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| Palgakdang in Children's Grand Park in eastern Seoul's Gwangjin District / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
Insiders' list includes four city spots, four scenic routes for cyclists
By Ko Dong-hwan
Employees of a city-run facility management company in Seoul have released a list of their own recommendations for the capital's best hidden hotspots. The release of the so-called "insiders' list" came in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Seoul Facilities Corp.
The list contains four city spots that won the most votes from 4,000 employees during a month-long poll that was launched in May. The poll asked them to pick the "choicest public venues under the corporation's management which citizens might not know about."
The results are far from the locations that draw mass attention of domestic and global visitors to the city such as Lotte World Tower, Gwanghwamun Square or Itaewon.
One of the sites is Palgakdang in Children's Grand Park in Gwangjin District. The five-story octagonal structure in traditional Korean architectural style just finished its remodeling earlier this month. It's the latest addition to the park that has been catering to Seoulites since 1973 with plush greenery, a zoo, pavillions for young visitors and free admission for all.
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| Cheonggye Stream "shack" theme zone in eastern Seoul's Seongdong District / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
Palgakdang is a multi-purposed entertainment spot. On its basement floor is a space reserved for a gallery and small-scale performances. On the first floor is a cafeteria. The floor's sides are all windows that offer an all-round view of the park. The second and third floors are dedicated to children by inviting them to indoor gyms, ball pits, wall climbing and toy fishing. The fourth floor is an observatory.
A resting place for families with toddlers at the Seoul Global Center in Jongno District claimed another spot on the list.
Located on the first floor of the building that offers immigration services for foreign residents of the city, the space is equipped with everything nurturing parents need ― from drinking water dispensers to diaper changing tables, microwaves, washing basins and air conditioning.
Refurbished early this year, the space is free for use by pregnant women and families with toddlers. The company said it also serves as a quality shelter for passersby who need a rest.
The Cheonggye Stream "shack" theme zone in Seongdong District is an eco-friendly city spot where visitors can relax while looking at the stream. Built in 2008 as a museum of city artifacts from the 1960s to 1970s, the shacks went through renovation and were reborn last year as a place where visitors can appreciate the stream's ecological value in a neat indoor space.
Inside the Seoul Memorial Park in Seoul's southern Seocho District is an outdoor park equipped with a gallery, which is another on the list. Strewn over the foot of Mount Cheonggye, the park invites visitors who are interested in enjoying art next to forests and colorful flowers.
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| Seoul Memorial Park in Seocho District has an outdoor park with a gallery. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government |
Han Kook-young, president of the Seoul Facilities Corp., celebrated the company's decades-old history and expressed gratitude to the employees who have been watching over the public venues that range from spaces for welfare and economic activity to cultural and sport activities, highways, construction sites, drinking water systems and traffic infrastructure.
The company also released four city courses for cyclists. It came as Ttareungyi, the city government's bicycle rental service, surpassed 40 million customer rentals late last year. The courses offer easy access to the service users who can take their bicycles from the nearest rack.
One route offers a three-kilometer-section connecting Seoul Forest to Ttukseom Hangang Park, and another suggests a four-kilometer route that begins from Changgyeong Palace and ends at Deoksu Palace, both in the city's downtown area.
A 21-kilometer route between Yongbi Bridge and Sangdo Bridge alongside Jungnang Stream and a 10-kilometer ride alongside Anyang Stream from Doksan Neighborhood Park in southwestern Seoul's Geumcheon District to the Han River were also picked.
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