Kimchi Americano here again! This week I want to write about gay “straight” spots in Seoul. I hesitate to use the word “cruisy” because you probably won’t be having anonymous sex amongst the sale racks of H&M, or the smoking section of Coffee Bean. By gay “straight” spots, I mean very public areas where Seoul’s gays tend to congregate and make their presence known amongst our fellow heterosexuals. So, let’s start with the coffee shops (which will account for a bulk of this post).
Coffee Shops
I believe The Kimchi Queen has already written about Culcom and Gay Bean, but I’d like to include those in here for readers who missed that post.
Jongno
It seems these days that Culcom, and Gay Bean are in a turf war due to their close proximity to each other, but I noticed that Culcom customers tend to be a bit younger and twink-ish, whereas Gay bean patrons tend to be a bit more beefy and masculine. I must add though, you’re more than likely to see groups of super young, outlandishly dressed boys parading and dancing to the latest k-pop songs in front of Gay Bean on any given visit. Also, prepare to get stared down from head to toe if walking within fifty meters of Gay Bean. Out of the two, I prefer Culcom. There is an actual smoking area inside, and seems less intimidating than Gay Bean.
I would like to add an honorable for the Tom n’ Toms near the Lotte Cinema (Jongno 3-ga station exit 2-1) and the 24 Hour Holly’s by McDonalds (Jongno 3-ga station exit 1).
Addresses (copy and paste the Korean text for maps)
Culcom -서울종로구종로2가 40
Gay Bean - 서울특별시종로구낙원동 283-2 Fraser Suite 1층
Other Areas
Coffee Bean Myeongdong -서울중구명동2가 52-13
Coffee Bean Itaewon -서울용산구이태원동 123-23
Nescafe Itaewon -서울용산구이태원동 128-2
Misc. Locations
A little birdy (also known as my ex-boyfriend) told me about the following two places. Though, “Why is he telling me this?” was the first thought that crossed through my mind when he informed me of how active these areas were (I thought we were on a date!), I must admit the information has proven to be quite useful for this post! Thank you handsome! Enough about my personal life though..
Myeongdong H&M (the one located in the Noon Square shopping complex) -서울중구명동2가 83-5
Gwanghwamun Kyobo Bookstore -서울특별시종로구종로1가 1
So there you have it! I feel as though I should start doing guided day tours for those interested in visiting these places (everyone would wear expertly fitted Tom Ford Suits and I would lead the crowd waving a huge rainbow flag made of only the finest imported silk ). Make sure to turn on Jack’d and Grinder while visiting these places, and good luck!