If You Lived Here--Itaewon (이태원)

Hey cuz,

Before the twins came, Kiki and I used to spend a lot of time there. We'd ride the subway in, wander around, eat tacos, hit a pub somewhere tucked in, and head home late.

There was a feeling there that was hard to find elsewhere in Korea.

Part of it is probably history. The old U.S. military base. Decades of foreigners passing through. Koreans returning from abroad. Mixed-nationality couples. Their children. Long-term expats.

People who seem to exist slightly between worlds.

I don't think most people go to Itaewon because it has the best tacos or the best shops.

I think they go because they know people there.

The restaurants we liked weren't filled with tourists checking Google Maps reviews. They were filled with regulars. People who seemed to stop by after work because that's where their friends were. The places felt less like restaurants and more like community gathering spots.

That's one reason I wanted to study Itaewon more closely.

Recently, I spent some time looking through the housing inventory, drawing a rough perception map, and roaming the neighborhood virtually through Naver Panorama.

My current reading is that Itaewon might function differently than many newcomers imagine.

Physically, the neighborhood feels fragmented. There are hills negotiating with valleys.

There are commercial corridors, embassy-adjacent slopes, older housing pockets, and mixed-use units tucked right behind busy streets.

Looking at the housing stock, what surprised me was how little ordinary housing I could find. The kind of place where someone quietly lives for a few years and rarely thinks about it.

Many of the listings felt like one of three things:

• larger villas near the embassy areas
• multi-unit houses (다가구 주택) with lots of character and tradeoffs
• quirky mixed-use units above or behind commercial spaces

When Kiki and I searched for a place years ago, we ran into the same feeling.

Compared to Hongdae, Itaewon seemed to have fewer small-unit options and a much wider spread of housing sizes. I wonder if that's part of why families, roommate households, and longer-term expats show up here more often than I initially assumed.

I could be wrong, but I wonder if this explains something.

Many newcomers imagine living in Itaewon.

But maybe a lot of people simply orbit Itaewon.

They eat there. Meet friends there. Date there. Build community there.

Then go home somewhere else.

Another thing I keep noticing is how much the hills matter.

Some of the hillside units look beautiful from a distance. Great views. Lots of personality.

Walking those streets, I remember thinking that some pockets would feel difficult without a car.

So my current theory is this:

Itaewon may be one of Seoul's easiest places to find your people.
I'm less certain it's one of Seoul's easiest places to find your apartment.

I'll keep studying the terrain.

I have a feeling this map isn't finished yet.

Talk soon, cuz.

--JK