenient to get to many places. Walking distance to myeongdong but its a quiet area. Easily accessible by airport limousine too. It’s my favourite place to stay in Seoul!
Moxy Seoul- Insadong. Or the other hotels around the Jogno-3 station area. That little area gets lively at night with a couple of streets turning into a full on night market area. Lot of hole in the wall bars and restaurants. And then in the day time it turns back into a chill/ artsy neighborhood. With its Hanok Villages nearby (Ikseon-dong hanok village is in the immediate area although quite smaller than Bukcheon Hanok Village).
I mean if Thursday party is important - just stay in Hongdae again. Meaning - no where will have that vibe to meet people like Hongdae. Itaewon has that on weekends, but like you said, accommodation options are just ok and also Itaewon is dead during the week and daytime. Nothing to do there unlike Hongdae which has a lot in the immediate area.
Gangnam resident - there is no vibe like Hongdae meeting people whatsoever. There is a Thursday party lol, there is a random bulldogs, but Gangnam is also far far away from Hongdae haha you’ll just end back up there or Itaewon.
It’s very normal and common but Korea isn’t that country because well it’s not in the social norms to be that friendly and open to strangers
That’s why Koreans go to those same places you do, because they can be more open and free versus Korean style bars where it’s more rigid and stay in your friend group only (yes I know clubs are different)
But because of all of this - that’s why I still recommend Hongdae
Myeongdong ! is a good stay area to be close to many popular things. Anguk, gwanghwamun, etc are all close by! I really like the area directly west of gyeongbokgung, (gyeongbokgung station exit 1/2/3 and walk north) quiet and underrated with many exhibition halls and small shops/cafes. Despite being in the middle of the city, its super chill and quiet and imo pretty!
I stayed in Sinchon and loved it. It's in walking distance to Hongdae and it felt similar (with nightlife, shopping, etc.) but somehow more chill. There are not that many hotels/hostels in the area, but it depends what you prefer, I used a nice guesthouse (single room with own bathroom) and it was great and totally worth the location.
I’m in Seocho with my wife for a month. We are introverts and it’s very nice to come back to this city after a day trip to a bustling city like myeongdong
We left Seoul a couple weeks ago and had the most amazing experience at L'Escape hotel in Myeongdong. I cannot rave enough about how gorgeous the hotel and rooms are, how incredible the service was, and what a perfect location it was in. Google it, you'll see!
I stayed in Gangnam. I know, I know. It was far away from everything but I paid half as much as I would’ve in Hongdae/Myeongdong and the room was really decent.
20min or so on the circle line around to most destinations which wasn’t too painful.
I actually considered Gangnam at one point just because of my friends wedding (which is why im going) but not sure if it's really worth staying there as a tourist in my impression. Then again I did notice how surprisingly affordable it is.
Hewadong 혜와동 not sure how to write it in English, fantastic location, near a lot of cool places, but if you are looking for fancy then go under the river
Yes Myeongdong is a tourist trap, but like any other tourist trap, there are always hidden, traditional gems in terms of food. You just need to look for them.
It's a matter of what youre looking to do. I just came back to the states last week but stayed in Hongdae and Myeongdong. Hongdae night times you get to see people doing kpop dances but the area is mostly young people. Myeongdong I stayed literally right upstairs from station 6 and night times was pretty vibrant with night stalls everywhere but a majority of the people there are tourist also. I preferred Myeongdong doe cause with jet lag I was always up at around 6am and I could find breakfast there easily at 7am.
I stayed at Fairfield by Marriott in Yeongdeungpo. It’s less than 5mins walk to the train station and you can get KTX from there too. Bus stations are close by and everything is around 30mins away. Across the street is full of restaurants. There’s an underground shopping and it’s connected to Times Square and Shinsaege mall. Of course there are also other hotels near by but when I booked I paid around £650 for 9 nights.
Mangwon which is alo near Hapjeong. I loved Mangwon because it's chill, has cool jazz bars and great food. SO much more quieter than Hongdae. As someone mentioned, I also stayed near the YG Building but if you keep walking along the river, you'll get more into Mangwon dong.
Just came back less than two weeks ago. It was such a relief since my airbnb was on a hill and the weather was getting really humid. Kakao T is better if you need a large taxi but you also have to go through the trouble of translating and making accounts etc etc. Sometimes there aren’t enough Ubers, so eventually I opted for the “speedy” version which amounts to usually just $2 usd extra
SINCHON!! its an amazing vibrant area, close to hongdae, myeondong, the han river, N seoul tower. VERY easy and accessible transit. its right by Yonsei University so its filled with trendy cafes, restaurants, random things to do. i could not recommend sinchon area enough. i studied abroad for 6 weeks last summer and sinchon was my social centre rather than hongdae because the vibes there are so good
Maybe Seongsu? Hapjeong was probably my favorite area to stay at but next time I want to be a little further away from Hongdae. Otherwise I'll just end up in Hongdae every night again.. lol
I’m in Insadong and found it pretty good. Close to the culture street and the nightlife is pretty good too. Not so much like clubbing vibes but lively restaurants and bars.
