(Above) Seorae Village
Day 6 after breakfast, we will head for our destination for that morning - Seorae Village. To get there, we will take the subway via Line 3 from Anguk Station to the 10th stop at the Express Bus Terminal Station. We will get out of the station from exit 5 and walk down the road towards Jamwon Primary school for about 10 minutes where we will come to an overpass called Yisu. We will use the overpass to reach Seorae Village.
Seorae Village is Seoul’s French district where there lives a community of French nationals who work and commute within Seoul. There are also Koreans who are admirers of French culture who live there too. This is the place to get a slice of French stuff within Seoul. We read that in the morning, Seorae Village looks just like any French town where people cycle to the local bakery to buy freshly baked croissants and baguettes.
About 800 French people, which are about a half of French population in Korea, live in Seorae. Therefore, it is called as a "little France" - or more perhaps more appropriately "petite France." French people began living around here because the French Embassy School in Korea moved there in 1985. As the French corporations such as Carrefour, TGV, CLSA, and Bank Renault began to enter the Korean market after 1990, Seorae grew as the staff of these companies populated Seorae. Thus, the village became what it is known as the French district of Seoul.
The tip is to just take a walk through the town and imagine that you are in a little village in France. We will walk through Seorae Park where there has a winding stream with a footpath covered by a canopy of roses. The path, with its red rose petals on the ground, will provide a good photo opportunity with it’s alluring red carpet so one can picture oneself walking like a star at the Cannes Festival. From this place, we will go straight about 500 meters passing the Seoul Palace Hotel, where an alley appears on the left. This is the "Seorae road" and the adjacent area is the "Seorae Village." The first thing that tells you that you are in a French town are the three coloured pedestrian sidewalk that stretches 300m from the entry of Seorae road until the Banggae Middle School. This sidewalk is painted in red, white and blue which are the colors of the French flag.
(Above) French styled chateau along the street
(Above) Signs in French and Korean tell you that you are in some place unique!
Road signs are written in both French and Korean which shows the harmony of the French and Korean communities living in Seorae Village together. Examples of such signs are "Attention ecole (Attention School District)" and "Hospital Ste-Marie" .Many roads here are also named after places in Paris such as Montmartre. There are luxurious Villas lining both sides of the sloping main Seorae road and going further up this sloping road will bring us to a row of wine shops, bakeries and food stores that sell French fare. To get a further immersion of being in France, go to Ecole Francaise de Seoul ( Seoul French School ) at 4pm and witness hordes of children bantering in French pouring out. French housewives are also waiting there, engaging in conversation while waiting for their children.
Due to the strong French community who enjoy eating out after work, there are many good restaurants in Seorae Village. Since they have to meet the expectations of the French, who are known for their particular taste in food and demanding reasonable prices, a valley of excellent restaurants have sprung up here, where only restaurants with good food at cheap prices survive. There are freshly baked baguettes with French ingredients made by a French pastry chef, steak sauce invented by a chef from New York, and pizza baked in an oakwood stove, among others. There are also other French and Italian restaurants.
Wine lovers can visit Winenara VINIWINI where they can enjoy pastries and wine at the same time and view the 400 types of wine in stock. Customers can select their wine according to various smells and tastes of wines from different countries and can also select wine, upon a sommelier's recommendation. How French can one get here, sitting in a wine shop, drinking wine while enjoying the distinctive tastes of different cheeses surrounded by fellow French customers. This place has a warm interior, and it is recommended to get a table at the terrace on the deck where there is a good lighting. One can drink the wine one buys at the shop's bar at no extra charge. The opening hours are from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. The wine shop & bar "Tour du Vin (02-533-1846)" also has wines from France, Australia, Chile and Italy as well as cheese, pasta, salami, olive oil, and capers. They are open from 10:30 a.m. until 1 a.m. next day. Another recommendation that we saw for a meal is at the Italian restaurant Popolarita which is considered one of the more well-regarded restaurants here. They are open from 11:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. (Lunch time from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.).
We will also drop by La Plante which takes such pride in its beautiful interior that one cannot tell whether it is a cafe or a flower shop with an array of both Western flowers including roses and traditional Korean flowers such as crape-myrtle and peony. Another place to rest and have a drink is Mariposa where one can see the entire Seorae Village from the 5th floor. A beautiful night view unfolds after the sunset in Seorae. We will also stop by Paris Croissant, a local bakery restaurant which sells about 10 different types of baguettes. It is known for importing French flour and bread making is under the strict supervision of a French chef. The restaurant is decorated with a modern and refreshing interior, and we can enjoy sandwich and various beverages including coffee at the restaurant. The opening hours are from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. If we have time, we will visit Montemarte Park which is at the top of the neighbourhood and offers great views of Seorae and the surrounding Gangnam district in general. Gangnam district is where the affluent people stay in Seoul and is where our hotel –Seoul Park Hyatt and the classy shopping streets like Apgujeong are located in. In June, this village plays host to the Banpo Seorae Korea/France Music Festival which sees about 2000 people coming together with residents and artists to indulge in French and Korean musical exchanges. So that would also be a good time to visit this village and join in the festivities.
(Above)Stylish Shops in Seorae
We will probably stay there for lunch and then head back to the Express Bus Terminal Station. From there, we will take the subway to the our stop at Anguk Station to take an hour’s rest and put down any shopping we may have had at Seorae. We will then head out at about 3pm to Ilsan. Ilsan, is apparently touted to be Seoul’s secret suburb where shopping is just as plentiful, varied and cheaper than in the main city central. From Anguk Station, we will take Line 3 upwards to stop no 16 where we will alight at Jeongbalsan Station to reach Ilsan. Ilsan is a recently developed area of the Goyang district and thus has been described as being more organized and planned than the rest of the other districts here.
From the station, we will exit into a giant plaza and be faced with three choices. We will start with the left side first. The left side will bring us to the Western Dom. This is a outdoor mall built in 2006. It boasts hundreds of stores with all manner of goods for sale including clothing (from cheap off-the-rack styles to designer lines), Japanese toys, Italian gelatos, or anything else shoppers may want or need.
There is also a wide array of restaurants from traditional Korean cuisine and fusion styles to any foreign food. They have Thai, Japanese, Chinese, American chains such as Pizzeria Uno known as Chicago Grill in Seoul.
From the subway station plaza, if we turn right, we will enter La Festa Shopping complex that hosts hundreds of stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, and bars.
(Above) Ilsan shopping
(Above) Ilsan Lake Park
Those who want something to do other than shopping or are there early while waiting for the shops to open can head to Ilsan Lake Park (Bosu Park) which claims to be the largest man-made lake in Asia. A fantastic flower show happens in April to May and is held right in the park. A spectacular musical water fountain and a cascading waterfalls at the other end of the park provide for good photo opporunities. The park is filled with runners, hikers and bikers in summer. There are also lots of sports activities including boats during the summer on the lake. We will spend time exploring the place and having dinner there and more night shopping before heading back to our serviced apartment's stop at Anguk Station.
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