ALERT: Little Greece Moved to Pyeongtaek! Greek food and art are the perfect combination for a date night.
About Cheonan
Cheonan is an administrative district that sits on the southern border of Pyeongtaek and Gyeonggi-do. It includes a mid-sized city with beautiful mountains and hiking. The city is a college town so it has a number of delightful areas to explore.
UPDATE:
Please note that Little Greece moved from Cheonan to Pyeongtaek City in the summer of 2023. We will leave this blog live to document history and share as an example of what a wonderful day in Cheonan can look like, just change out the restaurant!
Why choose Cheonan for a date day?
We particularly love going on dates in Cheonan because:
- Solid public transit access from Pyeontaek, Osan, Suwon, or Seoul.
- Hiking near the city.
- Lots of big-city things with a small-city vibe.
- Not a lot of crowds so we can relax a bit more
Artsy things to do in Cheonan
The outdoor sculpture park is free and the gallery tickets are minimal. We love the outsider artwork regularly featured in the Cheonan Arario Gallery. There is also a nice modern art gallery with exhibits that rotate throughout the year. You can contact 1330 to learn what exibits are showing.
Arario Gallery
041-551-5100
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
충남 천안시 동남구 만남로 43
Located next to Shinsagae, this gallery is a must visit for contemporary art lovers. Owned by artist Ci Kim who also works out of a studio in the penthouse, this gallery/museum is an wonderful place to learn more about what art looks like in Korea in the present day. With only a 3,000 entrance fee its the perfect place to escape the heat and wrap yourself in creativity. Ci Kim is both an artist and a collector so the shows are well curated and documented. English language exhibition information is available. We love it here. The gallery is also who hosts the sculpture park located just outside. Pro Tip: If you click on the arrow in the header image you can also see a video of one of Ci Kims past solo-exhibitions at Arario Gallery in Cheonan.
Arario Sculpture Park
Hangul Address
충청남도 천안시 동남구 신부동 359-1
Outside Shinsagae and the Express Bus Terminal is an extraordinary free sculpture park with works by some of the worlds best. For art lovers its mind blowing, for everyone else its just really cool. Its made possible by the Arario Gallery attached. We consider this an absolute must see if you live South of Seoul.
Cheonan Shirim Art Gallery
041-901-6611
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
충남 천안시 동남구 성남면 종합휴양지로 185
A substantial modern art gallery with changing exhibitions.
Grab a Greek dinner in Cheonan city
We can’t get enough of Little Greece in Cheonan. The family-owned Greek restaurant offers up the perfect date night spot. The food is fantastic and the atmosphere is delightful. We usually get the feta starter, a few salads, and a main to split. You can’t go wrong with anything that you order.
This isn’t a budget restaurant. Chef George prepares Greek food that tastes like home and that means a premium price. Worth every penny in our book.
Little Greece
01042928983
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
경기 평택시 팽성읍 안정쇼핑로 91 리틀그리스
Authentic Greek restaurant in Pyeongtaek.
Organic Gelato in Cheonan City
After you finish your dinner at Little Greece, you want to head to Gelatiti for some organic gelato. Chef George recommended we go here after dinner and he did not lie. We especially loved the pistachio.
Gelatiti
041-554-6660
Copy and paste phone numbers into Naver Maps to get directions
Hangul Address
충남 천안시 서북구 불당26로 80
Gelato cafe with fun flavors including 3-4 non-dairy options. Also dog friendly. Parking is a pain.
Discover more about Cheonan in South of Seoul
We are always entering new things in Cheonan into the South of Seoul smartphone app. We are not alone in this, many other volunteers in South Korea are also sharing their favorite spots. You can also enter your own recommendations into South of Seoul to support others in living their best lives south of Seoul. The South of Seoul app is available for iPhone and Android.
Kimchi Rednecks Test The South of Seoul Cheonan Date Night Blog
We were so surprised and honored when the Kimich Rednecks put our Date Night blog to the test and used it to plan their day together. Follow along and see what it all turned out!
Lanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert.
Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities.
Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea.
When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains.
