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2019. 12. 19. 21:37ㆍLiving in Korea/Songdo
Is it really bad living in Songdo? I've been living in Songdo for 5 months now and let me tell you, Songdo is really awesome place to live but not play. If you want to enjoy exciting Korean culture like drinking, clubbing, long nights out and a crowded atmosphere then this is not the place for you. Songdo is more like a calm and decent city. There are huge parks, shopping malls, gyms, schools, and great facilities but there are not many people. This could be a good thing and a bad thing at the same time. This post is an ongoing process and will be updated throughout our stay here.
Shopping
- Grocery
Costco
Costco is one of the greatest stores coming out of America. If you want to buy food, clothes, appliances, electronics and more, Costco has it all at a discounted price due to bulk sales and designated suppliers. The Songdo location is just like any other location all over the world. Stepping into this store felt like I was not even in Korea. There are lots of foreigners for good reason since you can buy many things that are not offered in Korean supermarkets like good cheese and American style pizza. They also have great prices for brand name jackets like MooseKnuckle and Nobis. I was craving American style hot dog and pizza so their food court was a godsend. One thing that should be noted is that their chicken bake is pretty bland so I do not recommend.
* Website : https://www.costco.co.kr/store-finder
* Open - Close : 9:00am to 10:00pm
* Off : Everyday except every second and fourth Sunday.
Homeplus
I go to Homeplus when I need to get some groceries. I think Homeplus is the cheapest and the most popular mart in Songdo. They have fresh fruits, meats and vegetables. They also have two types of sushi, individually wrapped ones and set box ones. DO NOT BUY the individually wrapped ones because they taste nasty. Get the sushi in the set box as they are of higher quality fish and definately more fresh which you can taste. They also have some imported food like American, Vietnamese, Chinese... etc. Although not as much variety compared to Costco, but you can find some common stuff easily. You can also join their membership program and save some points if you have a Korean phone number. If you don't feel like going out, you can just order through their app. If you plan to spend over 40,000won($40), then the 3,000won($3) delivery fee will be waived off. This Homeplus is also conveniently located next the Hyundai Premium Outlets and Triple Street ( Songdo's one and only mall). The building also has stores like Artbox (Stationary and Specialty Store) and Top Ten (Budget friendly clothing store with simple styles) plus many popular Korean Chain Restaurants. Parking is also free and consist of 2 floors, Rooftop level and Underground level.
* Website : http://www.homeplus.co.kr/
* Open - Close : 10:00am to 12:00am
* Off : Everyday except every second and fourth Sunday.
Lotte mart
According to data released by KOOCCI, Lotte mart is the second most popular grocery shopping mall in Korea. However, It doesn't seem like that for the Songdo one. I visited the mall after my work yesterday and surprisingly it was quite empty and majority of customers were non-Korean. I was shocked because when I had gone to Homeplus before, it was always packed. I can assume some reasons include: 1. people are boycotting Japanese companies. 2. the prices are higher than the other marts. One time, I compared the price differences between Lotte mart and Homeplus and the results were Homeplus was way cheaper. The main reason why I every shop there is that it is close to my home, otherwise I would go to Homeplus. I have also experienced very rude employees while shopping there, which made me not want to shop there anymore. You also have to make sure you keep your receipt for parking because if you don't prove you shopped there, you will be charged based on how long you parked.
* Website : http://www.lottemart.com/
* Open - Close : 10:00am to 11:00pm
* Off : Everyday except every second and fourth Sunday.
Extra tips for grocery shopping
After 10pm, you can get up to 60% off for fresh food and ingredients.
The most popular grocery mart in Korea is absolutely E-mart. But the thing is there's no E-mart in Songdo.
- Fashion
Hyundai Premium Outlet
Hyundai Premium Outlet is one of the most popular fashion outlets in Korea. They have many brands you can check out but, there is no Gucci, Chanel, or LV. Their food court has lots of great cafes, food, snacks and it is ALWAYS crowded with people especially on the weekends. This outlet is the main shopping mall, located right next to Triple Street (see below for more info). Its very clean, organized and has a very modern layout. If you have any fashion needs, you can be sure that you can find something here.
* Website :https://www.ehyundai.com/newPortal/index.do
* Open from 10:30am to 08:30pm everyday
Triple Street
Triple street is the biggest shopping mall in Songdo International city. (There are only two by the way, the other one being Hyundai Premium outlet.) In Triple street, you can shop for clothes or household items, eat at delicious restaurants with various cuisines, play at an arcade or PC Bang, and watch movies in MegaBox. Some cafes and beverage stores include Starbucks, Gongcha (bubble tea), Ogagda (tea), A twosome Place and Smoothie King (fruit smoothies). They also have lots of clothing brands like H&M, Zara, 8seconds, Discovery.. etc. This mall is the place to be if you want to have a fun night with your friends, significant other or just to shop and relax by yourself. The crowds are busy during the weekends, since this is one of the few places you can go in Songdo. They have an abundance of parking spots and also buses that can bring you there.
