Last weekend we ventured to Centum City, home of the world's largest department store Shinsegae. (Shin-see-gay). Including the 4 basement levels beneath the subway, Shinsegae is 18 stories high. We visited every level - and it only took us about 5 hours. It was quite an unbelievable sight. It is more like a small city than a department store. You just don't see places like this in America, probably because we are able to build out instead of up.
Here's a rundown of some of our favorite things:
Level 4: Food court and indoor ice skating rink. You can sit and eat while you watch the skaters and one whole side of the rink is a huge glass wall. You can see out over the entire city.
Level 5: Bookstore and dining cinema with two screens. Right now Shrek Forever is showing.
Level 9: There are lots of fancy restaurants up here, but the best part is the outdoor park that looks out over the ocean. You would never be able to tell you are on the 9th floor of a building - there is real grass, tons of trees and park benches throughout. A sound machine of chirping birds completes the atmosphere. Truly amazing.
Level 10: Here is a second movie theater with six screens. No dining here, but you can purchase beer to drink during the movie.
Level 11-14: This is the really phenomenal part. The top three levels are combined into an indoor golf driving range. There are three levels of tee boxes and a machine in the floor automatically brings you a new ball for each swing. You pay by the hour, so you don't pay a flat rate for a bucket of balls. Instead, for about $20 you get 80 minutes to hit as much as you want. There is also a putting green and sand trap for practicing your strokes. I can think of some boyfriends and husbands who would love this - they get to play golf while their ladies are downstairs shopping!
Shinsegae also features a full salon and spa, a video game arcade, a grocery store and a train ride for little kids in front of the building. It was a great way to spend the day.
***Bob and Lindsey***
