SWF and Sing Again with amateur gems

Marronnier Park

  The famous symbol of young energy and the heart of Daehangno, a place where handicraft artisans and unique festivals come together every fall, the park where guitarists, dancer groups, and an old magician who put up shows for free hangs out— Marronnier Park still retains the youthful romance of its red brick buildings even if the pandemic vacated many of the performances that used to take place there.

  The park is named after the massive horse chestnut (marronnier) tree at its heart. The ginkgo trees that line the park, standing tall like the marronnier tree, offer cool shade in the summer and golden canopy in the fall. The park became the center of performing arts and culture in the 1980s, when the art museums and performance halls began moving into the neighborhood near the park. Today, the park houses nearly 150 small theaters. It was designated as a cultural district by the city of Seoul, the second one to be designated after Insa-dong.

Yeongbin’s First Pick for the Model Student

Arko Arts Theater

  If Marronnier Park epitomizes the romantic side of Daehangno, Arko Arts Theater embodies its cultured side. Nearly 150,000 artists and audience members from across the world visit it, and it has hosted many notable events. The theater is a cultural space housing the theater proper, studios, creative spaces, and reading rooms, and it offers art education and experience programs for the youth.

  Arko Arts Theater is famous for its architecture as well. Kim Swoo Geun, one of the first-generation architects in contemporary Korean architecture scene and a man referred to by TIME as Lorenzo de Medici of Seoul, designed this building in 1977 as a foremost symbol of his principle, “Art is what makes life more interesting than art” (as quoted from the French artist Robert Filliou). Arko Art Center, located next to the theater, was likewise designed by Kim Swoo Geun. Take a picture in front of the red bricks, just as SF9 had done. It’s a perfect spot for your Instagram feed.

A Viennese Coffee as Sweet as a Kiss

Hakrim Dabang

  This 60-year-old café is a favorite of K-dramas and commercial films, namely, My Love From The Star and The Heirs. The seat in front of the framed pictures, where Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun) and Lawyer Jang (Kim Chang-wan) had sat together, is still very popular among visitors. The café’s interior of wooden tables, a movie projector, turntables and cabinets full of LP records, and the upright piano, attest to the time spent in this café. It can fill the people in their 60s with nostalgia and give a retro charm to the people in their 20s. Throughout its history, Hakrim Dabang has served as a favored place for many luminaries in the Korean literary, music, and film scene, from Lee Jung-joon to Kim Chi-ha, Kim Kwang-seok, and Song Kang-ho. One can even find a photography album detailing the visitors to this storied café.

  Another thing that Hakrim Dabang is famous for is its delicious coffee. The café roasted its own beans far before the practice became common in Korea. The most popular menu in the café is the Viennese coffee or Einspänner, a rich cup of coffee and frothed milk with whipped cream on top. The residual whipped cream on the drinker’s lips has led to some people calling it “a coffee as sweet as a kiss.”

A Newly Opened Theater of the Stars

Seokyeong University Theater Arts Center

  This performing arts center that opened in 2019 is a cultural space that houses theaters, video rooms, dance rooms, seminar rooms, and exhibitions. There are two performance halls in the complex, namely, SKON Hall 1 at the third underground floor and SKON Hall 2 at the third floor, each equipped with 440 and 264 seats, respectively. Thanks to the comfortable seats and elevation, any seat in the performance hall offers a great stage view.

  The current performance on offer is The Spitfire Grill, a musical adopted from the eponymous 1996 film that won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. It is a story of Percy, a young woman who was recently released from prison, finding work in Spitfire Grill, which was the only restaurant in a small town somewhere in Wisconsin. There, she meets two other women and work together to solve the problems plaguing the restaurant. The performance will be put on stage until February 27. Other performances held onstage include Pimatgol Yeonga, The Little Prince, The Last Man, Brothers Karamazov, and Black Mary Poppins.

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A Sweet and Spicy Tteokbokki with Perilla Leaves

Ogimo Kkaennip Tteokbokki

  If one asks Koreans for the most memorable food in their school days, 8 out of 10 would choose tteokbokki. This rice cake dish boiled in a sweet and spicy sauce is famous internationally through YouTube mukbang. Because no two places serve the same tteokbokki, many people wander around looking for the perfect blend between the rice cake, the sauce, and other toppings.

  Ogimo Kkaennip Tteokbokki, a restaurant with 28 years of history, is one of the most famous places for tteokbokki in the Daehangno area. The place is small, and the menu is smaller, but it has a loyal group of followers across Seoul. The menu is provided in photographs hung outside the place, so it is easier to order. The price remains quite affordable as well. Tteokbokki here is characterized by a lighter sauce and kkaennip (perilla leaves) sprinkled on top. The pungent aroma of the leaves go well with the sauce and helps to tone down the oiliness of fritters served alongside the dish. The modum set, a set of assorted fritters, gimbap, and tteokbokki, is perfect for two.

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Leave Today’s Memories as a Scent

29XNyangcho

  People keep their travel memories in different ways. Some collect magnets or mug cups, while others make photo albums. If you want a unique and personal memento for your trip, there is a place for you hidden amid the alleyways in Daehangno. Daehangno is home to numerous ateliers and boutiques.

  29XNyangcho is one such shop, specializing in scented plaster-making with two cats on-site. This dainty shop is also quite easy on the eyes, thanks to scented plasters made by the owner. Choose between different molds available, color along the line, or follow Inseong and Taeyang and make small plaster boards for drawing. You can even choose the mold on Instagram before you visit to free up more time for crafts. There are 16 fragrant oils to choose from, and the program takes about 120 minutes to complete. Reservations can be made through Naver.

The Best Night View in Seoul

Naksan Park

  Naksan Park is a must-visit destination for romantic views. In daytime, the park offers a great view of the village surrounding it and the N Seoul Tower. At night, the view of the illuminated fortress walls captivates the visitors. Particularly, the sunset view from Naksan Park, framed by the fortress city wall, is stunning. Unsurprisingly, it is a favored spot for social media photographers.

  The ridge connecting Daehangno with Naksan Park is full of cafés with wonderful views and benches to stop by, so it is a great place for a walk. The city wall trail continues onto Changsin and Dongdaemun Stations, so one can just follow the trail for a longer walk. One can also opt to go through the gates built into the walls. The view from inside the wall is rather different from the outside view.

Take Pictures with Murals Hidden in Alleyways

Ihwa Mural Village

  This collection of murals is located on a hilltop connecting Naksan Park with the Dongdaemun area. Nearly 70 artists participated in this project, building interesting sculptures and murals in stairways and discreet spots across the residential area and creating this quirky photo spot and open-air art installation. It was featured in several K-dramas like Encounter and Rooftop Prince. Following the road toward Naksan Park leads to pretty cafés, restaurants, and craft shops. It is also notable for being a residential district.

  The area is home to several interesting museums. From Korea’s first museum specializing in Cloisonné to housing museums that replicate the past, Ihwa-dong Gallery has special exhibitions, a museum on kitchen, cat art museum, and museum on locks. There are about 10 museums covering interesting and rare themes. The location of the murals and the museums is seen in the village maps throughout the area.