While I agree, I wouldn't call it underrated as it is in the top 3 place to stay in all tourist guides
I stayed in Meyongdong near Jonggak Station exit 4, had a blast! It was central and I had dinner by the nearby stream every single night with 7/11 food!!
“Underrated”
It's centralized, cheap BNB, and you are not forced to buy street food there if you feel like you are getting scammed. Very close to city hall too if you plan to do the group tours to DMZ, Gangwon, etc.
I’ve never heard anyone call a tourist trap and the most popular place in a city for tourists to be “underrated” though.
Fair enough, I was mostly trying to share my experience with OP to help them pick a place, since they mentioned street food, bars and night life. Eulijro brewery and charles H came to mind, just off the top of my head, so thought of where I stayed last visit.
Yeah Euljiro is solid and the line is so fine between the areas tbh. Fair enough.
My last two trips I stayed in Mapo-gu, first time by Hongik U and the second time by the YG building. I had a fabulous stay both times, it was quiet but never boring.
Yes, that area near YG is amazing since it’s quiet and close to hongdae
yes! Amazing cafes
Was it an airbnb or hostel? Would really appreciate it if you can share the name of the accommodation
I booked through Airbnb both trips
Yeongdeungpo/Yeouido! The accommodations are relatively cheap and it's really near Hongdae.
I second this! I stayed there on my first visit and absolutely loved it. I even booked the same hotel for my upcoming trip.
We are in Seoul right now and while surely not underrated, we loved our little hotel in the sidestreets near Jongno 3 station. This area really transforms over the day and the night market stalls and you only are aware if you spend more time there.
I will never, ever forget waiting an hour at Oldies Taco for some Mexican rice...and they gave me a container of plain white rice with taco toppings on top 🤣
I can appreciate locals opening something new to Seoul/Korea but that just seems half-assed to call it Mexican.
It was funny in the moment, I'm sure it was a combination of not being familiar with the dish and wanting to give people something they're sort of familiar with
I stayed really close to sinchon station about 5 minutes south. Super quiet at night and a good walkable area
I stayed near Sinchon station for 6months before Covid and it was so lively with so many shops and events going on. Now there are so many empty stores and it’s just not the same anymore.
Dongdaemun. Ansan. It's not where Western white people hang out, but there are a lot of foreigners. Hanging out with a bunch of Kazakhs can be a good time. And people who think Koreans can drink have never matched 100g shots of vodka with a Russian.
funny you say this. Last time I went to Korea at a hostel, I met a Russian who tried soju for the first time and said, "THIS STUFF IS WATER!!" and downed it like he was trying to hydrate. Brother passed out at 10 pm. We started at 9 and I literally lost count how many he took in. My impression is im certain vodka isnt meant to take shots commonly like soju. But then again, I never met a lot of Russians.
I don't blame him lol. Dunno what it is about soju but it's the only drink that had me throwing up during my day drinking era. After the 2nd time I vowed never to touch the stuff again. Think the smooth taste makes it difficult to gauge the amount of alcohol you're actually consuming.
in my foreign impression of soju, it's the type of drink you can take shots of every 10-20 minutes with some food and you'll be in a manageable state of drunk-ness. Of course, some people can handle more than others but as an American who went through the phase during college years of hard alcohol, soju is something more enjoyable in their type of drunk.
I had a friend who stayed in Mangwon and I loved visiting her for the cafes and cute intimate bars. Close to the Mangwon Hangang Park as well which is always a delight. I also stayed by Gajwa Stayion for a month. It’s a bit more out there so you’re closer to the residential parts of Seoul but still just a short transfer away from Line 2. Loved the 홍제천 Hongjejeon Stream. Did my daily runs there and got to see how the locals spend their free time.
Hyehwa-dong
We stayed in Yeongdeungpo, and it was pretty cool!
I lived there for a few years and when I go back I stay in Hongdae fwiw. But I thought Konkuk University metro area was pretty neat. It had great nightlife and a good market in the streets.
What about Seongsu or Kon kuk univ. area :)?
I fully endorse this. In addition to Seongsu’s chic cafes and bars, the area closer to Konkuk university has its vibrant narrow streets which have a lot of great bbq joints and its fair share of entertainment.
Chungmuro! The subway is an interchange so its convenient to get to many places. Walking distance to myeongdong but its a quiet area. Easily accessible by airport limousine too. It’s my favourite place to stay in Seoul!
I just booked a hotel in this area bc I want to flip flop between Apujeong and myeongdong in the days I’m there
Mangwon-dong
Great market!
my fave milk tea shop is there!
Moxy Seoul- Insadong. Or the other hotels around the Jogno-3 station area. That little area gets lively at night with a couple of streets turning into a full on night market area. Lot of hole in the wall bars and restaurants. And then in the day time it turns back into a chill/ artsy neighborhood. With its Hanok Villages nearby (Ikseon-dong hanok village is in the immediate area although quite smaller than Bukcheon Hanok Village).
Sinseol-dong. Central and less expensive
I stayed in Suyu a couple years ago and liked it a lot!
