Leaving Jamsil

Next month I’ll be leaving Jamsil, where I lived for over three years.

When I first came to Jamsil, I was drawn to the atmosphere unique to quiet residential areas. The street trees were well maintained and green, the sidewalks were wide and comfortable to walk on, and it had a decent range of everyday conveniences like marts and parks. I also liked that, unusually for Korea these days, there were a lot of young children around.

But after living there for about three years, I realized this kind of neighborhood didn’t suit who I am now. To be more precise, I think the atmosphere of a Korean-style new town just doesn’t suit me. A neighborhood where a wide road runs straight through the area and apartments are laid out block by block. Crossing to the other side of the street means crossing a ten-lane road, so I had to steel myself every time, and since most shops are located inside apartment complex commercial buildings, it was hard to develop a favorite spot I could casually drop by.

Perhaps because of this, I don’t have many memories of spending time comfortably in the neighborhood. Even when going to a café, I’d end up driving further away for no real reason, and when eating out, I’d more often go to restaurants in other areas. Because driving was more convenient than walking.

It’s a neighborhood with many advantages, like being flat and close to a Line 2 station, but what I want is a neighborhood where I can walk around, encounter various little events along the way, and still be able to relax at a favorite local spot. In that sense, Jamsil didn’t suit me, and since last year the thought that I should move kept growing stronger. Then, when the opportunity finally arose, I found the next neighborhood and moved.

Still, I have a lot of good memories from Jamsil.

It’s an ideal neighborhood for exercising. I must have run along Jamsil Hangang Park to the Tancheon basin, or along Seongnaecheon—where the trees form a canopy overhead—to Olympic Park, a hundred times or more. After I started biking, I rode a lot toward Yeouido and Paldang too. There were also plenty of pools, so I often went for free swims in the spacious 50-meter pools at Olympic Swimming Pool and Jamsil No. 1 Swimming Pool.

It’s also a great place for walks or picnics. Jamsil Hangang Park in particular was wonderful because, unlike other Hangang parks, it wasn’t crowded. On relaxed weekends, I’d spread out a mat on the grass and just lie there enjoying the leisure of it.

It’s also a convenient neighborhood for driving out to the outskirts. Just a short drive along Olympic-daero and you can get straight onto highways heading down to Gangwon-do or Chungcheong-do, making it easy to go anywhere. I went often to Yangpyeong, Dumulmeori, Namyangju, and Guri. Working at a café while looking out at green scenery was never a burden either.

And then there’s Gitu Coffee Roasters, my only regular haunt in Jamsil. It was a bit of a distance from home, but parking was easy, the interior was nice, and the coffee was delicious, so I went often on weekends. Every time I visited I got a stamp on my coupon, but since I kept losing it every time, even after going more than thirty times, I never once got a free drink. It’ll be hard to go often from now on.

Now that I’m actually leaving, I feel a mix of relief and sadness. Farewell to Jamsil Hangang Park, which showed off beautiful scenery in different colors day and night. Farewell to the Hanaro Mart and the shopping complex, which closed down just as I was finally about to accumulate 1,000 points after working so hard at it. As for Gitu Coffee Roasters, if I ever have a reason to be in the area after moving, I’ll be sure to go back.