Nightlife in Daegu, Korea can come in many forms. Fine dining in Italian restaurants run by world class chefs, losing your cultural bearings in a salsa/merengue club, catching a movie in a theater or DVD bang, washing down samgyupsal with soju at a local BBQ restaurant, losing your voice in a noraebang, bar-hopping (not just a Western habit, by the way), getting lost in the blaring noise and frenzy of a sprawling booking club, realizing how easy your originally planned 5 minutes of fun stretched into an hour in an orakshil, or even just being low-key like going bowling or hanging out a board game cafe. There's certainly something for everyone and can be found in virtually every nook and cranny of the city.
However, there are certain areas of Daegu that are more nightlife-oriented than others and both Koreans and foreigners flock to them. As with the rest of Korea, the commercial districts outside of universities are always a guarantee to find all kinds of action. But the following are the main centers of activity:
[edit] Downtown
Downtown Daegu has so much going on that we couldn't even document efficiently without having to split it up into East and West. The East side is centered around Samdeok Fire Station and Rodeo Street. On any given night, but particularly on weekends, this area is alive with Koreans and foreigners looking to party it up at clubs, relax in lounges, or dine in the numerous cafes and restaurants of varying world cuisine. The West side where Dongseongno resides, is certainly no slouch, either. Restaurants and shopping in abundance and a different movie theater on seemingly every corner.
[edit] East Daegu
About a 15 minute drive northeast of the downtown core is what locals call 'Kyungdae Boogmoon'(written for phonetics). This is the north gate of Kyungpook National University. The vibrant Kyungdae nightlife district just outside of the north gate is a big draw for young Koreans from all over the city. Great cafes and good mixture of clubs make many visitors to this area begin to think that the busy downtown scene is worth ignoring, now and then.
About 15-20 minutes south of this area will put you in the southern part of Suseong-gu. A popular area for dining here is the wide Deurangil Street, lined with upscale Korean restaurants. Just south of here is Suseong Lake, where some fantastic western restaurants can be found on the northeast and southeast sides of the lake.
Still in East Daegu, is the under-rated Siji district. Home to a loyal concentration of foreigner hangouts, just east of Sinmae Station.
[edit] South Daegu
At the foot of Apsan and about 15-20 minutes south of downtown, one can start seeing a lot more US army personnel. Daegu has 3 army bases in this area, Camp Walker being the biggest. Although the nightlife in the area has quieted down compared to days of old, there are still some hold-outs that make the scene.
[edit] West Daegu
A popular area for those out in west Daegu will often find themselves hanging out in the popular district outside of Keimyung University's East Gate. Like Kyungdae on the east side, a great place for those looking to stay local.
