Best neighborhoods in Seoul

6 areas in Seoul, South Korea — what each one feels like, who it suits, and roughly what it costs.

Gangnam ($$) — Wide avenues, glass and clinics Best for Shopping + business. COEX mall, corporate hotels, and excellent subway links. Money, offices and cram schools; efficient, not charming. Getting around: Line 2 + Shinbundang Line
Hongdae ($) — Student energy, live music Best for Nightlife + budget. Buskers, clubs and cheap food until the subway reopens. University-driven and permanently young. Getting around: Line 2 + AREX to Incheon
Seongsu ($$) — Old factories, concept cafés Best for Design + coffee. Warehouse cafés and flagship stores, ten minutes from Gangnam. Seoul's Brooklyn moment, currently at full intensity. Getting around: Line 2 at Seongsu
Myeongdong ($$) — Cosmetics streets, street food Best for First-timers. Central, packed, and two subway lines under your feet. Retail and tourists; almost nobody lives here. Getting around: Lines 4 and 2 at Euljiro
Bukchon & Insadong ($$) — Hanok roofs, tea houses Best for History + crafts. Hanok lanes between two palaces, quiet before nine. Preserved and heavily visited; residents ask for quiet. Getting around: Line 3 at Anguk
Itaewon ($$) — International strip, hillside villas Best for Dining + variety. The widest food choice in Korea, with Namsan tower above. Seoul's most international district, in flux in recent years. Getting around: Line 6 at Itaewon