Restaurants, karaoke rooms, fashion shops and arcades spread from Anyang Station. “1st Street” expresses pride in the city’s main downtown more than an official road number. It once attracted young people from across southern Seoul, but a commercial peak is never permanent.
Railways and cinemas produced nightlife
Students and workers arrived by train, while cinemas, retail and food alleys exchanged customers. Youth culture depended on fares, allowances, closing hours and safety—not an abstract atmosphere.
New centres changed the division of roles
Beomgye and Pyeongchon, large retailers, delivery and online shopping altered both customers and businesses. No single cause explains the change: rent, ageing buildings, schools, population and the economy interact.
Empty shops are evidence of someone’s loss, not merely a retro background. Do not block entrances or photograph faces and interiors without consent. At night, motorcycles, cars and pedestrians mix, so plan the last train. For foreigners, railway-front entertainment district is more precise than eternal “youth street.” Its value lies in watching a street search for a new role after the city’s youth moved elsewhere.