Changwonderful
Better know a dong: Sanho dong, Masan
By Neil Barnum.
Sanho dong (산호동) is at the north end of Masan Bay. It is not the place to go for entertainment unless you like baseball (GO DINOS) but it is the place to go shopping and buy things you need. This is the place you will find the big shopping locations in Masan. Homeplus and the Shinsaegae department store are both notably located here. There is also an open air market on the western side and there are also some good restaurants and a few bars for the post game crowd.
Homeplus, although technically in Yangdeok-dong (the next dong over), has decent grocery shopping with a foreign foods section and usually reasonable prices on things like chicken breasts. On the first floor there is an electronics area with computers and appliances. The 2nd and 3rd floors are groceries and homemaking type stuff. The 4th and 5th floors have a variety of different things: there is a good but somewhat pricey buffet, a kids play area, a veterinarian, an honest dentist, a doctor’s office that is open until 7 or 8 pm, and a small carnival area with a few rides and trampolines. There are many buses that go there or just hop in a taxi and say Masan Homeplus. For a list of buses going here, please visit here. The map below displays the location of Homeplus.
Shinsaegae Department Store is known as one of the most upscale shopping places in Changwon/Masan. It is open until 8:30 every day except Mondays. Don’t go there if you are looking for something on the cheap. That being said, there is quality and selection to be had. There is a food court with the usual Korean fare in the basement plus a Burger King that has managed to piss me off almost every time I have been there in the last 6 months. Don’t go late because the fries will be cold and stale and don’t expect free refills. They don’t have ice cream (even though they hand out coupons for it!) and they will ask you to repeat your order at least 4 times (rant over). The basement also houses a small E-mart with just groceries. The people are friendly and helpful. From the first floor on up there are bags, jewelry, all kinds of women’s and men’s clothes including some nice suit shops, some electronics and household item shops. There are lots of shoe shops and hiking equipment places. The top floor houses a few decent Korean style restaurants. The people that work there are helpful and nice, but everything is PRICEY. There are lots of buses that go there. Click here to see which buses go here. It is only a block from Homeplus or hop in a taxi and say Shin-say-gay beck-hwa-jum. The map below displays the location of the department store.
Sanho Market (산호 시장) is an open air market on the western end of the neighborhood on the road leading to Homeplus and the stadium. There are the usual stalls with veggies and fruits, some fish, a couple (expensive Korean meat) butchers, and some miscellaneous pots and pans/furniture places. I like to buy my veggies here, but only if I am going to use them within a day or two. Everything is cheap but not the freshest or highest quality unless what you are buying is in season. The real gem of this market is the bakery. It is right off the main road next to an NH bank. It has an orange sign and is called Daily France. It has pretty good sliced wheat/rye type bread that won’t break the bank and baguettes that aren’t super hard and tough. I always get my bread for sub sandwiches and garlic bread here. The people everywhere in the market are friendly and I have never had any problems there. Click here for the buses to the market. The map below displays the location of the market.
The baseball games are pretty fun. It you haven’t been to one I highly recommend it even if you don’t like baseball much. The atmosphere is great. Tickets are cheap. You can get seats in the outfield for about 6k won and nicer seats for 20-40k won. The nice seats have plenty of leg room (I’m 6’4) and you get a built in table for your food and drinks. You can bring in your own food in drinks (including alcohol) making the outing even more affordable. I recommend dropping by Homeplus for some cheap chicken and beer then walking over to the stadium. The Dinos are doing quite well this year (2014) and should make the playoffs making the games even more electric. For more information about the NC Dino games, please visit our page here.
As far as restaurants go there are some good choices. If you like marinated sweet pork go to 동원갈비 (Dongwon galbi) (24-8 Sanho-dong). I love daeji galbi and have been here almost 6 years. This place has the best I have had since I came to Korea. If you are looking for Korean on the cheap go to a little shop one block south east of Homeplus called 장독식당 (Jangdok Restaurant). Don’t cross any roads. It is tucked down by a little drop off. They have sets for 2 of marinated beef and such for around 13,000ish won. The food is excellent and the people are nice. Those are the two best places in Sanho dong. In addition, I should add Maru Chicken about a block south of Shinsaegae. 8,500 won for a box of great chicken is a fantastic deal. It is also great if you are heading to a baseball game. Other than that there are the usual standard chicken and beer or makgeolli places between the stadium and Shinsaegae.
Korean Language Class
The Facebook with more information can be found here.
The class is held weekly in Sanho-dong on Saturdays at 10 AM on the third floor.
Changwon, Masan, Happogu Sanhodong 307-4번지, 3rd Floor
