Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Seoul, Seocho-gu, Jamwon-dong

That's how you write your address in Korea. City first - Seoul. District next - Seocho-gu. Then Neighborhood - Jamwon-dong.

So this is my new neighborhood. I've had a few weeks to explore the surrounding area, and the longer I'm here, the more I appreciate it. Not because of the innovative architecture. Not because of number of notable restaurants, though there are some nearby. Not because I'm in one of the most affluent districts in Seoul. No, it's for much more for practical reasons. I live less than a 10-min walk from almost anything I need:

- work - 5 min walk

- nearest food court - 6 min walk

- nearest subway station - 7 min walk

- 24-hour supermarket - 8 min walk

- Han River Park - 3 min jog

There are other neighborhoods with better restaurants, more nightlife, better views (which are all just a subway ride away). But few neighborhoods can beat mine for convenience.


Today, I was out for my bi-weekly run along the Han River, the waterway that divides Seoul into north and south. At the beginning of my run, I noticed a small crowd had gathered at a miniature amphitheater near the end of the Banpo Bridge. As I soon found out, they were all waiting for the nightly water show. Since 2007, Seoul has been making a major push to renovate the regions along the Han River, adding facilities like parks, basketball courts, swimming pools, paved walking/running and biking paths. And now we have a water show, along with classical music showering the audience from nearby speakers. Enjoy the show!



2 comments:

basile with an e said...

maybe it's the recording. maybe it's just dark. but it seemed like a great waste of energy to me, haha. it wasn't no bellagio. that's for sure. maybe i'll change my mind if i happen to see it next month.

James said...

So you carry your camera while running?