Once a Family Home, Now a Coffeeshop
Words & Photos by Becky
I don’t know the full story of
백년 커피 (100 Year Coffee),
except that it once was a family home. The remnants of the old residents’ belongings are placed lovingly around the cafe, almost like museum pieces. There’s the broken old wicker speaker, the dusty china in the glass cupboard, the original Korean wooden furniture, the toys that haven’t been played with for years…
It’s unusual to see such a large home in Korea, particularly with two floors. When I first saw the cafe, I thought it was just another industrial-style Hongdae cafe until I asked the barista how long it had been around. She told me that it had existed as a cafe only for a short while, as a home for a long, long time.
Who was here before? Where did they go?
These things left behind always interested me. It’s funny how something can be junk to us one day then one hundred years pass and they somehow turn into historical artifacts.
백년커피 does not have an instagram. I don’t know if it’s still around. When I go stroll around the corner again, I hope I’ll find it there.