How New York City’s Koreatown goes Gangnam Style

Koreatown in Manhattan. New York City

If you are one of those K-Drama edicts then Koreatown is probably something you don’t want to miss in New York City. Despite its central location on 32nd Street, sprawling between Madison Avenue and the intersection with Sixth Avenue and Broadway, tourists often overlook Koreatown. It is however, extremely popular with locals and Asian visitors for its numerous authentic Korean restaurants and its entertaining nightlife. The ultimate central location in Midtown Manhattan - next to the Empire State Building, makes it so accessible. Come along and take a deep dive into the K-Pop culture while touring the city.

Koreatown or K-Town as called by locals, can’t be more different from Chinatown. Unlike its Chinese counterpart, Manhattan’s Koreatown is much smaller in size and younger in age. Historically, the immigration of Koreans to the US doesn’t go as far back as to the 19th century like the Chinese. It wasn’t until the 1960s when the first waves of Korean immigrants, triggered by the Korean War and the political circumstances in their homeland, arrived in the US. In the 1980s, the first Korean restaurants and shops opened in this are. Carried by further waves of Korean immigrants to New York, their success drew more businesses to settle.

Restaurant in Koreatown in New York City

Freshly made “mandus”

The tiny but bustling Koreatown counts hundreds of businesses - mostly settled in multi-stored buildings, ranging from Korean grocery stores and supermarkets, bakeries and coffee shops, restaurants, beauty salons, karaoke bars and night clubs to Korean banks, hotels and offices. But as rents are high and competition fierce, many small businesses already had to give way to Korean chains and franchises. Today, Koreatown has emerged as a primary Korean business district with branches of multimillion-dollar industrial conglomerates - the “chaebol’s”. You can literally smell the amount of money that was poured in by Korean enterprises, often backed by the Korean government, to promote the Korean way of life. 

Compared to Chinatown, Koreatown has an exclusively young population - most of who come for food and to party. And Koreans are famous for partying hard! In order to cater to the party folks and also to break even, many restaurants and businesses open 24 hours, 7 days a week – something unthinkable in Europe. There is a fast pace and dynamic vibe to K-Town that blends in well with Manhattan and is very much comparable with Seoul’s Gangnam District. There is also a strong presence of a young, highly fashionable Korean elite, jet-setting between Korea and the US, that look just as if they stepped out of one of those polished Korean dramas. There is probably no other place outside South Korea with more beautiful Korean people concentrated at one spot.

Cakes at Tout Les Jours "Asian-French" bakery in Koreatown New York

Due to the pandemic, restaurants and bars were forced to transfer their services outside. Streets at Koreatown are closed for traffic during weekends to provide outdoor dining. Many bars and clubs have also put their DJs on the streets to keep visitors entertained. Sizzling Korean outdoor grills are popping up everywhere. Although the pandemic has not halted at K-Town and has challenged restaurateurs in many ways, they appear to have found a way to keep businesses going. And while the area may not be as busy as it used to be, K-Town still feels like an open-air club.