Relocating to Tongjin: A Step-by-Step Expat Checklist (Or How I Stopped Screaming Into My Sooji)

you wake up in a train, okay? not a cafe latté train, but a subway line 4 to 4 with your suitcase, glancing at the map app like it owe you money. tongjin’s new to me, but it’s not new to survival. my checklist for moving here? polished, but messy. because nothing here’s perfect. but it’s real.

*the weather here (yeah, it’s weird)

tongjin’s got four seasons, but each one’s a rebellion. winters bite like -10 in january, and summers? hot enough to fry an egg on concrete. spring’s pollen season hell, autumn’s leaves are nice but they block the whole west rim trail. if you’re a fan of ‘mild,’ find another spot. pro-tip: buy a floorspace heater from homeplus. they’re cheap. deadly cheap. yes, even when it’s hot.

why tongjin’s rent will either save you or break you

average 1-bedroom? $~500/month near the subway if you survive the landlord’s 2 am calls. yeah, the job market for remote workers’s decent-tech folks in yeonsan, digital nomads in hangang park. but consultants? bleh. too many 12-hour days in andong hotels. coffee? cheap, though. 5,000 won for a flat white. deal? maybe. just don’t go near the realtor from ‘property kings seoul’ who smells like desperation and expired coupons.

data? sure. but let’s talk dirty

safety stats: low crime, but petty theft’s a thing. never leave your bike unlocked for longer than it takes to eat a street taco. this is not los angeles. neighbors? mostly local moms who’ll offer you ‘ssamjang’ if you smile. tourists? the ones who buy fake gucci purses at jangee market. avoid them.

my step-by-step (because you asked)
1. find apartment. haggle like your life depends on it. it does.
2. buy seoul pass if you’ll actually use subway (you won’t. become pedestrian like everyone else).
3. download zomato. but also don’t. tongjin food’s good, but yelp says ‘mixed reviews.’ café culture’s alive. try ‘saphir’ on jonggak 3-second review said ‘overpriced yet another seoul pretender.’
4. budget $200/month for laundry. yes, have that laundromats. smelly but cheap.
5. learn basic korean. no, not the duolingo ‘oppa’ crap. ‘oppa’ is a mistake.

real talk (overheard in a pizza place)
> hey, heard you’re into photography? went to the gangnam church gig last month. dude stole my shutter speed. but vibes were okay. bring a rain jacket. even indoors.

map, because you forgot again

photos?

rumors you should care about
> local said drinking tap water’ll kill you. others laughed. science says it’s fine. drink anyway, paranoid.
> better not move to sangam-dong. heard it’s where ghosts manifest. just kidding? who knows.

links? yes. tripadvisor tongjin hotels reddit expat tag local yelp

spoiler: google somewhere else

i almost forgot the rain. next time, maybe.

Note: ignore the towering office blocks downtown. everyone says it’s ‘modern but soulless.’ i packed a suitcase, not a philosopher.*

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