Seomyeon

Seomyeon is the best-connected base in Busan, with food, shopping and cafes on every block. The nightlife blocks get rowdy late, so it works better if you go out in the day or with a group in the evening.

Seomyeon is the downtown crossroads, where two subway lines meet beneath department stores, shopping streets and some of the city's busiest restaurant and nightlife blocks. Transport links are good, the area is bright and busy until very late, and day trips in any direction are simple from here. Eating alone is easy, with plenty of counter-seat restaurants and convenience stores and cafes open late. The Jeonpo Cafe Street next door has dozens of independent cafes in converted workshops and works well for an afternoon. The downside is the nightlife. Drunk crowds and promoters on the main nightlife blocks, especially after midnight, can be unpleasant, and the side streets are best avoided alone at those hours.