Extreme Makeover: Andong Shinae Edition

So when I first moved to Andong, downtown or "Shinae" was pretty great. It's basically the most western Andong gets. It contains stores like Adidas, Lacoste, Baskin Robbins, Pizza Hut.. the works. It's where high schoolers meet to flirt and catch dinner between their 14-hour school days, where you can find Ahjummas selling their fruits and veggies displayed on huge canvas mats on the concrete, and where we foreigners find comfort in the abundant amount of English everywhere you look. I'm lucky that it's only a 10 minute walk from my apartment, even though I never knew this until six weeks into living here. (I was such a lost kitten. Oh how things have changed.) Anyway, Shinae was great when I first got here, then it changed to mind you.. somewhat of a s**t whole while it was being re-constructed. Home Plus, a major grocery/clothing/hagwon-included/God-like/everything store in Korea opened up in April or May (I honestly forget.. the opening was postponed so many times) much to the dislike of small business owners in the Shinae area. Quite understandable. 

The solution: HomePlus agreed to pay for the construction of Shinae, as well as close their store every third Sunday.

During construction there were huge ass construction trucks out in the open where children were walking (no warning tape, etc.), demolition everywhere you looked, and a HUGE canvas tarp covering the dirt from where the concrete was ripped up. The dirt underneath was uneven, pipes and random sharp objects sticking out amongst other foreign objects. It was a sprained ankle waiting to happen or worse. It felt like the construction was going to go on forever.. but of course like everything in Korea, it all seemed to come together in a moment's time. (I swear stores are closed down one day, and VWALA! --- a new fully furnished coffee shop, open and ready for business a week later.) A week before the Mask Festival we started seeing visible changes in Shinae... and fast. As of now, it's basically finished. Although we swear new statues, or little things here and there are still randomly popping up. I'm convinced they secretly work on it in the wee hours of the night.

Here ladies and gentleman, is the new Andong Shinae- and it's beauteous!

A stage. Yes there are performances

This little stream goes all the way down the length of the main street in Shinae. I've often seen children make little paper boats and watch them race down it. Adorable

I call this one the "Breastfeeding Fish"

These are my absolute favorite! These tables have beautiful pictures under the glass tops and water pouring out of the sides. SO COOL! Inventive Korea!

For the lovebird couples... or tired children

Ha this is fun 

Fun design