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Tourists flocking to Garosu-gil |
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Bean Story, a cafe, is seen on the second floor of a building at Garosu-gil in Gangnam, southern Seoul, a hot destination that attracts not only Koreans but also foreign tourists with unique shops.
/ Korea Times photo by Kim Rahn
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By Kim Rahn
Yuka, a tourist from Japan, was recently walking along Garosu-gil in southern Seoul on a sunny afternoon. She and her three friends looked around the shops there, bought boots and clothes and took pictures.
“I feel like I’m in Japan, as there are so many Japanese people here,” she said. Indeed, Yuka was one of hundreds of foreign visitors to the tourist destination in Gangnam. Japanese, Chinese, English and some unfamiliar languages were easily heard.
She learned about the place from a guide map. The district is situated away from major tourist destinations in northern Seoul like Myeong-dong, but Yuka, an avid fan of boy band 2PM, wanted to experience the street after visiting the offices of JYP Entertainment and SM Entertainment which are not far away.
“Myeong-dong is similar to Harajuku, an entertainment area for the young generation in Japan. Garosu-gil is more like Omotesando with vintage shops,” said Yuka, who didn’t disclose her age but looked to be in her 40s.
The 700-meter-long street between Sinsa-dong Community Center and the Sinsa branch of the IBK Bank has gained the name Garosu-gil, meaning tree-lined avenue, as it is lined with ginko trees on both sides.
As people can imagine from the name, the street is especially beautiful in the fall with its yellow-tinted foliage. But in any season, the street is awash with colorful shops, restaurants, cafes and galleries which are decorated in their own, unique styles.
With the year-end holiday season approaching, many shops are already adorned in a festive manner.
Cherry Ng, a Hong Kong native who came to Korea to attend a concert by idol group Super Junior, said her friends recommended Garosu-gil. “The shops here are so pretty. Besides shopping, this street is worth visiting to take photos,” she said.
The avenue is attracting a growing number of multi-brand stores that sell clothes, shoes and accessories from various brands and designers, such as A Land, Elbon the style, Geekshop and Magnifico n Magnificent.
Trendsetters seeking new styles also visit the street, as foreign brands often open their first shops in Korea here, including Marimekko and Lapalette.
As it gains popularity, franchise restaurants and cafes are occupying the main street.
Still, Garosu-gil is more charming with smaller-sized clothing stores and eateries run by individual designers or operators, as their items and interior designs show each owner’s personal character.
Farmer is a handmade accessory shop with thousands of hair bands and hairpins. After gaining popularity, it opened a branch on the other end of the street.
Mogool is Garosu-gil’s “hat-only” shop and it sells imported handmade headwear.
On the floor-to-ceiling window of cafe Bean Story, drawings of people drinking coffee are exhibited along with phrases that read: “Our coffee beans are fresh as we ourselves roast the beans. Our cakes are hot as we bake them.”
Another cafe “MoMo Cot” is cat-themed, with cat-related props. Momo is the name of the owner’s cat, which wanders about the cafe and enjoys popularity among customers. A hot, dark brownie with whipped cream and ice cream is a must-eat item.
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가로수길, 잇-관광명소
일본 관광객 유카는 최근 친구들과 강남의 가로수길을 방문해 가게들을 구경하고 부츠와 옷도 사고 사진도 찍으며 하루를 보냈다. 유카는 “일본 사람이 아주 많아서 마치 일본에 와있는거 같아요”라고 말했다. 실제로 강남구의 이 명소는 외국 관광객들로 넘쳐나고, 일본어, 중국어, 영어 등의 외국어가 여기저기에서 들리곤 한다.
유카는 가이드맵에서 가로수길에 대해 알게 되었다고 했다. 가로수길은 관광객들이 주로 가는 강북과는 떨어져 있지만 2PM의 팬인 유카는 인근의 JYP와 SM 엔터테인먼트 사무실에 들러보는 김에 가로수길도 가보기로 했다고 말했다.
그녀는 “명동이 젊은이들이 많이 가는 하라주쿠 같다면, 가로수길은 빈티지샵들이 많은 오모테산도 같아요”라고 말했다.
거리 양쪽으로 은행나무가 늘어선 가로수길은, 이름에서 연상되듯이 단풍이 든 가을에 특히 아름답다. 그렇지만 다른 계절에도 각각 독특한 스타일로 꾸며진 옷가게, 음식점, 카페와 갤러리들이 형형색색 거리를 물들이고 있다.
슈퍼주니어 콘서트에 가기 위해 한국에 왔다는 홍콩 출신 체리는, 친구가 가로수길을 추천해줬다고 했다. 체리는 “가게들이 너무 예뻐서 쇼핑 안해도 사진 찍으러 와볼만 하네요”라고 말했다.
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rahnita@koreatimes.co. |
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