Valerie Emily

Even though I mentioned in my previous article that I love to explore new areas in Seoul without sticking to a strict plan, there are still some neighborhoods that I keep revisiting. Sometimes by pure accident, because while the city is large, it is easy to go back to certain areas due to the amazing underground system. 

What most first-time visitors do not realize when they visit Seoul is how big, but also how densely packed it is. For comparison, The Netherlands has a population of 18 million people as of 2025, while Seoul has a little over 10 million citizens living in it. Once you get to neighborhoods like Seongsu, or Myeongdong, you can definitely feel that big city energy. But I want to step away from that for the sake of this blogpost. 

Because, yes, Seoul is incredibly busy. But there are parts of the city where it feels the complete opposite. And those are the ones I keep returning to. Well all except for one or two that are particularly busy on its main roads. 

Yeonnam

If you love cafe hopping, curated boutiques or want to learn something new, then this is the neighborhood you should visit. Yeonnam is one of the neighborhoods known for its interesting cafes, from unique Ghibli inspired, to underwater themed cafes… You can walk into this area every day and you’ll still be able to find something new to talk about at the end of each day. Besides that, Yeonnam is a popular creative hub, with art studios scattered around the neighborhood. Think about pottery classes, art studios, and cafes where freelancers, digital nomads and students alike join together to work or study. And if you need a moment to relax, there is an urban park called Gyeongui Line Forest Park (or lovingly called Yeontral Park, because it’s known as the Central Park of Seoul) where you can relax, listen to street musicians or just walk around. 

Ikseondong

Ikseondong was the first neighborhood I explored when I first arrived in Seoul back in December. At the time it was off season, so the area was a lot more quiet than it is in high season. But even though it can be super crowded, it is still one of my favorite areas in Seoul. Not just because of the many amazing and interesting cafes and restaurants this neighborhood offers, but also because of the atmosphere. People are overall just happy to be in this area, visiting viral cafes, trying out the infamous salt bread and taking photos inside interesting looking photobooths. Always wanted to have a memorable photo of yourself inside an aquarium or washing machine? Then Ikseondong is the place to be!

Mangwon

The area that surprised me, well not the most, but I honestly didn’t have any expectations for Mangwon. At the time I was looking for secondhand shops for new clothes and I found a couple of them through Naver maps in Mangwon. After I visited the shops I walked around the area without a plan. The streets in this neighborhood felt like such a necessary break from the overly packed city center of Seoul. Some aspects of the streets reminded me a bit of Amsterdam, because some of the cafes and vintage shops were in the basement and you could reach them from the stairs outside. It was very interesting to see. Near the subway station you can find Mangwon Market, which is a traditional food market with fresh seafood, meat that is being cut down right in front of your eyes, and food stalls to try the incredible comfort foods, like tteokbokki, twisted donuts or jeon.

Hongdae (but not the main area)

Out of all the areas on this list, Hongdae definitely surprised me the most. While being most known for the clubbing scene, this neighborhood offers so much more than that. Every tourist probably knows about the Red Road, the road you enter once you get out at Hongik University station. But once you walk into the side streets, you will be able to find vintage shops, stores where you can create your own perfume, and birthday cafes for K-pop idols. This neighborhood is definitely the one that I visited the most and it was purely by accident most of the time. A few weeks ago I went to the neighborhood Sangsu, which is below Hongdae. I once again walked around without a map and I think I might have gotten out at the wrong station exit and walked the wrong way, because the streets started to look really familiar. And that is how I ended up in Hongdae again. I jokingly told someone: “All roads lead to Hongdae”.

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