No it is not Atlantis, not in the conventional sense of the word. This is the city of New Songdo, it is not science fiction, this is where I live.

A few months ago when I discovered that we might be moving to South Korea I was excited at the possibility of a new adventure. The economy was pretty stagnant in the U.S. so Josh and I jumped at this opportunity but I had no idea that I was moving to such a fascinating place. The city of Songdo is built upon reclaimed land from the ocean. It is a man-made island, so once again I am an island girl .

I had no idea how NEW this city was. It just opened in August of 2009. There is still a massive amount of construction going on. It’s quite the contrast from the U.S. where many projects have slowed down because of the recession.

There is a park just down the road from us called “Central Park”. There is a canal that runs through it that is actually ocean water. It reminded me a lot of “Central Park” in NYC so I wasn’t surprised to find out this was the source of inspiration for the design.

New Songdo is supposed to be one of the most “sustainable cities” in the world. There are bike paths virtually everywhere and public transportation is very accessible, clean, and safe. I can even see “rooftop gardens” from my apartment complex. There is a huge emphasis put on recycling too, it’s pretty amazing.

The more I read about this place the more fascinated I am with what the master plan is. I can’t believe I actually live here! Just walking around I feel like I am in a “futuristic” city.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SONGDO IBD MASTER PLAN:

(from www.songdo.com)

• The 68-story Northeast Asia Trade Tower, which will stand as Korea’s tallest building and most advanced corporate center.
• The recently opened and architecturally stunning Songdo Convensia, operating as Incheon’s primary convention center, is Korea’s largest column-free interior space. (I can see this from my living room window)
• 600 acres of open space including a 100-acre Central Park, providing a beautiful place of refuge and relaxation for those who live and work in the city. (picture slideshow on  ”Central Park” post)
• The Incheon Arts Center, a cultural complex housing a concert hall, opera house, museum of Asian contemporary art, a music conservatory, design school, artist in residence housing, and a library.
• The Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, co-developed with Kitson Partners, features an 18-hole championship golf course, a full clubhouse and a fitness center situated on a 228 acre site which will also include luxury villas and condominiums.
• Public and private schools including the completed Songdo International School (SIS) for students kindergarten through high school, offering a state-of-the-art learning environment and international perspectives to prepare them for leading post-secondary schools around the world.
• Songdo International City Hospital, planned to boast the latest in medical diagnosis and treatment technologies. Partners such as Microsoft and 3M will also participate in the development of this world class healthcare facility.

The Songdo International School is supposed to open up next month. I hope they need a science teacher