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“Rodeo Street” is one of the many side streets in Apgujeong’s famous shopping district. Weekends see the area swell with teems of eager locals trying to nab the latest fabric and accessory or simply people watch from the myriad of neighboring cafes and restaurants. / Korea Times Photo by Gregory Curley |
By Gregory Curley
Apgujung is affluence in abundance. Having long since earned its rightful reputation as being that of a ``money magnet,’’ the area has never lost its momentum and remains a dwelling teeming with exuberant displays of immeasurable wealth. And as the summer days only continue to grow hotter, the relentless pursuit for the latest trend plays out throughout its streets from well within the bordering, protective walls of glamorous, riverside high rises.
Yes, the trappings of wealth are in plain sight everywhere, with the well kept, well trimmed, and well-pampered scurrying about in droves, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding, swarming bubble of envious traffic, unable to penetrate the shell status affords.
Flanked by boutiques of every imaginable aesthetic embellishment and with enough clothing stores to rival its neighboring counterparts, Dongdaemun and Myeongdong, just north of the river, a walk down the area’s heralded ``Rodeo Drive’’ will find one marveling at the sheer scale of fashion sense spilling out from the long line of luxury outlets, as aficionados dizzily spring for the latest fabric.
Undisputedly, Apgujung is a playground for those wishing to be seen, and a quintessential hub to come mix and mingle with celebrities, successful entrepreneurs and the like.
A nation built largely on appearances; its rewards are reaped ten fold here. Nowhere else in the huge, metropolitan sprawl will a quick jaunt sweep you into a spiraling vortex of mind numbing beauty. Suffice it to say, if anyone in Apgujung hasn’t at one point in his or her life scrawled the experience of modeling onto their resume, then they’re well on their way to doing so.
With more nail salons and cosmetic surgery clinics per square meter than any other neighboring district, the process of grooming and molding is readily made available for those keenly aspiring to one day strut down the catwalk.
If it's the nightlife you’re after, the pace is never too frenetic. But, rest assured, the atmosphere never loses its charge. Evenings on the strip are awash in a welcoming sea of glowing lights, as the warmth of neon lit venues blend in with streams of European cars cruising by almost at a crawl, craving attention.
Every wine bar, cafe, and restaurant is at maximum capacity, and the faint chorus of laughter and playful conversation reverberates from bustling patios ? the city’s players, undeterred, in full swing.
Stargazing can definitely have its perks, so why not relax, drop into a plush seat and quench our curiosity over a nice, cool Peppermint Java Chip Frappuccino. The influential haven can be equally as pleasurable even for us ‘regular folk’, the window shoppers too scared to lift the vacuum seal off our wallets. Why sift through magazines when you can see it all here, front row center?
However you sum up your experience, Apgujung is still well worth a peek for the few who have yet to witness its never ceasing appeal. And with the muscling economy shouldering demand at the moment, the amount of traffic filtering through is sure to keep both shop owners and realtors happy for a while yet.
gbcurley@gmail.com
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yistory@koreatimes.co.kr
