All The Pretty Storefronts In Jukjeon Cafe Street, South Korea

There's something special about walking along the streets in Samcheongdong, Hongdae, and Garosugil in Seoul. I love walking past the many pretty stores and cafes that line these streets. They're just so...quaint. And cute. I know these are terribly overused words in travel writing, but there's no other way to describe them.

Once upon a time, when I was an intern for an ad agency, I heard an anecdote about how our creative director hated the word "cute", because it was an empty word that didn't seem to have any real meaning. What does it mean to be cute, really? Well, I've seen enough KPop music videos to know that if there's anyone who can answer that question, it's the Koreans.

The same is true for their design aesthetic - from little polaroid pictures hung by wooden clothespins on a string, to plush toys and pretty illustrations, cuteness seems to be everywhere in Korea. This works for me, because I have a penchant for tiny cute cafes and boutiques, which South Korea has a lot of. On our recent trip, my friend Ica, thanks to her love for Jang Donggun and A Gentleman's Dignity, found out about this cafe street situated a little outside of Seoul which was featured in the drama. So after lunch in Samcheongong, we took the train and headed out to Bojeong-dong Cafe Street, also known as Jukjeon Cafe Street.    

While it is located outside of Seoul, it only takes a train ride and a bit of a walk to get to Jukjeon Cafe Street (click here for directions), so you can easily set aside an afternoon or an evening to visit its many cafes and boutiques. Prepare to get a sugar rush, however - we might have gone cafe hopping and tried too many a pastry and sweet dish (read: waffles topped with whipped cream and ice cream!) when we went, but no regrets! The autumn breeze made exploring the place comfortable, and even the light drizzle late into the afternoon didn't dampen our spirits. It was a relaxing pitstop in our hectic 5-day Seoul-all-you-can sojourn, and one of my favorite parts of the trip, because I got to take lots of photos! The pretty storefronts of boutiques and cafes really inspired my dreams of having my own cute and quirky cafe someday.

More pictures under the cut, and a song that always makes me want to sit in a cozy cafe (this one is my favorite in Manila!), write, or...people watch.

Jukjeon Cafe Street
(Bojeong-dong Cafe Street)

Jukjeon-dong, Suji-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do
South Korea

How To Get There (from 10mag.com):

"Café Street is a 10 to 15 minute walk from Jukjeon Station, Exit 1. After exiting, make a right. Walk 50 meters and turn left at the intersection, then go down a set of stairs and under a covered walkway to E-Mart. From E-Mart, you will see many low-rise buildings to your right across the river. Follow the buildings towards Café Street, and the main road, Bojung-Dong."