Entitled 나비의 꿈 (Butterfly Dreams) by 허기진 (Heo Gi-Jin) - one of a few interesting pieces of art around the park.

When not working on a number of other articles or posts, I do find the time to get out and enjoy a park every now and then. This one, the Nohae Neighborhood Park (노해근린공원) offers a few usual sights with a few unusual things thrown in for good measure. It's unlikely to be found on the tourist maps, and it's called a neighborhood park because of the surrounding apartment buildings.It's not the biggest, most special, or even the most interesting park I've ever been to - but really, does every place I visit have to be one of the aforementioned?



One of the usually painful barefoot paths - yes, those are stones. Yes, you're expected to walk on them with your bare feet or with socks on. A nearby sign (not pictured) showed some of the supposed connections between your feet and your various organs / functions.



Some whimsical art made the park fun. Not pictured nearby was a fairly nice-looking inline skating loop - one I'll have to try with proper wheels strapped on my feet, of course.



Still learning the ins and outs of a new lens (a Nikon 35mm f/1.8 prime, for those keeping track) - nice for those large-aperture, shallow depth-of-field shots. Finally, some signs of spring in Seoul!



A small path through a few trees.

No, not every place I visit is a mind-bogglingly cool place, or the sort of place every tourist just has to see. There's a reason neighborhood parks exist, of course - it's a nice enough place for couples out on dates, the locals and the curious foreigners who just have to go beyond their guidebooks. There isn't much reason to check it out unless you happen to live in the area - but if you're curious, stop by.

Ratings (out of 5 taeguks):
Ease to arrive:

Foreigner-friendly:

Convenience facilities:

Worth the visit:


Directions to Nohae Neighborhood Park: Take line 7 of the Seoul subway system to Junggye station. Take exit 2 to street level, then walk along the main road for about 400 meters. At the four-way intersection, look across the street and to the right for the park.

© Chris Backe - 2010

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