Nowon-gu

Nowon-gu (Hangul: 노원구; Hanja: 蘆原區) is a district ( gu ) of Seoul located at the north of the river Han.

Surface: 35.44 km ²
Population (town estimate of Seoul 2007): 620.000 inhabitants

Districts

Nowon is composed of 24 districts ( dong ) gathered in 5 districts:

Sanggye-dong (in North)
Junggye-dong (in the East)
Hagye-dong (in the South)
Wolgye-dong (in South-west)
Gongneung-dong (in South-east)

Localization

Located at the extreme North-East of the Capital, Nowon includes/understands for principal borders:

in the West: the river Jungnangcheon a confluence of the Han river marking separation with Dobong-gu
in the East: mountains of Buramsan and Suraksan (and beyond the cities like Namyangju)
in North: the town of Uijongbu
in the South: the district of Jungnang-gu

Wolgye-dong (South-western districts of Nowon) is located other side of Jungnangcheon, and thus with the South of Dobong-gu and the North-East of Seongbuk-gu.

History

Before being absorptive by Seoul, this vast valley relatively little populated included/understood some villages of peasants whose name remains today through certain subway stations (ex Madeul).

In 1988, the vast district of Dobong-gu is divided into two parts, current Dobong and Nowon, respectively in the West and the East. Nowon is summarized at the beginning with a titanic real estate project; a new city in the city, quasi exclusively devoted to the housing of mass. The majority of the battalions of blocks of buildings was drawn up between 1988 and 1992, with already high levels for the time (about fifteen stages), and a majority of apartments of modest size intended for hearths with driven out often limited incomes more central districts by the explosion of the prices of the real estate.

But the " bed town" gradually was a heart and, carried by its strong demographic dynamics, Nowon imposes itself today like a major hub on the north of the city, with the subway station Nowon in its heart:

in the middle of transport: the crossroads of underground lines 4 and 7 will accommodate soon City Air Final major serving the north of Seoul and the cities around, in the place of the terminal of the subway (prolonged in Namyangju) and of the load dispatching center of Dobong (transferred in a less central place from the district)
in the middle of the trade: all types of trade, with the principal national and international signs - open the Midopa department store in 1992 became the Lotte Department Store the most luxurious of north and the CAT will accommodate a great shopping mall. The Crossroads located at Hagye became a Homever in 2006.
in the middle of the decisions: around the town hall of district important regional antennas of great groups and services companies multiply (except notable for the foreign groups for the moment)
in the middle of the cultural ambitions: the babies boomers become banked-up bed make turn ten cinemas. The arts center more and more often invites foreign artists and spectacles, the city obtains a new central park, of a new stage… And Nowon decides to capitalize on its assets " verts" : the rivers are restored, the regional parks of more attended Suraksan and Buramsan…

This traditionally popular district becomes increasingly popular near the warned speculators, among whom many owners in the South anticipating the fall of the prices with Gangnam-gu. Saved up to now by the Real estate bubble, Nowon indeed prepares to renovate or rebuild whole districts all while resting on the fundamental healthy ones and an internal dynamics without equivalent.

External bond

Official site
Photographs and addresses in Seoul by the author of the article

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