In terms of nightlife, the top places on most Seoulites’ lists are Gangnam, Itaewon and Hongdae, with their never-ending supply of bars, clubs and restaurants. But frequent trips might not always be so kind on the wallet, with expensive cover charges, taxi rides and rising drink prices.

Each neighborhood in Seoul has its local watering holes and nightlife, but one such area has been consistently popular, whether it’s for its cheap drinks and eats or busy but relatively less crowded area.

The Konkuk University area, or Geondae for short, is known for its Rodeo bar and restaurant street, cute shops, small Chinatown, and rows and rows of street food. Located around Konkuk University Station on Line 2, the area is right across Yeongdong Bridge from the posh Cheongdam district and clubs Ellui and Answer.

Stroll around the neighborhood on any given night of the week and you’ll see crowds out and about ranging from college students to office workers, with the odd family here and there. There is never a quiet night in here ― unless it’s a holiday.

While smaller than its counterparts Hongdae and Itaewon, the Konkuk University neighborhood is constantly changing, keeping those who live there or just visiting often hooked.

“I don’t get bored because everything is always changing,” said an area resident Ary Kim. Every week, and sometimes every day, new establishments pop up. “There are always new bars and restaurants to go try out. I like that it’s not so crowded like Gangnam and Itaewon.”

“I like to look up restaurants and go around trying them out. There are a lot of hidden jewels in Geondae that not a lot of people know about.”

The eats

Geondae packs a variety of eats. While there are the usual barbecue restaurants and chicken-and-beer bars, there is also a scattering of ethnic restaurants, grilled shellfish places, and a seemingly never-ending selection of street food.

Grilled shellfish restaurant Sammyunibada is a favorite, often having waits of up to 20 or more minutes on weekends. The brightly lit restaurant is adorned in graffiti art and offers different sets of various shells such as clams, oysters, conch, mussels and more. The sets start at 35,000 won, but can often feed three or more people.

To keep the area fresh, they offer free abalone to every table that doesn’t smoke inside.

On the other side of Konkuk University Station is a haven of ethnic Chinese restaurants. One of the most popular spots on “lamb skewer street” is Maehwa Banjeom.

While the exterior might not be much, the line that forms outside is testament to its popularity, with the wait time getting longer as the evening progresses. But the menu is large and comes with pictures. The lamb skewers are by far the most popular, but the spicy tofu dish and fried eggplant drizzled in a thick sauce are delicious, too.

Other nations are represented in the food department with Royal Indian on Rodeo Street providing Indian and Nepalese cooking. The owner and cooks are all Indian, and they serve a variety of different curries, tandoori and samosas.

For those in the mood to snack, the food stall sidewalk has street food of all shapes and sizes. Starting outside Exit 2 of Konkuk University Station and stretching down about halfway to Children’s Grand Park Station, the stalls offer everything from traditional Korean street food ― tteokbokki, udon, sundae and more ― to Japanese takoyoki and desserts such as caramel-coated strawberries, not to mention cocktails and coffee.

The drinks

Geondae offers drinking establishments of every flavor. Many of the bars focus on price, serving cheap cocktails and beers to attract the thousands of college students and young professionals in the area.

“I really like eating and drinking in Geondae,” said Patricia, an American university lecturer and a Geondae resident. “My favorite bar is Halfway. It’s dirty and cheap and has cute bartenders.”

Amid the chain of Ho Bars are more traditional Korean drinking establishments that serve soju and appetizers. Another dominant chain is the lounge Salt Coke, which serves cocktails and bottle service in the 60,000 won range.

However, one bar, located toward the end of Rodeo Street near Seongsu Intersection, opened up specifically to differentiate itself from the rest.

“I opened this place because there were no high-quality cocktails in Geondae,” said Dio, the owner of Bar by Hyung-1, or Hyung’s, as the regulars call it. Hyung’s is a small, lounge bar with a sleek white interior and light-up bar. But at the same time, it exudes a cozy, tavern-like atmosphere with the bartenders greeting customers by name since most are regulars.

Most of the cocktails on the menu, ranging from 7,000 won to 10,000 won, are Dio’s creations. His signature style is to use fresh fruit in a lot of his concoctions, such as the Hyung, which includes fresh kiwi and is served in a mason jar.

In addition to the bars, dance venues are moving into Geondae. RPM charges 10,000 won entrance and plays mostly house music. The Ho Bar chain has put in dance floors at its locations, too.

But a favorite of many young Koreans in their late 20s and early 30s is Bamgwa Eumaksai, or “Space Between Night and Music.” The establishment plays only K-pop songs from the ‘80s and ‘90s, which brings in a lot of the retro-loving crowd.

By Emma Kalka (ekalka@heraldcorp.com)