A walk through trendy Garuso-gil

Say Seoul, Korea, and the first thing people will think of is probably Gangnam Style, thanks to Psy’s song that went viral.

I visited the Gangnam area, but was way more charmed by the smaller, less famous Garuso-gil neighborhood.

(This street lies in Sinsa-dong that is part of the greater Gangnam area, by the way. Note: there are three Sinsa-dong areas in Seoul, so let the taxi driver know that you are heading for “Garuso-gil, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu”!)

Doesn’t this look cosy and charming? I like that it is mainly low rise.

Garuso-gil literally means ‘tree-lined street’ and this particular street is lined by ginkgo trees that give the street a friendly look. Apparently in specific seasons the trees bloom golden, but when I was there, they were completely naked.

Unusual MCM facade. I have another picture further on that shows it even better.

The last decades, local artists and designers that studied abroad came back and set up shop or gallery in this small area.
In this street we also find the delightful Simone Bag Museum, a hidden gem not to be missed!

Nowadays this area is loved by locals as well as by foreigners, because of the artistic, trendy and european vibe. Some even compare it to SOHO, New York.

The couple of streets are lined with quaint, bohemian shops, galleries, restaurants and cafes.

Neo-classicism.
And indeed; have no illusions, globalization is everywhere. Despite the cute look and small scale, many big international brands have set up here.

The special and quirky facades and shop windows are sometimes real eye candy.

Love this animal print facade.

Spectacular, right?!

Godiva’s facade looks like melting chocolate. How appropriate;-).

I saw ample ‘corroded iron’ facades in Seoul. That seems to be a ‘thing’ there.

I have to admit, that I do like the industrial vibe this material gives to a building.

Cool backpacks.

Are you aware of Korea’s reputation of everything being ‘cute’ and cool? Well, look at the detailing of this skirt and vest. Very much Korean style.

Korea is known to have strange or incorrect english signs here and there. This one is still ‘normal’, just a bit unusual.

You find Marimekko in Seoul as well. They seem to like scandinavian design, I noticed. Sometimes I even wondered if Koreans might be the scandinavians of Asia;-). Maybe a weird association of me, but I saw a similar love for everything rustic, for wood and for minimalism.

Nice mural.
Belif????

Very cute designs! love this style.

So very cool and funky!!!!

Hip youngsters fill up the sidewalks to do some (expensive) shopping or just to see and be seen. Or to walk their dressed up chihuahua.

One of several mixed concept stores, like it says: coffee and goods.

Even though it might be freezing, you can still opt to sit outdoors.

Cars are parked in quite ingenious, space-saving ways in this area. They go on a sort of carousel. This way 6 cars go on what is normally a 1 or 2 car spot. Smart!

Have you ever been to Seoul? What is your favorite neighborhood and why?

And if not: what do you think of Garuso-gil? Is it your kinda hood?