23 April 2013

Seoul Walking : Hoehyundong (Above Ground)

Hoehyundong (회현동) is where I live, it's my neighbourhood. It's a tiny little nothing place, more than a bit seedy in parts. But I love it. I love it because it's right in the heart of Seoul, new and old. It sits bang in the middle of a trifecta of awesome - with Namsan, Namdaemun and Myeongdong all a few minutes walk in one direction or another. There's also the Hoehyundong underground shopping centre, but more on that later...

Hoehyundong itself is pretty scrappy and worn out. But there's colour and life everywhere you look; people working hard to make a (small) living. There's hairdressers and wholesalers and cafes full of Konglish. There's more convenience stores than you think any one suburb could possibly need, chicken and beer joints, and some "hotels" that I'm pretty sure charge by the hour. There's cooks doing their dinner prep on the street; sellers with loud hailers, plying baskets of fruit from the back of their ute; and delivery guys on over laden motorbikes. And come Spring there's pot plants on every road side, on every concrete path and step, filled with tenderly cared for chilli seedlings and all kinds of lettuce. 

The area is earmarked for development. Our shiny new apartment building was the start, and since we've been here a few more towers have shot up. In ten years time I think the place will be unrecognisable, for good and for bad.  

6 comments:

  1. Oh wow, I love seeing photos of where other people live, especially when its so different to where I live. I love all the colours in these, what a vivid place to live!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the post! Collating the photos I too was struck by the vibrant colours :)

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  2. Love your photo in the bike mirror. Bit sad to think of losing that amazing market, but that's progress hey.

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    1. Nooooo! The market will not go! I don't think it'll ever go (would be like bulldozing VIC Markets times a thousand!). My little part of Seoul is just that - little! It's a corner of the world apart from those places, but right next to them :)

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  3. Great photos Emily. I felt like I was walking the street with you!
    Love the sneaky little shot of yourself in the bike mirror.

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  4. These photos are wonderful. I love how colorful everything is. That would defiantly make me smile. :)

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