Hongdae: Art, Coffee, and Cats

Hongdae is the area around Hongik University.  (In Korean, university is taehakyo, so Hondae is just a combination of HOKgik TAEhakyo. Pretty cool, huh?)  It's trendy and hip, with lots of shopping opportunities, restaurants, and coffeeshops. 

Cat Cafes are really popular.  In these establishments, you pay a bit more for your drink, but you get to play with the kittens and cats that call the building home!  I guess when most people here live in small apartments, pets are a special luxury.

Also a draw are the weekend 'art markets' and 'free markets.'  Hongik University is well-known for its art school, so on the weekends students and other artists set up booths in a small park.  They sell bags, jewelry, T-shirts, sunglasses, and bunches of other cute, artsy, reasonably-priced things.  Support the local artists and buy something one-of-a-kind!  I totally recommend it.