(A shoe museum at Seongsu Station)
Red shoe diary
I think Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker's shoe-addict character in 'Sex and the City') would have loved shopping around this neighborhood.
From all shoe styles, for adults and kids, she would have spent all day walking around, visiting one shoe shop after another.
(Gail pointing out the must-visit corner
of Seongsu-dong)
This is Seongsu-dong in the Seongdong District of Seoul, South Korea. If you're familiar with Seoul's geography, it's a short distance to the right of the city's geographical center, just above the Han River along the trail of the Seoul subway's Green Line.
(Seongsu-dong is a star
neighborhood for shoe lovers)
I was only able to walk around this place recently, recent being the past three years. From my seat on the bus, the main street always looked like any other Seoul neighborhood, and from the subway above (yes, the Line 2 trains are on elevated tracks while passing this part of Seoul), I'd only see rooftops of residential and commercial buildings. That's why I never really bothered to visit...until I ran out of places to visit! Ha-ha-ha!
(A black stiletto inside the Seongsu Station)
(A tourist sits on the giant red stiletto)
What I didn't know was that the interesting corners are on the alleys next to the main street, hidden from view, and that's where I finally brought my friends who, I was sure, were more interested in shoes than I was.
(Seongsu Station converts itself into a tourist attraction with artsy tiles and exhibits)
Follow the shoes
When you get off at Seongsu Station, you'd immediately realize you are in the shoe neighborhood because this station has a museum for shoes! From displays of different shoe styles to old shoe-sewing machines, and even a directory of all the shoe shops and stores in the neighborhood, the station gives its visitor a glimpse of what the neighborhood is all about!According to the Visit Seoul website, in the 1960s, the shoe stores specializing in handcrafted footwear were mostly concentrated around Seoul Station but they moved to the Myeongdong area during the 1970s and 80s. And then in the 1990s, one by one, they moved to the Seongsu-dong area in the Seongdong District because the rentals were comparably cheaper.
(Tita Rena, Wendy, Gail, and Kristine are
welcomed at the shoe center of Seoul)
(The ladies are dwarfed by giant shoe art)
Most shoe shops are on the alleys next to Exit 3 or Exit 4 of Seongsu Station. But before heading there, we walked about 300 meters out of Exit 1 to catch the biggest red stiletto shoe you'd find in Seoul!
Other than the giant red stiletto, walking from Exit 1 up to the intersection, you'd also see small shoe shops and a symbolic sculpture of two giant hands sewing a giant shoe!
(These tourists invite you to visit Seongsu-dong!)
(Wendy, Gail, Kristine, and Tita Rena with the biggest right foot shoe in Seoul. Behind them
are small shoe shops lining up the sidewalk.)
After walking through the artsy path of Seongsu-dong, we decided to grab lunch before hitting the shoe stores. We crossed to the other side of the main street - to the side of Seongsu Station's Exit 3 and 4.
(The spacious interiors with art installations
make the restaurant unique and interesting)
The Daelim Changgo Gallery Co:lumn was an old factory and warehouse converted into a gallery and restaurant. But it was the latter character that was more interesting to me and my tummy. I figured, since I wasn't into shoes and wouldn't get any high from shoe-shopping, I might as well have fun eating.
Our dishes were all yummy and even made more enjoyable in the company of friends.
(Inside the gallery that also serves as a restaurant)
In order to walk off the calories from our lunch, we jumped from one store to another, admiring and trying on (at least Gail, Veronica, and Wendy did!) the shoes made by the shops.
(Veronica, Gail, and Wendy shopping for shoes)
Since you're buying from the shoemaker himself, the prices are so reasonably low! So much lower than the ones sold at the department stores!
(Happy shoppers!)
Common Ground shops and cafes
The other interesting corner near Seongsu-dong is Common Ground, an open area full of blue container vans that were turned into shops, restaurants, and cafés.
(A red shoe)
Common Ground is already part of the neighboring district, Gwangjin-gu, and it's about 700 meters from Exit 3 of Seongsu Station. But it's worth visiting if you're in the area. From there, just walk eastward towards the direction of Konkuk University Station until you see piles of blue-colored container vans. That's Common Ground.
These multi-layered commercial spaces, made from container vans, even have a 'rooftop', where you'd find open-air restaurants, food stalls, and an ice cream counter. On the ground, a small entertainment corner and food trucks occupy the open area.
If there's one thing that would bring me back to Common Ground, it's the cafe that serves rainbow cake. The multi-colored layers are separated by white cream and it's heavy to the tummy. Heavy because I had a slice all to myself!
If you want to visit Common Ground on another day, it's closer to Konkuk University Station. It's about 200 meters from Exit 6.
(Inside the container vans are
pop-up shops and cafés)
(Common Ground's open space with
a stage and food trucks)
I know the shoes sold at Seoul's department stores are a bit pricey. So, here at Seongsu-dong, just like the bags at Dongdaemun's NPH bag market, you have cheaper options. And you can have a pair tailor-made, too!
So, gather your shoe-loving friends and drag them to Seoul's shoe center. Who knows? You might bump into Carrie Bradshaw herself.😀
(Let him eat cake!)
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