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Hongdae (Korean: 홍대) is a neighborhood in Seoul, South Korea near Hongik University, after which it is named. It is known for its urban arts and indie music culture, local shops, clubs and entertainment. The area is located in Mapo District in the western end of Seoul, stretching from Seogyo-dong,Changjeon-dong Hapjeong-dong & Seogang-dong.

Characteristics

An indie band playing at a local club

Under the influence of Hongik University (Hongdae), a prestigious private university know for it's Fine Arts Program, the neighborhood was built on a foundation of artistic souls since the 1990s. In the early days, thanks to then-cheap rent, budget musicians and street artists started moving into the ateliers of the Hongdae area. In the true sense of the word, the Korean indie scene started from the two bands, Sister's Barbershop and Crying Nut at Hongdae in the mid-1990s. Before that many cover bands were playing near Shinchon and Idae. Later, other bands like Jaurim, Peppertones and Idiotape started to play at venues in Hongdae, and the area begins to have a reputation as the mecca of urban arts and underground club culture. Now the area provides street art festivals and performances, as well as music concerts by independent artists and mainstream entertainers.

Many come to Hongdae for its aesthetically unique characteristics. There are many graffiti murals painted all over the streets of Hongdae. One of the well known areas for these murals is Hongdae Mural Street (also known as ‘Picasso's Street’).

Like other multi-cultural metropolitan areas, this street is undergoing gentrification. However, despite the recent explosion of upmarket brand shops that pushes artists to move toward the southern area near Hapjeong Station, the street still enjoys a reputation as the city's prime spot for indie musicians. Many live music venues and festivals draw revelers from a wide range of visitors. YG Entertainment, the major K-pop agency is also located near the street.

Apart from indie art culture, Hongdae is also home to independent clothing stalls and vintage shops. As well, there are kitschy and eclectic theme cafes for characters and pets. In 2016, Hongdae was ranked one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world.

Culture

Hongdae has become an area known for its diversity which extends from art studios to trendy clothing stores and even clubs. Additionally it has become home to dancers, musicians and even aspiring independent K-Pop groups who perform through what is known as Busking or Street Performing.

Clubbing

Hongdae is also known colloquially as one the top places to go clubbing in Seoul. The Hongdae clubbing scene can be traced back to the 1990's and can be traced back to originating from studio cafes and bars in the late 1980's; it has since evolved into a diverse culture of it's own. These clubs have created a space for numerous aspiring DJs and musicians to perform at as well as provide a wide range of music genres for visitors to enjoy such as dance music like techno, rock and hip-hop. Though many clubs are open to all over 19 patrons interested in attending, there are some clubs who still strictly enforce unwritten rules such as dress codes and banning of foreigners.

Cafes

In the late 1990's this artistic culture extended into the creation of trending cafes, many of which have now evolved into the famous themed cafe culture known to be found in South Korea.