If you are a fan of shopping, Hongdae is the place to go in Seoul. Alleyways and streets filled with shopping stalls, street food, and restaurants make it easy for you to shop the streets of Hongdae for hours. I have only been in Seoul for a week and a half now, but I’ve found myself returning to the Hongdae shopping area almost every night. Not only are there stores with a wide variety of different fashion aesthetics and styles, but the prices also range from affordable pieces in the 5,000-15,000 won range to high-quality, higher-end stores and boutiques where the cheapest product is 25,000-30,000 won (still pretty affordable considering the quality).
I haven’t bought many clothing pieces in Hongdae yet, although I have been eyeing quite a few. Instead, I have spent hours roaming and window shopping, looking at the wide variety of earrings and necklaces as well as keychains and little trinkets that many stores have out front. These stores tend to be on the cheaper side. There are a few stores completely dedicated to these accessories, with walls and walls of jewelry from floor to ceiling. There are also clothing stores located in tiny rooms along the street, filled to the brim with clothes to the point where it looks like the clothes are spilling out into the streets on mannequins and clothing racks.
On the other hand, I have found that many, if not all, of the higher-end stores and boutiques in Hongdae put a heavy emphasis on the shopping experience. Their stores may not be as full of clothing and accessories, but the layout of the store, the way clothes are organized on racks, and how bags and accessories are displayed, along with the music they are playing, are all part of the shopping experience in that store. Many stores tend to stick to a monochromatic, neutral color palette, which makes the store itself appear to be higher-end, even if the prices are on the cheaper side for high-quality items (20,000-30,000 won range). These are the types of stores that I find the most enjoyable to roam around in. Everything is color-coordinated and easy on the eyes, which makes for a much more peaceful, calming shopping experience.
To be honest, many of the cheaper stores in Hongdae can feel extremely overwhelming with all the options as well as people in the store. Nightlife in Hongdae is extremely prominent, so if you’re in the streets anytime past 8 or 9 PM, there will be extremely large crowds of people trying to snack on street food or get into bars and clubs. However, this is all part of the experience of
shopping in Hongdae. Once you enter a store from the bustling streets of Hongdae, it is like you walked through a portal into a completely different world.
Walking into a store from the bustling streets of Hongdae feels like stepping into a completely different world. Unlike the lively noise outside, the inside of the stores is calm and serene, allowing you to fully focus on your shopping experience. Shopping in Hongdae is not just about buying items; it’s about experiencing the unique culture and atmosphere.
Hongdae offers a variety of fashion styles and items, along with street food and vibrant nightlife. Shopping here is an opportunity to immerse yourself in Korea’s youthful culture and trends. When you visit Hongdae, enjoy not only the shopping but also the street artists and performers, and soak in the lively ambiance. The shopping experience in Hongdae is an adventure in itself and a must-visit for anyone in Seoul. The variety of choices, the unique atmosphere, and the constant discovery of new things make Hongdae a paradise for shopping enthusiasts. Your shopping experience here will undoubtedly be memorable.
