#4K #WalkingTour #Seoul #Korea
Gangnam-daero is a busy boulevard that runs south from the Han River, along the western border of Gangnam District, past Yangjae Station, and into Seocho District, ending where it meets Yangjae-daero. Along the way, it passes through the popular shopping and nightlife neighborhood of Gangnam station.
Gangnam is the word used to describe a large area made up of three city districts (gu): Seocho-gu, Gangnam-gu, and Songpa-gu. It literally translates as “river south”, more appropriately as “south of the river”. The area north of the river is conversely referred to as “Gangbuk” (literally “river north”). There is also a district, Gangbuk-gu, farther to the north which, unlike Gangnam-gu, does not touch the Han River.
We start the walk on the northern end of Gangnam-daero at Gate 4 of the Sinsa Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), just south the Hannam Bridge across the Han River. We’re walking along the western side of the road, which technically puts us in Seocho District rather than Gangnam District. But anywhere along Gangnam-daero, most folks will say they’re “in Gangnam”.
There’s heavy construction in the middle of the street. The crew is extending the Sinbundang Subway Line, the northern terminus of which is currently at Gangnam Station. When the work is complete, the line will extend to Sinsa Station (it is planned to be extended further in the future from Sinsa to Yongsan Station).
There’s little else to say about what we see along the way; it’s simply one commercial building after another (though a handful have an interesting architectural design, like the Urban Hive across the street at 22:09). Countless companies have offices on Gangnam-daero, in regular office buildings or shared spaces. As in other busy parts of Seoul, there are a number of Starbucks and Coffee Bean locations, along with a smaller number of Korean coffee franchises, restaurants, hair shops, convenience stores, and so on. Out of sight, behind the office buildings, are countless small apartment buildings (mostly of the 3- or 4-storey style known in Korea as a “villa”) and other restaurants, hair shops, etc.
A block south of Sinsa Station we pass Nonhyeon Station (Line 7), and a block south of that, Sinnonhyeon Station (Line 9). We descend into both for a detour, in the latter passing in front of the popular Gangnam branch of the Kyobo Book Centre, one of the largest bookstore chains in Korea, in the basement of the Kyobo Gangnam Tower (a major landmark).
We then pass through one of the most consistently popular weekend and nightlife spots in Seoul. Some once popular areas, like Rodeo Street in Apgujeong, have lost their shine, while others, like Garosu-gil near Sinsa Station, have grown popular in recent years, but the block between Gangnam Station and Sinnonhyeon Station has been going strong for decades. The backstreets in the area are a warren of pubs, dance clubs, and restaurants. Office workers hang out there with coworkers and clients in the evenings, couples come there on dates, and countless people shop there seven days a week.
If someone arranges to meet you in the area, they’ll usually suggest either Kyobo Tower or one of the gates of Gangnam Station. And that’s where we end our walk, at Gate 10. We head down the steps and just get a glimpse of the underground shopping area before the video fades out. We’ll see that on another day 🙂
META:
This video was recorded with an iPhone 11 and a DJI OM 4 on the afternoon of December 14, 2020. The temperature was around -6°C/21°F. I used Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 to edit and render.
ROUTEMAP:
SEE ALSO:
My Garosugil walk starts from Sinsa Station Gate 1 and heads northeast to Apgujeong Station:
My Teheranno walk starts a few blocks east of Gangnam Station at Samseong Station Gate 4 and ends at Gangnam Station Gate 12:
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Sinsa Station Gate 4
00:55 Gangnam-daero
08:43 Nonhyeon Stations Gates 6 & 3
11:23 Gangnam-daero
22:28 Sinnonhyeon Station Gates 2 & 7
24:26 Kyobo Book Centre/Kyobo Gangnam Tower
25:29 Gangnam-daero
36:24 Gangnam Station Gate 10
LINKS:
Gangnam District
Kyobo Book Centre
Urban Hive
Seoul Subway Line 2
Seoul Subway Line 3
Seoul Subway Line 7
Seoul Subway Line 9
Sinbundang Line
Gangnam Station
AloJapan.com