Sinsa-dong Garosu-gil

Sinsa-dong Garosu-gil is a two-lane street in Gangnam that runs from Dosan-daero near Sinsa Station to the junction in front of Hyundai High School. Its name simply means "tree-lined street": about 160 ginkgo trees stand along both sides, and the street is busiest in autumn, when the leaves turn bright yellow.

From gallery street to brand street

Art galleries began moving into the area in the 1980s, and in the 1990s young artists and fashion designers launched their own labels here, earning it the name "Designer Street". As its small cafés and boutiques became famous, footfall and rents rose together and many original shops were priced out, so Garosu-gil is often cited as a textbook case of gentrification in Seoul. Flagship stores of large brands followed, and in January 2018 South Korea's first Apple Store opened on the street.

The street name records the change too. From 2011 the road was officially split into Dosan-daero 13-gil and Apgujeong-ro 12-gil, but since 19 June 2020 its official address name has been "Garosu-gil".

What to see

• The ginkgo avenue: in the autumn foliage season people stroll along a carpet of yellow leaves. In winter and spring, shop lights glow between the bare trees.
• Flagship stores and cafés: large stores for eyewear, fragrance and fashion brands, cafés and restaurants line both sides. Shops change frequently, so check before you go.
• Signature brand stores: Korean and international names in eyewear, fragrance and fashion, such as Gentle Monster, Tamburins and Maison Kitsuné, have opened flagship stores here, and many people come just to look at the shop buildings.
• Filming location: the street's distinctive cafés and shopfronts have made it a popular location for films and TV dramas.
• Link to Apgujeong and Cheongdam: Garosu-gil, Cheongdam-dong's fashion street and Apgujeong Rodeo Street are connected by Apgujeong-ro and together form Seoul's trend-setting shopping district.

Good to know

• The street has reinvented itself several times: from a SoHo-style strip of small independent shops, to a hub of cosmetics stores serving Chinese tour groups, to a marketing battleground for big brands.
• Government figures for 2016 showed land prices around Garosu-gil rising 4.74% in a year, above the Seoul average of 4.09%, and the rent debate here fed into national discussions about protecting commercial tenants.
• The street also appears as a backdrop in the 2009 film Cheongdam Bosal.

Tripto tips

• Getting there: start on foot from Sinsa Station (Line 3 and Shinbundang Line). The other end is also reachable from Apgujeong Station on Line 3.
• Parking: there is no dedicated parking on the street. Use public transport.
• Opening hours: each shop sets its own hours and closing days.
• When to go: autumn, when the ginkgo leaves turn yellow, is the best time.
• Time needed: 1 to 2 hours is enough to walk the whole street at a relaxed pace and stop at a café. Weekend afternoons are crowded, so a weekday visit is more relaxed.