Manhattan is well known for its (former) multitude of ethnic neighborhoods. Mainly now Manhattan's neighborhoods are just rich.
Of course the remaining ethnic enclaves are continuously losing their "home country" vibe, their distinction, and indeed their territory as rent hikes keep closing in. (See: Chinatown; Little Italy.)
But perhaps Manhattan's tiniest and most under appreciated enclave is Koreatown, affectionately known as K-Town.
Street signs and corporate signage are usually in both Korean and English (or just Korean for many businesses), and many times businesses are stacked atop each other to capitalize on their successful neighbors' traffic.
K-Town exists from 33rd to 31st Streets between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It's small as hell, but glorious like heaven.
Read on. We're laying out a few cool things to do in K-Town, must-see attractions, and things that you can't (or shouldn't) do anywhere else.
1. Karaoke is a must
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As in Seoul, karaoke is definitely the thing to do. We're told everyone adores Karaoke in Korea. While it's unfair to project this assumption on such a massive group of individuals, we've also had Koreans tell us that everyone in Korea loves karaoke.
Whatever the case may be, Gagopa is our K-Town karaoke recommendation. While many people enjoy the karaoke bar vibe where you're performing for strangers, Gagopa is all about the private room rentals.
And this is a good thing. Korea Town is known as a place to get wild, and you can't get that wild in public. Everyone knows that people get weird in private, and that's the key to Gagopa.
Pool your money with your friends; about $60 will get you four hours in a private room and BYOB. Nobody bothers you until your time is up and you can kind of do "whatever you want in there." We won't judge...
Unlike Gagopa, Stage Karaoke & Lounge has a bar. It's a bit more social because you're not ushered directly into a private room.
If you're looking for a highly recommended karaoke place that's not strictly for getting schwifty in private, check out Stage Karaoke & Lounge for sure.
2. Korean restaurants, duh
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There are a variety of restaurants in Koreatown. Some are much fancier than others, but mainly they're all good. It is true that you can walk into almost any establishment and be happy with your meal, but use your best judgement because you can often judge a restaurant by how clean the seating area is.
That being said, the Food Gallery 32 food court is worth exploring. If you're looking for a sit down restaurant, we highly recommend Gahm Mi Oak at 43 West 32nd Street. Their best dish is the ox bone soup, supposedly made in giant pots in the back of the restaurant. It's to die for.
Other great eateries include Shilla, and New Wonjo Restaurant. We recommend Wonjo because not only is the food delicious and moderately priced, but they're open 24 hours per day.
That means when you're kicked out of the karaoke spot at 4a.m., there's no better place to grab some Korean BBQ and a number of other delights at Wonjo.
Gaonnuri is another recommended eatery boasting fine Korean dining on the top floor of the Woori Bank Building and sports an amazing view of Midtown.
3. The Korean History Museum is interesting
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The Lee Young Hee Museum of Korean Culture is a good stop to make while in Korea Town. If you're of Korean descent, it's probably a destination, if for no other reason than your relatives haven't called you to remind you that you're Korean in a while.
This museum covers 5,000 years of Korean history and tradition, as well as a great display of Handbok: traditional Korean clothing. It, like K-Town, is pretty tiny. It's not a museum you can (should) spend the day in like the Met. So stop in, look around, and keep moving.
4. H-Mart, Asian grocery
If you're an Asian foods enthusiast, then you probably already know about H-Mart. With three locations across the city, it makes sense to have one in K-Town, how could they not?
For those who are just getting into Asian cooking, we recommend checking out an H-Town for all your supplies and ingredients. Go to the one in Korea Town.
5. Paris Baguette
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European culture is huge in Korea, and that's very much the case once you hit Korea Town.
Being so close to Penn Station, the Paris Baguette location in K-Town is often busy just before/after work, but it's great if you can sneak in during their down time.
It's a self-serve European style bakery that's got the neighborhood hooked which isn't surprising as there are more than 3,000 of them spread throughout Korea.
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[Feature Image Courtesy of Instagram]