YZ Park – Hidden Gem in Downtown Gwangju
Written and photographed by Melline Galani.
Everyone is more than familiar with Gwangju’s downtown stores, restaurants, coffee shops, and karaoke places, but there is one place that parents in particular will find exciting just as I did when I discovered it. This hidden gem is YZ Park (와이즈파크), located in what is best known as the H&M Building for the famous clothing store that occupies the building’s first two floors. The floors above H&M were renovated in the first part of 2019 and now host numerous interesting amusement spaces for children of all ages. Being a parent of two myself, and having a five-year age difference between my kids, it is not easy to find entertainment for both of my children at the same time and in the same place. That is why I was so lucky to discover YZ Park.
Starting on the third floor of the H&M Building, there is Hi Zoo (하이주), a small, indoor zoo and playground for toddlers and young kids with many activities on offer. There are spaces with big windows so the kids can see all the animals like fennec foxes and raccoons, with parrots flying around freely. There are also tables and chairs for eating snacks or for coloring experiences; a small, green area replicating nature; and an indoor trampoline with special spaces filled with colored balls. A tiny coffee shop provides parents with drinks and snacks while their children play. This place is great on rainy, cold, or fine-dust days, when both parents and kids want to do something fun but cannot spent time outside. The prices are 5,000 won for toddlers between 18 and 24 months old, 12,900 won for kids up to 12 years old, and 8,900 won for adults and teenagers.
The fourth floor is for sports lovers because it hosts a roller skating rink called Hi Roll (하이롤). This is the place where my son spends a lot of time and where he learned (by himself) how to skate well. The space is wide, and I have never seen it crowded. The atmosphere resembles a night club due to the music being played on a big screen and the colorful lights shining throughout the space. All the safety gear – helmets, kneepads, and elbow pads – are included in the entrance fee. They have a separate area with tables and chairs for the snacks and beverages sold inside and for visitors who want to rest or parents waiting for their kids. There are also lockers available free of charge. The entrance fee here for children is 7,000 won for two hours.
On the fifth floor, there is a cookie-making café and a cartoon café. The cartoon café (만화카페) offers a great variety of comic books (but mostly in Korean) and drinks. It is a quiet and pleasant space for enjoying comics, meeting friends, or just relaxing. One of my daughter’s favorite spaces is the cookie-making café (쿠키빈). It is a bit pricey, but the experience of making cookies and their taste is worth every won. For 30,000 won you can spend time here making, decorating, and baking your own cookies. What could be more delicious than that?
On the sixth floor is every boy’s dreamland – Camp VR. They have everything here: survival games, action games, real-time experience games, and VR for a place where you can spend hours without realizing it. Prices vary according to the amount of time spent and the type of game/VR experience, starting from 13,900–35,900 won. More information can be found at Cam VR’s SNS accounts (Facebook, Instagram: CampVR 충장점).
On the same floor is my daughter’s absolute most favorite place: the slime-making room (슬라임방). Beads, glitter, amazingly colored slime, and tons of accessories are available to make the perfect slime. Prices also vary according to the amount and types of slime and beads used. Fortunately, customers get a 20 percent discount if they use both the VR area and the slime-making room. Regular prices range from 6,000 to 14,000 won.
To maximize the experience, come with some friends. Children will play joyfully while parents can cherish some time to relax together with other parents.
THE AUTHOR
Melline Galani is a Romanian enthusiast, born and raised in the capital city of Bucharest, who is currently living in Gwangju. She likes new challenges and learning interesting things and she is incurably optimistic