The area around Hongik University is well known for its night-life and foodie culture. But if you stray off the main roads into neighborhoods like Yeonnam-dong, you can find a burgeoning arts culture. Unique niche stores cluster together and provide a sense of the uncommon.

Words and Photos Maria Etienne, Edits Sam Cello

Neon Moon is down a small winding street that appears seemingly out of nowhere from the main road. With my first step off Yeonhui road, the sounds of the city dimmed. On the right was Dongjin Market, an empty space inside a long building for temporary shops. On the left, there was a gallery with a singular bench for enjoying the artwork. And then again on the right, a coffee shop, whose storefront was taken up by a replica of an old Korean painting of a man and a woman looking for shelter. Here, families and hipsters alike walk through, peering in windows, and entering cautiously, hoping to discover some new fascinating thing.

Here is where Neon Moon lives. Not a person could pass by without stopping to take a look.