Old shoe factory turned hotspot - Seoul (Urban Source)

title_image

Good coffee, and colorful delicious cakes are mandatory for a cafe to perform on average. A hotspot trendy cafe will have the extra oomph, the instagrammable spots filled with original artwork, big mirrors for guests who are dressed up to the nines to take photos with. So much is originality and wow factor is expected from cafes these days that its rare to find a store that has a new concept.

Leaving the negativity behind, Seoul has some of the most happening cafes, and some are located in Songsudong which once was a neighborhood for shoe factories. The old warehouses that once stored soles and heels are now upturned into cafes. One of the more popular ones being Urban Source.

Urban Source

Urban Source's character is most portrayed inside, but the entrance also screams "Come on in and see what's inside!" with its lit name perched on top of the door.

Urban Source, has a main area followed by smaller rooms where you can hideaway from the crowd. The main room being the hall is extremely spacious in comparison to the general coffee shop. Even museums wouldn't have as much space as its main hall. Having been a warehouse in its previous chapter, Urban Source definitely will not run out of seats.

The alternative seating spots are what really captured attention.
First is the room that leads to the second floor. This area's large window with seats is what captivates the Instagram users for a photo op. The worn out floor planks, and wall paint peeling from age and use with the contrastingly neat make-do table and stools are what makes the place such a hotspot. We were lucky no one was present, and took the best spot in the house for our cup of joe.

Opposite from our seat are the stairs to the second floor. This worn down, nothing has been changed, but extremely expensive lights and artwork has been added to make the place look stylish speaks to the generation.

Our drinks and cake is served on a simple wooden tray is served. Like the status quo, the cake has been slightly decorated, the coffee tastes fine, the metallic copper sleeve has been added to distinguish from other stores.