Gangnam + Hongdae + Dongdaemun

What I miss most in Korea are the unique store-front displays. They are inspiring, and definitely enticing. While I was there, it was easy to imagine my own ANAGON fashion store! 

Korea also thought me to swatch a lot of lipstick and cushion foundations because of their many makeup stores! If you're going to Korea to shop... Then list down these places on your itinerary!

Gangnam

More than just a pop song, Gangnam is one of Koreans' favorite meet-up point. It is convenient to go to (just take the subway to Gangnam Subway Station), and a highly commercial area. Spend 3 or so hours here to check out what pleases you.

Recommended places in Gangnam:

1) Sinsadong Garosu-gil Road - for your coffee breaks and meals

2) Apgujeong & Cheongdam Shopping Street - for your shopping

3) Hangang River Night Scenery - Sight-seeing, beautiful at night. Gangnam literally means south of the River Han.

4) Celebrity sightings are common!

Ready to go around with Madam Tracy! :D

 An amazing subway ad where cosmetic surgery is deemed normal - para kang magpapa facial lang, hehe. 

Iwan nyo muna ako dito? Joke lang. 

You know you're in Gangnam when you see references of K-Pop Singer Psy everywhere!

Ang linis! Imagine bazaars with this set-up!

Ang cute ng mga porma nila dito:

 Yung mga Watsons and beauty stores nila may sink sa loob, so you can try the products that need to be rinsed off!

 Ang demure ko pa mag swatch noon, ang liliit hehe!

Korean brands na wala pa dito satin:

 They surely know how to get people's attention!

Stores with Trust Level 100%!

Sneakers galooore!

Squad Goals!

Squad Goals #2:

Squad Goals #3!

Window Shopping Level 100: 

They even use cars:

Line Friends' car just out in the street:

I don't get it, but Tracy was happy and kilig - nagpa picture pa sha dito, hehehe!

Tracy and I decided to eat our lunch before heading to our next stop. We went for this artsy Vietnamese restaurant Saigon Market, a break from my 5 days of kimchi! Hehe.

I had pad-thai:

It was a lovely day to eat outdoors - not too hot and not too cold:

Next stop....

Hongdae

Another shopping and food mecca in Seoul is Hongdae - one of the most recommended places to visit on my IG survey prior this trip! Near Hongkik University, after which it is named, Hongdae is a center for urban arts, indie music, and entertainment.

It was surprisingly quiet when we got there. It was a Sunday, so most probably students opted to stay at home? Anyway, like in Gangnam, we were in for more visual treats:

Hongdae is a youthful neighborhood where underground culture and arts were cultivated in Seoul - thus a favorite among young locals. They have independent stores, cafes, and art galleries.

Here are some recommended places when you're in Hongdae:

1) Hongdae Walking Street - with outdoor stage where indie bands play

2) Hongdae Mural Street - or "Picasso's Street", features various art from paintings to graffiti. 

3) Hongdae Free Market - where people who signed up sell their hand-made products, art, etc. Held every Saturday from March to November.

The Hongdae highlight for me was going to BAU Haus, their famous dog cafe! I am a BIG dog lover, and this was my first time! 

First of all, hindi siya madali mahanap, haha! We walked around just to look for it, and realized na malapit lang sya sa train station... But ganito lang ang signage nya sa labas! Haha!

Medyo blurry and mababa yung signage from outside:

Inside Bauhaus, you'll notice that the cafe is divided into small dogs and big dogs sections.

There are lockers everywhere, wherever you will be seated. Makes everything convenient.

Please note that if you're afraid of dogs like Tracy, this place might overwhelm you. Ang lalaki nila! AND super hyper! :D Tracy opted to stay in a nearby artsy cafe while waiting for me.

I sat in my designated couch while taking everything in. I also ordered my coffee since they require guests at least one so you can stay and play with their dogs. Best part: No time limit!

Reading materials: Get to know more about the dogs and the house rules:

Later on, I decided to play with the fur balls! They are actually all friendly and not scary, albeit their size! I saw a kid patting a labrador that's twice her size, and she wasn't scared at all! Some guests also bring their own dog to the place, although this causes chaos among the "mainstays"!

  

  

Smallers dogs love to sleep on random people's laps, while the huge ones often go to your couch, asking for human attention, hihi!

Patambay daw sya! Hehehe.

Actually, it was heaven! I hope to go to more dog cafes next time. It was overwhelming on first visit (for me), and also, I'd love to have company on my next visit as it gets weird whenever I ask random people to take my picture with a dog, hehe!

Dongdaemun 

An accidental last stop, we decided to explore the Dongdaemun Shopping Complex that night to check out their cheap shopping and for dinner. We went to different malls, till we saw one where shops are actually at 50% the price of the earlier malls that we visited!

  

 Doota! Mall has super nice clothes selections! And their mannequins are all well-styled!

We decided to eat at the food court:

  

Vegetable curry ftw:

Dessert please!

An amazing observation: Most of the Korean restrooms in malls have water dispensers with these paper envelopes! Ang cute kasi it's more economical and space-saver than paper cups!

We ended the night at the Migliore Valley, a late discovery! Tip: Just go around the vicinity at the different shopping centers. Ang extreme ng area, parang from Greenbelt, pag tawid, presyong Divisoria na! Haha! 

Where to shop in Dongdaemun:

Section 1, on the side of Doosan Tower, you'll find wholesale and retail goods from 10am to 5am the next day! 

Meanwhile, at the Section 2 are more wholesale shops catering to bulk orders from 8pm to 8am or 5pm the next day! These shops have no dressing rooms since their market are mostly resellers. Some of these wholesale malls are: Designer's Club, Migliore Valley, Nuzzon, Gwanghee Fashion Mall, Jeil Pyeonghwa, and Heungin Stardom.

Happy shopping!

Read more on my Korea Spring 2016 Trip.