When I'm in Seoul, I am like a kid in a candy shop. I take a deep breath and look through the endless row of candy jars and earnestly try to have a nibble on everything till it's time to go home. Who wouldn't be dazzled by all those gallaries, little shops, college towns, and heaps of cultural events? A bustling city where everyone is ridiculously well-dressed and old and modern coexist in imperfect harmony has never ceased to attract me. Yet a clear difference between Seoul and Tokyo is drawn in its affordability to loosen up. Seoul is much more out of order and less things come in a timely manner. And that makes my weekend trips to Seoul even more fantastic.
One of my favorite parts of the city is undoubtedly
Garosugil near Shinsa sta. on Line 3. This relatively young
it neighborhood is serene and is neatly arranged. The name "Garosugil" directly translates into
"tree-lined street". And it is literally a street with trees on the sides along with boutiques and slightly over-priced hip restaurants and cafes. Though it may appear quiet and exclusive at times, it definitely has a vibrant artsy crowd, and except for some extra posh businesses,
budget dinners and affordable clothing stores are easily spotted.
While visiting some friends in Seoul, I went to Garosugil with them in one evening and we strolled along the street. The neighborhood extends up to
only about 200 meters. But it'll take you a while to check out the whole district full of elegant and novel designs.
Garosugil reminds me of everything that the Seoulites remind me of. The ridiculously well-dressed girls and boys, chill and somehow effeminate manners, the Koreaness moderately mixed with Western tastes... And pretty much everyone here looks like they work for Carine Roitfeld or would appear on the Sartorialist or something. A very enjoyable scene.
One of the places we girls absoultely LOVED was this vintage store called
Vivasell. Halfway down the stairs that leads to the basement, you would be welcome by an eclectic collection of the 80's fashion hung and scattered over the ceiling and the walls. When you finally arrive at the bottom floor, you are in a paradise! Flamboyant and colorful would be the adjectives i can use but the items are also carefully selected and arranged as if it's telling me that I'm in Garosugil. Second of all, there is no musty odor! I think that the musty, stale smell is sort of a prerequisite to thrift store shopping, but it is appreciated if i don't have to feel like taking a shower after walking out of the store.
A demand for vintage clothing has been increasing rapidly throughout Korea. Now there are numbers of boutiques that vary in their selection and price, but it is still not so common to find a store with a superb collection of items that are also moderately priced. Like I said before, even though Garosugil appears to be where some degree of vanity or extravagance is rather celebrated, there are many stores where the price tags don't make you turn away. So it is not so surprising to find most of the items in Vivasell absolutely adorable and doable.
It was a pleasant walk around the neighborhood when the Sun is down and there were only a few people roaming around the street. The air was not so cold and three girlfriends of mine - who are Seoul natives - and I had to stop many times to go
"ooh!" at things like a pair of shoes.
It has been only a couple of years since Garosugil acquired titles like "the Soho of Seoul" or the "it neighborhood". The area is chaning so quickly in accordance with the tastes of trent-sensitive customers. Everytime I come here, I hear a gallery turned into a restaurant, a new art studio or a slect shop, and sometimes pop-up stores making their brief appearances here. Underneath its calm air and order, there lies this exciting art scene.
After walking around for a bit, we stopped by
CAFE DES ARTS to have drinks. The place is another treasure adorned with
posters from the 70s and the 80s and old televisions and vintage props. A gray-haired man wearing a dark leather jacket was changing the song on
a big archaic LP turntable (i don't know if it was a souvenior from the past like many of the things in the cafe, but it seemd old). Sure it was a rarity that i would have gone "Oooh" many times usually. But after a few hours in Garosugil, it seemed so normal catching up with the girls over mojitos and pina coladas surrounded by some dazzling but somehow familiar objects. As the night grew darker, I was thinking I could stay there for a while with the warm blakent on my lap and a slow romantic number in the background. No need to rush trying to have a bite on every candy in the store anymore since now I know my favorites, right?
