Introducing Koreatowns
Outside of Korea, it's not easy to find places to sit down and dine in an authentic Korean restaurant, find Korean groceries, and feel like one is walking along a street of Seoul. Many of us have to turn to the burgeoning internet market to find Korean goods and atmospheres. In a large country like the United States of America, there are a few enclaves of ethnic Korean populations and Korean-run businesses that can be defined as a "Koreatown" or a "K-town". These places can transport those of us outside Korea, ethnic Koreans or Korea appreciators, to a place where we can be immersed in Korean culture in a way that the internet cannot imitate.
Perhaps the most famous K-town in the U.S. is the one in Los Angeles, California. It's a hotspot for imported Korean activity. K-Con is held there. Korean acts are constantly passing through whether to perform or film videos or to simply visit the famous American location. Another well-known K-town is found in New York City, a cultural melting pot and pitstop for K-pop, Korean film screening, and celebrity and industry visits. There is a small hub of Korean restaurants and groceries found in Aurora, Colorado. Other places in California like San Jose and San Francisco are also bustling centers of Korean eats and goods. All over the U.S. you can find these ethnic Korean enclaves if you know where to look: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, D.C., Honolulu, Houston, Philadelphia.
I myself have only been to a few of these Korea towns, but I want to take you, HanCinema viewers, with me as I indulge in delicious meals, fun shops, and haggle with the local ahjummas. Stay tuned as I make my way across the U.S. and explore the wonders of transplanted Korean culture.
Which Koreatowns should I visit? Have you been to a Koreatown? Do you live in a Koreatown or near one? They are all over the world! What makes it special for you? Leave me a comment below! I'd love to hear from you!
Written by: Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'
Source from :Hancinema