Hongdae홍대: Losing the vibes

Stretching from Seogyo-dong to Hapjeong-dong Hongdae is a well-known spot to get a unique and creative view of Seoul.

It is no secret that Hongdae was one of my favorite places to go when I was in Korea, and it’s where I stayed a the hostel while I was there and it is where I am most anxious to go see again. Hongdae has a fun youthful vibe, music playing on every corner and art on display wherever you go. I was surprised to see so many people with tattoo’s, but in reality most of them were here in Hongdae. There’s a progressive feel to the area, doesn’t seem as tied to tradition as some of the other cities. This may be because of the local colleges, Hongik  (where Hondae gets it’s name) and nearby Yonsei.  Hongdae gets its name from Hongik Daehakgyo, or Hongik College. The area is also well known for being in various dramas’, Coffee Prince, Marry me Mary, Gentleman’s Dignity… and I’ve seen it in a couple others as well.

One of the more popular places is the Hello Kitty Café… I wasn’t impressed with the coffee, but they have so many cute things. Sadly what gives Hongdae this flavor and something a little different is slowly being changed and infiltrated by over produced big name coffee shops and mainstream retailers.  Hongdae gets  a lot of its charm from these unique vendors, shops and stages for upcoming musicians, but mainstream money is taking over slowly erasing the Indy vibe.