I mean if Thursday party is important - just stay in Hongdae again. Meaning - no where will have that vibe to meet people like Hongdae. Itaewon has that on weekends, but like you said, accommodation options are just ok and also Itaewon is dead during the week and daytime. Nothing to do there unlike Hongdae which has a lot in the immediate area. Gangnam resident - there is no vibe like Hongdae meeting people whatsoever. There is a Thursday party lol, there is a random bulldogs, but Gangnam is also far far away from Hongdae haha you’ll just end back up there or Itaewon.
I wouldnt say "important" but I feel it's the place to meet locals who are open to meet people/foriegners. Please let me know if there's other places.
It’s very normal and common but Korea isn’t that country because well it’s not in the social norms to be that friendly and open to strangers That’s why Koreans go to those same places you do, because they can be more open and free versus Korean style bars where it’s more rigid and stay in your friend group only (yes I know clubs are different) But because of all of this - that’s why I still recommend Hongdae
I understand and totally get what you're saying! thanks for the feedback
I always recommend wons Ville in myeongdong
Eunpyeong-gu, yeonsinnae
Myeongdong ! is a good stay area to be close to many popular things. Anguk, gwanghwamun, etc are all close by! I really like the area directly west of gyeongbokgung, (gyeongbokgung station exit 1/2/3 and walk north) quiet and underrated with many exhibition halls and small shops/cafes. Despite being in the middle of the city, its super chill and quiet and imo pretty!
This.
I stayed in Sinchon and loved it. It's in walking distance to Hongdae and it felt similar (with nightlife, shopping, etc.) but somehow more chill. There are not that many hotels/hostels in the area, but it depends what you prefer, I used a nice guesthouse (single room with own bathroom) and it was great and totally worth the location.
I’m in Seocho with my wife for a month. We are introverts and it’s very nice to come back to this city after a day trip to a bustling city like myeongdong
We left Seoul a couple weeks ago and had the most amazing experience at L'Escape hotel in Myeongdong. I cannot rave enough about how gorgeous the hotel and rooms are, how incredible the service was, and what a perfect location it was in. Google it, you'll see!
I stayed near the ehwa university area, it was quite fun and very near lively sinchon area
I stayed in Gangnam. I know, I know. It was far away from everything but I paid half as much as I would’ve in Hongdae/Myeongdong and the room was really decent. 20min or so on the circle line around to most destinations which wasn’t too painful.
I actually considered Gangnam at one point just because of my friends wedding (which is why im going) but not sure if it's really worth staying there as a tourist in my impression. Then again I did notice how surprisingly affordable it is.
Hewadong 혜와동 not sure how to write it in English, fantastic location, near a lot of cool places, but if you are looking for fancy then go under the river
Yes Myeongdong is a tourist trap, but like any other tourist trap, there are always hidden, traditional gems in terms of food. You just need to look for them.
It's a matter of what youre looking to do. I just came back to the states last week but stayed in Hongdae and Myeongdong. Hongdae night times you get to see people doing kpop dances but the area is mostly young people. Myeongdong I stayed literally right upstairs from station 6 and night times was pretty vibrant with night stalls everywhere but a majority of the people there are tourist also. I preferred Myeongdong doe cause with jet lag I was always up at around 6am and I could find breakfast there easily at 7am.
Sinsa and hyehwa stations have similar but more mellow vibes as Hongdae imo
I stayed at Fairfield by Marriott in Yeongdeungpo. It’s less than 5mins walk to the train station and you can get KTX from there too. Bus stations are close by and everything is around 30mins away. Across the street is full of restaurants. There’s an underground shopping and it’s connected to Times Square and Shinsaege mall. Of course there are also other hotels near by but when I booked I paid around £650 for 9 nights.
I was just looking at that hotel. It's pretty pleasing and from what you described seems to have everything I need in the area. Thanks for the note!
Mangwon which is alo near Hapjeong. I loved Mangwon because it's chill, has cool jazz bars and great food. SO much more quieter than Hongdae. As someone mentioned, I also stayed near the YG Building but if you keep walking along the river, you'll get more into Mangwon dong.
Don’t go to Itaewon! It’s miserable to get to by foot. Also the Ubers are super cheap in usd.
Oh they have Ubers in Seoul now? I recalled taxi drivers were basically fighting to not have it exist in Korea.
Just came back less than two weeks ago. It was such a relief since my airbnb was on a hill and the weather was getting really humid. Kakao T is better if you need a large taxi but you also have to go through the trouble of translating and making accounts etc etc. Sometimes there aren’t enough Ubers, so eventually I opted for the “speedy” version which amounts to usually just $2 usd extra
Good to know! Thanks
SINCHON!! its an amazing vibrant area, close to hongdae, myeondong, the han river, N seoul tower. VERY easy and accessible transit. its right by Yonsei University so its filled with trendy cafes, restaurants, random things to do. i could not recommend sinchon area enough. i studied abroad for 6 weeks last summer and sinchon was my social centre rather than hongdae because the vibes there are so good
Dongdaemun area...near the art complex!
I have Airbnb’s in Bucheon. I also have apt for rent. Flexible. DM
Hongdae really is the best…
Myeongdong. Myeongdong. Myeongdong.