In Love With Seoul, South Korea - Sinsa-dong Garosu-gil (신사동 가로수길)

 

Garosu-gil, literally translates to tree-lined street. Located in Sinsa-dong (still considered a main area within the well-known Gangnam area), with ginkgo trees lined up by the road, this place is particularly popular in autumn when the leaves begin to fall. Some people liken it to European street, some calling it “Europe in Seoul”. It is not hard to understand why; the arrays of attractively decorated cafes and stores have given this area an eccentric flair.

Every shop has distinctive and charming decorations. Every turn you make gives you a whole new sight of more adorned cafes and stores with artistic sensibilities. I was delighted by just looking at signboards… So many shops to explore, so little time.
    

One of my favourite! The entrance of a boutique located at lower ground floor. 

Another eye-catching fashion store's entrance.

Every turn I made revealed more charms Garosu-gil has to offer.

The stores blend together for a chic cityscape.

I was here on a lovely Monday evening. I considered myself lucky for not bumping into groups of tourists during my entire trip :) I have friends asking me what's there to do? It's the normal activities... shopping, indulging in desserts or sipping coffee / tea in one among the many cafes, or, people-watching.

I love taking strolls on the street in an unfamiliar city, do what the locals do, pretending to be part of them… and in Seoul, I tend to blend in quite well :)

Some tips to share:

There are plenty of cafes here, do some research and pick a few before you come! Oh, don't forget that you're in Gangnam - after done with the location check-in in your social media sites (which most of my friends did), please remember that the prices are a little steep. There are expensive restaurants and high-end boutiques but there are also plenty of opportunities to eat and drink, while shop for very little. Plan your budget, do some research, and you can spend an afternoon pretending to be rich :) Of course if you have no budget constraints... très bien! You do not have to pretend to be rich because you already are.