Seoul: The city of greenhouse cafes and urban parks
Must haves:
- metro ticket
- water bottle
- comfy shoes
Yeouido Hangang Park
The Seoul designs for my City bracelet collection were picked in Yeouido Park. Yeouido is one of the favourite urban parks among local citizens and businessmen. Nestled next to the Han river, this park is easily accessible both by metro and bus. You can enjoy a picnic with a view of the Seoul skyline or rent a bike and follow the green paths by the Han river.
Seoul Botanic Park
This botanic park is the size of 70 soccer fields, spanning over 504.000 square meter area. It combines par facilities that offer the space for relaxation and a botanical garden that serves as a space for education and research of plant preservation. It consists of four areas – Open Forest, Themed Garden, Wetland and Lake Garden. The Themed Garden is the one that takes the traditional role of a botanical garden, while the other areas are designed as a park and open to the public 24/7. In the Themed Garden you will find the largest greenhouse in South Korea, it’s as high as an 8-storey apartment building and it hosts plants from 12 cities.
Gardener’s Wife flower shop
Owned by a plant loving couple, a gardener husband and a florist wife, this shop offers more than just a relaxed atmosphere and abundance of greenery. They offer gardening classes and are famous for producing their own specially designed plant pots.
Sikmulgwan Seoul
Sikmulgwan is both a gallery and a cafe and is one of the most modern greenhouses in Seoul. It has a spacious interior filled with plants, bookshelves, glass adorned walls and modern furniture. The first two floors are reserved for sitting and the third one hosts a small and quiet gallery.
SEOUL GREEN FACTS:
- The Greenbelt: to reduce the urban sprawl that was almost out of control in the last few decades of the 20th century, they surrounded the city with a “Greenbelt”. By placing a large area of greenery around the city, development can be halted and city planners have to look up for solutions to the growing population. The greenbelt currently covers 13.3% of the Seoul metropolitan area and comes with a lot of environmental and health positives.
- Amid the growing concerns about climate change and global warming, Seoul has introduced a green initiative called Seoul Bike “Ddareungi,” a bicycle-sharing system. Cycling is becoming very popular in Seoul, and its bicycle-sharing system is paving a way to lesser carbon emission.
- Songdo is a brand new city that Seoul is building near Seoul airport. It is designed to be a ‘smart city’ that will use technology to become sustainable that includes a state-of-the-art waste management system and green buildings. 40% of the area of Songdo has been designated as green public space with much of the Songdo lifestyle built around its park space.