Moving to Busan in 2 weeks: tips?

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Hey guys!

My partner and I are returning to Korea after two years of being gone and will be settling in Busan! However, in our previous Korea stint neither of us had really visited Busan (I know--shame!) so I have no idea where to live, where to eat, where to party... Any tips would be helpful! Especially about housing.

Our school is in Dongnae and has offered to help find us housing (they provide the key money, we pick the place) but so far they've only showed us places unsuitable for couples, so I think when we arrive on the 18th we'll be finding our own place. That's actually fine with me though because I didn't really want to settle in a specific suburb without first seeing the lay of the land. They've been heavily suggesting Oncheon but I've heard elsewhere that Jangsan is the place to be...? We're not crazy about going out to bars or clubs but would like to have a nice range of restaurants and cafes to eat at plus a few creature comforts like a local gym and maybe a park for the dog. We don't care about the commute as long as the district is nice and there are decent housing options.

Anyway, I'd love to hear your tips! 

Thanks in advance!!

Re: Moving to Busan in 2 weeks: tips?

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Oncheonjang has a HomePlus next to the station which could be convenient. Pusan National University is nearby, and that probably has the best selection of restaurants and entertainment nearby. Otherwise, Dongnae station itself has some decent restaurant choices (and a MegaMart).  Also, you mentioned Jangsan, but that's at the end of another subway line, and not really a major hub.

Gyms are fairly easy to find near most stations, but parks don't really exist around Busan. The only one I really know of is at Sajik Stadium. Otherwise, you could take your dog up one of the nearby mountains (which run along the subway line that Oncheonjang is on).

It might be worthwhile taking a day to look wander around the stations near your school before you tell your school where you want to start looking. Keep in mind that estate agents here usually only have listings in their close vicinity, so find an agent near the station that you want to live by.

Re: Moving to Busan in 2 weeks: tips?

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I live in Dongnae and I love it. It's close to Oncheondong. There is a walking path and park nearby the river and you see people running on it all the time. It's also nice for a walk too. As for gyms, there are always gyms around, but it you want them to speak English, those are harder to find. PNU is close to Oncheondong too. There are a lot of cafes there. As for the comforts of an apartment, there is a website that I can suggest. www.busan1room.com You can see listings on there, but everything is in Korean, so you need to know a little Korean to get by on the website. It lists all the current openings for apartments. I really like the Oncheondong area, but the Myunyoundong stop is between Dongnae and Oncheondong. There is a really nice apartment building with a decent rent at that stop too. And there's an Outback Steakhouse in that building too! There are many options. I wouldn't go to Jangsan only because it's so far from everything else. Good luck moving!

Re: Moving to Busan in 2 weeks: tips?

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Thanks for the link! I've been checking it out and found a few good places! Cheers! :) I'm so glad to hear there is good food in this area! And a nice park! :)

Re: Moving to Busan in 2 weeks: tips?

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oncheon area is great..wish i lived there.  the walking path is wonderful(your doggy would love it). u wouldn't need to pay for a gym cos there are tons of outdoors ones on the path.  it's really clean there compared to walking the street.you could save a ton of money by walking in that area, and it's close to masjid and Cappadocia (this awesome Turkish restaurant owned by some really nice people).  i think that would be a great place to live.  it's pretty convenient.  :)  There are lots of good places to eat and things to do.  There's quiznos and lots of other American food there and my favorite: Taco Family.  Also, there's a big jimjilbang near there.  I'm not into the bar scene, but there are plenty of bars there: the Basement and lots of other bars that I've heard have open mic nights and fun stuff like that.  hope this helps.

Re: Moving to Busan in 2 weeks: tips?

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Thanks guys! I'm glad to hear that other people think this neighborhood is a good place to live! Makes me so excited! We fly to Korea next week!! :D