Little Postcards: A Glimpse of Seongsu

When I first heard Seongsu described as the “Brooklyn of Seoul,” I was a little confused. I don't know Brooklyn, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.

In my head, I pictured brownstones, people walking their dogs, families with children - basically, a residential neighborhood. I wasn’t sure why my husband chose this district, but I knew he wanted to stay somewhere modern and outside of the main tourist areas.

I didn't look up Seongsu before we went. That was intentional. I didn’t want to see Instagram Reels and TikTok videos before I got there. I wanted to be surprised by seeing it for the first time.

When I stepped off the airport bus into Seongsu late on a Monday afternoon, the area was bustling with people, bright lights, and shops. There were no brownstones, and the area wasn’t residential at all.

Seongsu was actually much more lively than I had imagined. I’m so glad we stayed there because it was a fun place to be.

What Seongsu Was Like

At first glance, Seongsu looks like a typical shopping district. But I found it to be more than that.

The district is large - to me, anyway. I could spend all day going from east to west and north to south and still not see everything I wanted to see. There were shops, restaurants, cafés, pop-ups, and people everywhere I turned.

On our third day, we turned down a few different side streets and came across people eating charcuterie boards and a few breweries as well. I wouldn’t have found them on my own simply walking along the main streets. I only found them because we took a different route or saw them on the map and made a point to visit them.

As a tourist visiting Seongsu for the first time, I felt like I could stay there for many days and still not find every hidden gem.

What I Did There

I did a lot of walking around Seongsu, mostly window shopping and eating. I didn’t do much actual shopping, so I can’t speak much about the shops and products. But there were a lot of shops for popular brands like Matin Kim, Rockfish Weatherwear, Blue Elephant, and Stand Oil. There’s also the only Miffy store in Seoul with exclusive plush keychain Miffys that you can only get there.

These were some of my favorite or most memorable places:

Olive Young — There’s a huge three-story Olive Young in Seongsu, and they were hosting a collaboration with Sanrio while we were there. The entire first floor was an exhibit with a picture-taking area and other Sanrio x Olive Young activities. The second and third floors had so much makeup and skincare, plus an area where you could design a keychain with patches of your choice.

I didn’t know about Olive Young before I went to Seoul, and this was the first one I visited, so it made for a great introduction to the store and to the Korean skincare and beauty scene.

Jayeondo Salt Bread — This is a bakery that sells the famous Korean salt bread. I read online that it was supposed to be one of the best, so it was perfect that there was one in Seongsu just a few minutes from our hotel.

I got there before it opened, but I really didn’t need to. To be honest, I wasn’t crazy about the salt bread. It was good, but too buttery. (I know how silly that sounds!) But it was worth trying.

There was another popular salt bread bakery just a few doors down, along with many other bakeries throughout Seongsu, so you have options.

Solsot — This is a popular Korean restaurant that specializes in sotbap, a traditional hot-pot rice dish. I got the rice pot with sea bream, and it was delicious.

It’s not especially fancy, but it felt like comfort food, and I can't easily get something like it at home. I’m definitely going back here the next time I go to Korea.

Dalim Bread — This is the cutest bear-themed bakery. I walked around the bakery eyeing the pastries and desserts. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough stomach space to eat there during my stay, so I can’t say how good it is. I want to try it next time I’m in Seongsu.

Shin Ramyun Pop-Up — This was just a fun surprise find. Shin Ramyun is my favorite ramen, and I love the original red package the best.

The pop-up had a picture-taking spot, the history of Shin Ramyun, merchandise for sale, and a place upstairs where you could order and eat Shin Ramyun.

Point of View — This is a three-story stationery shop. It didn’t have the most or best variety of items, but I liked the shop itself.

The first floor was like a standard stationery shop, selling pens, stamps, bookmarks, and the usual things you would expect. The second floor was a little darker, with low lighting that gave it the feeling that you were entering another era.

The third floor felt like I was in the 1930s, with wood everywhere, dark lighting, classical music playing, snow globes on display, and items displayed in antique-looking cases.

The “Brooklyn of Seoul”

I’m not sure I would have called Seongsu the “Brooklyn of Seoul” on my own.

I had expected something more obviously industrial because that’s what I imagine Brooklyn to be if not brownstones. But the parts of Seongsu where we stayed and spent most of our time didn’t feel particularly industrial to me. The main streets around our hotel were busy commercial streets lined with shops, restaurants, cafés, and pop-ups.

It actually felt like a regular neighborhood to me - just a very busy, modern, trendy one.

Maybe I would have gotten a different impression if we had explored farther out or spent more time in the non-commercial areas of the district. I didn’t see the kind of converted warehouses and lofts that I associate with old industrial-turned-modern neighborhoods like SoMa or Dogpatch in San Francisco.

I think I just experienced a different side of Seongsu.

Not Quite Like Myeongdong

I also stayed in Myeongdong for the last two nights of my stay in Korea. I wanted to try a different area than Seongsu, even if the experience was a more typical tourist one.

Myeongdong and Seongsu both have their share of tourists and shopping, but Myeongdong felt much more tourist-oriented with its shopping street and street vendors. It was extremely crowded at times.

Seongsu was also touristy, but in a different way. It was more modern and trendy. There were pop-ups for skincare and other things. Restaurants and cafés were woven into the neighborhood. It felt like somewhere people were actually hanging out - not just tourists, but Korean people too.

What I Missed

There was still so much we didn’t see and do in Seongsu. There were many streets we didn’t explore. I wanted to eat at a restaurant that had ginseng chicken soup and visit Seongsu Baking Studio. My husband wanted to try Korean barbecue. We didn’t have time to get to any of them.

I came home and saw an Instagram post about the best coffee shops in Seongsu. I don’t recall seeing or visiting any of the shops listed. That’s to say that the neighborhood has a lot to offer, more than I could see and eat in a few days.

Three nights wasn’t enough to see everything. We were also venturing to other parts of Seoul during the day, which limited some of our exploration and our chances to eat at Seongsu restaurants and cafés. But Seongsu is the sort of place where you can keep discovering things.

I just got a glimpse of Seongsu this time. I imagine it will change before I return again, maybe with some new shops, new restaurants, and a new vibe.

I’ll look forward to discovering it all over again.