Koreatown Night Market, Success!

KTOWN NIGHT MARKET INSTAGRAM

Wow, what a night! Koreatown finally received some well-deserved attention through their epic event, "Koreatown Night Market." Modeling other events such as the "626 Night Market" and the "Obon Festival," the K-Town Night Market was definitely an unforgettable event as thousands of people from all over California traveled into my neighborhood. This was the first year that Koreatown held such an event, and it was long overdue. There's actually another annual Korean festival called "Jangtuh," but I feel like that event is more catered towards the Korean community exclusively. This new Night Market was created to generate more awareness for Koreatown and to show just how diverse our culture really is to people of all races and ethnic backgrounds. Although I did notice that it was more targeted towards the younger crowd, which ranged from high school students to people in their mid-30's. There were over 100 food vendors which included, but was not limited to, Seoul Sausage, Takoyaki, Mister Potato, and many more! I also got to see one of my favorite artists, Dumbfoundead. If you don't know who he is, do check out his YouTube channel. He is a Korean-American rapper who specializes in witty freestyles and lyrics. And did I mention that this event was free?! The only downside that I would mention about this event was that the venue was a bit on the small side. Hopefully next year's KTOWN Night Market will be held at a bigger venue. It was difficult to maneuver my way through the crowd without bumping into someone else's shoulders or stepping on their shoes. I guess the great people who put this event together weren't expecting the huge amount of people. I'm happy to say that this event will be happening on an yearly basis, seeing how successful the first ever KTOWN Night Market was. So if you didn't have a chance to go this time around, there's always next year!

Your Seoul Survivor,
Albert Ko

Koreatown: Lights, Camera, Action!

The world of cinema has always been fascinating and intriguing to me. Films make us cry, laugh, smile, shout, scream, tremble, and much more. They also expose us to different countries and cultures all over the world. Since I do not have the time or money to travel to all these countries as a full time college student, I choose to watch these countries' movies instead. I am interested in learning about Korean culture in particular because I am a Korean American; I want to know the similarities and differences between my upbringing and the upbringing my parents had. Then I found out about CGV. 

PC: CGV Cinemas Los Angeles Google Plus Website

WHAT. A. GREAT. THEATER. Seeing as it is the biggest movie theater chain in Korea and the fifth largest theater chain in the world, of course they saw fit to place one of their theaters right in Koreatown, Los Angeles which is located just a couple miles outside of HOLLYWOOD. I remember going to a CGV theater while I was studying abroad in Korea. And it was a cool experience. All the American Hollywood movies were shown with Korean subtitles for all of the Koreans to comfortably view (without trying to translate the limited English they knew). The CGV in Los Angeles shows both Hollywood movies and Korean movies, and just like the CGV in Korea, they provide Korean subtitles for the American movies. But most importantly, they provide ENGLISH SUBTITLES for the Korean movies shown for all the Americans/Korean-Americans to comfortably view (without trying to translate the VERY limited Korean I know). What a great service! Now I don't have to watch Korean movies on my 16-inch laptop screen. I can finally watch them in the IMAX form they were meant to be viewed in! Even the concessions stand was very comparable to the one in South Korea, right down to the sweet caramel popcorn and fried shrimp/squid snacks. I also find Korean movie theater seats to be much nicer than those at American theaters. Ever wonder about Korean culture and don't want to pick up a textbook? Come down to CGV Cinemas, where you don't have to understand a single word of Korean. Just come ready to watch some great acting, directing, and effects!

Your Seoul Survivor,

Albert Ko

Starbucks, Where Art Thou?

In this day and age, you can find a Starbucks anywhere, especially in a major city. But not in Koreatown; you will be lucky if you find more than two in this region that totals approximately 125,000 people over 2.7 square miles. Why hasn't Starbucks been able to penetrate this extremely dense market? Simply because of the Korean Cafés. If you haven't been to one of these cafés, I highly recommend that you Yelp "Cafes" in "Koreatown." These coffee shops are not your average Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's, but they provide a full-service social experience. Many youngsters and students use these cafés as their local hangout or study spots because of their hip atmospheres and tasty drinks and desserts. Every corner you turn in Koreatown, you will see either a Tom & Tom's, Caffé Bene, and many others. Although they all pretty much similar in their products and services, I tend to favor "Mr. Coffee" over the others. This coffee shop is located on Western Ave & 6th St. I come here at least once a week with my friends just to chill and catch up on each others' busy and fun-filled lives. All of these café's provide free wi-fi and some even have playing cards and board games for you and your group to compete with. The main reason my friends and I always come to Mr. Coffee is because their Pat Bing Soo is to die for. Pat Bing Soo is basically a Korean-style shaved ice dessert, which is served with ice cream, sweet red beans, mochi, fruits, and fruity pebbles all mixed together for a heavenly dessert dish. If that picture doesn't make you drool, I highly recommend that you visit your local doctor. These desserts come in generous portions, so you can order just one for your whole group! Next time you're in Koreatown with a bunch of friends and need a place to hang out, visit a Korean Café! You won't regret it!

Your Seoul Survivor,

Albert Ko