Spending a weekend at KAIST can be tortuous to some – the campus is silent, your roommate has gone up to Seoul and all you see outside your window is trees and kittens. For those new to KAIST or have never travelled farther than the boundaries of Eoeun-dong, escaping the main campus may even seem like a daunting task.

I felt the same way when I first arrived here, only to find out later that most others feel the same way too. What most people begin to do before succumbing into their sluggish selves is – surprise – to step outside the campus; there are more cultural and tourist spots in Daejeon than you might expect.

During my first semester at KAIST, a very kind senior of mine introduced me to one such place: Jungang-no. Known as the "Myeong-dong of Daejeon," Jungang-no is indeed the number one shopping mecca for young adults in Daejeon. Resembling a mini Myeong-dong, the streets in Jungang-no are populated with high school teenagers in school uniforms and those in their early twenties – very fitting for the region’s popular slogan "streets of youth."
For me, who wanted to escape as far away from KAIST as I could in a day, Jungang-no in Eunhaeng-dong was perfect. Like every new destination you discover, however, getting there is the first mission. Though Eunhaeng-dong is only a simple metro ride away, the closest subway station from KAIST is, unfortunately, not in the closest vicinity. One way to travel to Wolpyeong Station is to go there by foot, which takes roughly 15 minutes from the West Gate. The metro ride itself takes another 20 minutes and costs 1,100 Korean Won. If you are looking to go with a couple of friends, the best option is to hop in a cab straight to Eunhaeng-dong and split the fee that should come out to around 10,000 Korean Won.

Upon arriving at Jungang-no station, you will be overwhelmed by the endless lines of underground stores that sell everything from dresses to cell phones to sneakers. From the center, the halls divide into a four-way street and stretch out continuously. If you are a shopping fanatic, do make sure to explore every corner of the underground shopping area but do not linger around for more than ten minutes in each store. Otherwise you will end up spending your entire day below ground level.

Once outside, the first place you should go to on these “streets of culture” is Sung Sim Dang which, by the way, even has its own metro exit (number two). Located right in the heart of Eunhaeng-dong, Sung Sim Dang is a giant bakery that was established in 1956 as a small bread shop that fed the hungry. Today, Sung Sim Dang is a large and influential corporation that flaunts its wide selection of bread, pastries, cookies and cakes. The company is often featured on television or in newspapers, as it owns several other restaurants apart from the original bakery. Last year, Sung Sim Dang was listed in the renowned Michelin Guide that publishes restaurants of outstanding quality each year.

After a trip to Sung Sim Dang, begin walking around the streets of Eunhaeng-dong. Like any overcrowded Korean city, Jungang-no features the typical street shops with bright neon signs, fast food franchises, charming independent cafés and tteokbokki stalls in the middle of the streets. If you are in the mood for something more out of the ordinary, Eunhaeng-dong has endless options. For one, you can visit Hey Dog, a pet café. Here, puppies and dogs roam around freely while visitors can play with them over coffee. Even if you are not a dog person, Hey Dog has a small theater, a pool table and a Wii console as well as board games. A free beverage from the menu is offered when you pay the entrance fee of 6,000 Korean Won.

There is always more to Daejeon than where you have been. Whether you are looking for a mini getaway from piles of homework or a perfect date course, a trip to these "streets of youth" will keep you young and alive. With convenient transportation options, spending a day out of your weekend will be well worth it. And once you indulge yourself, you will keep going back.