In the past sixty years Seoul has gone from a war-ravaged wasteland to an Asian hub of commerce. The city and its surrounding suburbs house nearly half of South Korea’s population, making it the second-largest metropolitan area in the world (after Tokyo).
While friendly people, good shopping and interesting architectural juxtapositions are all good reasons to make Seoul your next destination, its real strength lies in the food. The city has a mind-boggling number of restaurants featuring cuisines from all over the Korean Peninsula (yes, this includes the north), and a strong showing of international cuisines as well. With good food to be had at venues ranging from tarp-covered street stalls to glittering Michelin-worthy dining rooms, it’s hard to go wrong.
We interviewed Philippe Starck for a Tablet10 feature on the Faena Hotel + Universe. Here’s the transcript; as you can see, he’s rarely at a loss for something to say.
Ted Rall is the president of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists, and has never been known to shy away from expressing an opinion — which makes him a perfect match for this most outspoken of American cities. Ted’s New York recommendations are online at: Revel in New York.
Want to share the place you’re seeing? Send us a photo and say where it is. We’ll pick one each week and ask your fellow Global Nomads to guess where. The winner will receive a free copy of our Tablet 10 Magazine.
Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/cevincat/
Sunday morning on Fire Island, where I rented a summer house, brought the residents of my 35-house community down to the dock to stand in line to wait for the ‘paper boat,’ coming over from Long Island, bringing the New York Times. There was convivial chatting and inquiries about children, house guests, missing lovers and pets.
Democracy ruled as to line etiquette. First come, first served and the protocol was rigid, as there was always the danger that the supply would run out, resulting in pleas to perhaps “pass by later today when you’ve finished to borrow a couple of sections?” Most of the denizens were old-timers on the island and played by the rules, while the weekend guests or first-time renters were given some slack but nonetheless firmly instructed as to appropriate behavior. There was a smattering of celebrities in the mix but whether you were a world-famous fashion designer, a renowned artist or choreographer, a photographer or a model whose face might be in the ads in the paper — you got in line.
One Sunday night in 1967 when I was nine years old, my father, sister and I tuned in to The Ed Sullivan Show and saw the Rolling Stones play “Let’s Spend the Night Together.”
Interviews & insights with the creative minds behind the hotels in the latest issue of the Tablet 10 Magazine.