Korea Town

Korea Town

Koreatown New York is just a few Midtown blocks in size, but the neighborhood dishes out a big slice of Asian culture right here in New York City centered primarily on West 32nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. “K-Town,” as most locals refer to it, is a movable feast with 24-hour restaurants, karaoke bars hidden a few floors above street level, and all manner of pampering spas. There’s something here for everyone, and after a short time you’ll forget that Times Square shares a neighborhood with this exciting swath of Midtown where you can live it up Gangnam style.

Places to check out in Koreatown NYC:

Koryo Books 35 West 32nd St.

One of the first Korean stores in the Koreatown neighborhood, this small but well-stocked bookstore has been in existence for about three decades. The shop offers a comprehensive selection of books in Korean, including fashion, cooking and craft titles, as well as fiction releases, magazines and Korean translations of English language best sellers. A small selection of books in English, including Korean-English dictionaries, is also available.

Grace Street Coffee and Desserts 17 West 32nd St.

Contemporary coffeehouse offering Asian donuts, waffles & matcha lattes, plus tea & espresso drinks.

Some of our favorite Koreatown restaurants are:

Gaonnuri     1250 Broadway, 212-971-9045

Gaonnuri boasts one of the most spectacular locations of any Korean restaurant in the City, occupying a 39th floor penthouse in Koreatown that affords wraparound views of Midtown. With a capacity of 300, and two private spaces that fit 40 each, it's a great place for business and social events. There is Seoul sophistication in the menu, which includes beef tartare marinated in sesame oil and soy sauce, seafood-and-scallion pancake, braised short ribs and spicy codfish stew. The bar/lounge, which offers views of the Empire State Building, emphasizes the vodka-like soju, but there's also an extensive wine list designed to match the Korean food.

Kunjip 32 West 32nd St. 212-564-8238

Open 24 hours, this beloved Koreatown eatery serves up authentic entrees, casseroles and barbecue to all sorts of characters day and night. The food is inexpensive, but you may feel rushed, especially at lunch time or on the weekends. Still, hundreds of regulars can't be wrong. So, what to dig into? Short rib soup, kimchi casserole and broiled beef with vinegar. But most importantly, the barbecue!

Jong Ro BBQ 22 West 32nd St.    212 473-2233

Korean BBQ & other traditional dishes served in a casual, open-timbered space with in-table grills. They specialize in meats with a wide variety of cuts not found in other Korean restaurants.

Here are some of our favorite Koreatown bars:

MUI 10 West 32nd St.

Itaewon Gastropub 28 West 32nd St.

Bangia 11 East 32nd St.

Some of our favorite karaoke spots in Koreatown NYC are:

Gagopa Karaoke 28 West 32nd St.

Maru Karaoke Lounge 11 West 32nd St.

Karaoke Bar NYC | MK Karaoke 11 West 32nd St.

And remember, what happens in K town, stays in K town…….

It’s so easy to visit Korea Town on our Downtown tour, just hop off at stop #5 for the Empire State Building. Korea Town is a short walk from there.