* Website : http://en.triplestreet.com/main.html
* Open from 10:30am to 10:30pm everyday
Housing
There are a lot of condos and studios in Songdo. They are all pretty nice and clean because the city itself is newly developed. If you are considering to live in a small studio, the monthly rent is pretty reasonable. We also live in a small studio now and our monthly rent is 450,000won. Which is around $450USD. Utility is around $150USD for two people. There are three convinence stores on the first floor, for your convenience. Almost every building in Korea has convenience stores on the first floor because its convenient...
- Here's ours information -
Studio size : 52m2 = 569ft2 = 16평 (16 pyung)
* Deposit : $5,000
* Monthly fee : $450
* Utility : Approx $150 (Water, electricity, security fee... all included.)
Transportation
Public transportation in Songdo is insanely inconvenient. Even though there is a metro line is called Incheon line 1, it does not bring you to anywhere important since you have to transfer a few times to get to places like Seoul or the Airport. Public transportation is one of the annoying parts of living in Songdo. An example would be that it takes almost two hours from Songdo to Seoul by train, bus and car. (Check the map below). If you are someone that likes to Seoul for a night out, you probably only have enough time during the weekends. Luckliy for me, I prefer to stay home and relax (might also be because any where fun is too far from here).
Weather
People say the worst thing about living in Songdo is the fine dust. The city is the first place to get hit by fine dust coming from China. The day I took this picture, I got an emergency fine dust alert. You better not go out on a day like this or you may have some health issues in the future, especially if you have bad lungs. If you have to go out, you must wear a mask. Not just normal mask. It should be a KF94 mask. The fine dust problem is not only in Songdo but all over Korea.
Parks
Central Park
This park is inspired by Central Park in New York. Of course, it is not as big as New York, but it does offer some nice paths to walk and a manmade lake in the middle. You can rent a boat, canoe, peddle boat to ride along the lake with your friends, family or significant other. This park is highly busy during the weekends as many people gather there to spend their time. I recommend going on a weekday if you don't want to bump shoulders while walking along the path. It is also home to a beautiful traditional style Korean building with a hotel and restaurants occupying the space.
Dalbit Park
Dalbit park is a nice place to go running or riding a bike. You can also play soccer and basketball. However, it feels little bit desolate since this park has a wide empty field. It is known to host festivals and big events like concerts and fundraisers.
Haedoji Park
Haedoji park has great facilities, lots of space and trees. It's a really kid-friendly park that has many spaces to run around, playgrounds and even a giant slide! The park also has paths for walking and biking. A lot of children and their parents come here to do weekend picnic or camping.
Things to do around Songdo
Wolmido
Wolmido is an island near Songdo. It is pretty popular place located in the west coast of South Korea. It is an old amusement park built right next to the beach and many stores seem outdated. There's not much things to do here but it is really beautiful during the sunset and you can also feed seagulls some Korean snack like 새우깡(shrimp snack). It takes around 40minutes from Songdo by car.
Incheon Chinatown
This Chinatown is the biggest Chinatown in South Korea. Lots of Chinese have settled here and established many business, restaurants, and stores. For those that want to eat Chinese food from authentic restaurants, this is the place to go. Famous dishes include lamb skewers, mala hot pot, jajangmyun (Korean style jajangmyun was created here), tangsuyuk and other local specialties from different Chinese regions. The architecture and design is very similar to other Chinatowns around the world, lots of red decor and traditional chinese buildings. During the weekends, it gets so busy that there are not enough parking spots, so I recommend traveling there by public transportation.
Muuido
Muuido is a beautiful hidden beach/island in Incheon. There are some street food spots near the beach for things like Eomok (fishcake), Hoddeok(sesame filled pancakes) and Dakkgochi (Skewered BBQ Chicken). You can zipline, pick clams and rent four wheel bikes to ride. It is a beautiful spot popular with locals and expat tourists. There are two main beaches on the island, Silmi Beach and Hanagae Beach.
Eurwangni Beach
Eurwangni beach and Wolmido is the most popular places in Incheon. There are lots of Sashimi restaurants, grilled clam restaurants and cafes. The workers will try very hard to get you in their restaurant and call you while you walk by. Since this beach is only a hour away from Seoul, it is very packed with people during the peak time of summer. The water of the beach is not that clean so I advise you to take caution if you decide to jump in. From my knowledge, every beach on the west coast is not clean.