Comments on: Samcheong-dong

By: bumfromkorea

bumfromkorea — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:29:46 +0000

I find that local coffee shops are great for large number of friends to hang out and chill, while Starbucks (or franchised coffee shops in general) is good for meeting one or two people. Coffee Plantation (I don’t know how widespread that franchise is…) seems to be the freak of nature that works great for both.

Regardless, I have an irrational hatred for Seattle’s Best Coffee (my ass…. <— see?)

Btw, where’s that place with the sign “Goong”?

By: figbash

figbash — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 03:25:05 +0000

Actually, weird as it sounds . . .
at least in some places having a Starbucks open in the neighborhood is actually a great deal for local independent coffee houses. Unlike other luxury products, expensive coffee is consumed daily - but with little incentive to stick only to one coffee brand. Starbucks, because of name recognition and consistency of product, brings new people to upscale coffee consumption. These new consumers however will switch to other coffee purveyors when they find other coffee houses that supply better and/or cheaper drinks. See here:
http://www.slate.com/id/2180301/
Besides, Starbucks in the neighborhood usually means a clean bathroom with toilet paper - and no purchase necessary^^

By: Robert Koehler

Robert Koehler — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 02:32:15 +0000

Jay C — Of course, it’s good practice to ask people before taking their picture. In the first photo, though, I didn’t, mostly owing to the fact that the subject doubles as my wife:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/6.....395224562/

Hoju Saram — I use a Nikon D40x.

By: Jay C

Jay C — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:54:28 +0000

Marmot, just out of curiosity, did you talk to the woman in the first picture? I know that some photographers will ask for permission before taking someone’s picture, so… she just looks very familiar to me.

By: roboseyo

roboseyo — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:31:46 +0000

I think it’s because humans are creatures of habit. We see the starbucks logo, we know what we’re getting, we go in. We trust the brand: it’s safer.

The “tea for two” sign near Piano Street isn’t as familiar, so there’s that danger of the unknown . . . what if they don’t have my favourite brand of herbal tea?

(actually, Tea For Two is flippin’ amazing — check it out)

And yeah, it’s boring to eat at subway, AGAIN, but I know what I’m getting, so I settle into my rut, rather than trying to find a new place.

I don’t resent the coffee bean bigwigs for trying to get a piece of the pie; it just gets boring after a while always seeing only the usual, same choices available, and it really saddens me that the roast-our-own-coffee-beans place might get squeezed out by the cookie cutter chain, because of more brand recognition.

Does replacing a nice, independent shop with a nice, chain shop count as gentrification, Baeksu? I always thought gentrification referred to renovating a slummy, run-down area, not the sprouting up of monotonous chain franchises like pimples on a fourteen-year-olds face. Sure, sometimes it means both, but not always.

By: Mr Kim

Mr Kim — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:02:42 +0000

It is just want it is, people in the area demand a Coffee Bean, so they get a Coffee Bean.

There’s your problem right there - people are stupid.

By: King Baeksu

King Baeksu — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:22:01 +0000

Re. #12: “It is just what it is”

See #9.

By: Dram_man

Dram_man — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:16:05 +0000

I always find it amusing how gentrification is always seen as if some mysterious alien force taking over the world. It is just want it is, people in the area demand a Coffee Bean, so they get a Coffee Bean.

By: King Baeksu

King Baeksu — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:01:05 +0000

#8: Yet another false opposition by the opposing counsel.

Gentrification sucks anywhere — even in the West.

By: Janus

Janus — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:58:21 +0000

Man I really miss Korea…