Koreatown is dense, neon-lit, and up late. Block after block of barbecue spots, all-night cafes, karaoke rooms, and strip malls stacked with restaurants and spas. Wilshire, 6th, and Olympic pulse with traffic; side streets hide cocktail bars and soft serve windows.
Gwangjang markets inspire food courts; new towers rise beside 1920s art deco buildings. You can finish dinner at midnight, take a jjimjilbang nap at 2 a.m., and start again with naengmyeon at dawn. Metro stops on the Purple and Red lines make it one of the rare LA neighborhoods where you do not need a car.
The air smells like grilling meat and sesame; the soundtrack is a mix of K-pop and car horns, and the energy rarely drops below a hum.