Explore the real-world places that appear in Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. Each location on the map shows what happens there in the novel, the real history of the place, and what's there today. Featured locations include H Mart Eugene, University of Oregon Campus, Spencer Butte, Willamette Valley, Michelle's Family Home and 10 more.
29th Avenue — The emotional heart of the memoir
H Mart becomes Michelle's sacred space after her mother Richie's death. She wanders the aisles searching for the specific Korean products her mother loved, crying among the shelves of gochujang, ramyeon, and frozen dumplings. The supermarket transforms into a place of mourning and connection—Michelle can access her mother's world through food, finding comfort in the sensory experience of the foods that defined their relationship. The title itself references these moments of grief in the Asian grocery store.
H Mart (Home Mart) is a major Asian supermarket chain founded in 1982 in New Jersey. The Eugene location opened in the 1990s and became a vital hub for the Asian American community in the Willamette Valley, providing authentic ingredients and cultural products.
H Mart Eugene remains open and operational, serving the local Asian American community with a full selection of Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asian groceries, prepared foods, and products. It continues to be a gathering place for families seeking authentic ingredients.
Visit: H Mart Eugene (landmark)
East 13th Avenue — Michelle's formative years
Michelle attended the University of Oregon, where she began forming her musical identity away from her family. The campus represents a space of independence and self-discovery, where she explored her artistic ambitions and began to separate from her mother's influence. Her time here shaped the musician and artist she would become, though the separation also created distance from her Korean heritage.
The University of Oregon was founded in 1876 and is the flagship campus of the University of Oregon system. It has become known for its strong music and arts programs, as well as its role in cultivating Pacific Northwest counterculture.
The University of Oregon remains a major research institution and cultural center in Eugene, with world-class music and arts facilities. The campus continues to attract students pursuing creative disciplines from across the country.
Visit: University of Oregon (landmark)
South Eugene — Natural refuge and reflection
Spencer Butte offers Michelle a place of solitude and nature during her grieving process. The hiking trails provide physical and emotional release as she processes her mother's illness and death. The natural landscape becomes therapeutic space where she can be alone with her thoughts and her pain.
Spencer Butte is a prominent 2,054-foot peak just south of Eugene. It has been a landmark for Indigenous peoples and settlers for centuries, offering panoramic views of the Willamette Valley and surrounding mountains.
Spencer Butte Regional Park is a popular hiking destination with maintained trails offering various difficulty levels. The park provides access to forest, meadows, and expansive views of the Cascade Range and surrounding valleys.
Visit: Spencer Butte Regional Park (park)
Surrounding Eugene — Agricultural backdrop and childhood landscape
The Willamette Valley landscape represents Michelle's Oregon home and childhood. The agricultural character of the region shapes her memories and sense of place. Though the memoir focuses on urban experiences, the valley's natural beauty provides the backdrop for her Pacific Northwest identity.
The Willamette Valley has been inhabited for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples including the Kalapuya. Following European settlement in the 1840s, it became one of America's most productive agricultural regions, known for berries, hazelnuts, and wine production.
The Willamette Valley remains a major agricultural hub and wine region, with hundreds of wineries, berry farms, and agricultural operations. It is a beautiful patchwork of farmland, small towns, and forests in the heart of Oregon.
Visit: Willamette Valley (landmark)
Eugene residential area — Childhood memories and loss
Michelle's family home in Eugene is the primary setting of the memoir's narrative. This is where she grew up with her mother Richie and father, where Korean cultural traditions were practiced, and where she witnessed her mother's cancer diagnosis and decline. The house represents the emotional epicenter of the family's tragedy and Michelle's journey of grief and reconciliation.
The residential neighborhoods of Eugene developed primarily in the mid-20th century as the city expanded beyond its downtown core. Many family homes from this era reflect post-war suburban American architecture and planning.
The Eugene residential neighborhood remains a quiet family area with tree-lined streets and single-family homes. The specific address is private and not publicly identified in the memoir.
Downtown Eugene — Organic and health-conscious community space
PCC represents the health-conscious, organic-focused culture of Eugene that influenced Michelle's approach to food and wellness. This alternative grocery store embodies the progressive values of the Pacific Northwest and contrasts with the traditional Korean food world of H Mart, representing the intersection of cultures that defined Michelle's identity.
PCC Natural Markets was founded in 1953 in Seattle and expanded to multiple locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Eugene's location opened in the 1980s as part of the city's thriving natural foods movement.
PCC Natural Markets Eugene operates as a community-owned cooperative, serving the local population with organic produce, natural products, and prepared foods. It remains a gathering place for health-conscious and environmentally aware consumers.
Visit: PCC Natural Markets (landmark)
East 13th Avenue — Intellectual sanctuary
Knight Library represents the intellectual and cultural resources available to Michelle during her university years. As a student exploring music and creative writing, the library's extensive collections provided inspiration and refuge. It symbolizes the pursuit of knowledge and artistic expression that defined her time at Oregon.
Knight Library opened in 1937 as the main library of the University of Oregon. The building has been expanded and renovated multiple times, becoming one of the largest academic libraries in the United States by the 2000s.
Knight Library continues to serve University of Oregon students and faculty with extensive print and digital collections, research spaces, and cultural programming. The historic building and its modern expansions remain central to campus life.
Visit: Knight Library (library)
Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard — Asian American cultural space
This cultural center represents the broader Asian American community presence in Eugene. Though not specifically mentioned in the memoir, it embodies the kind of institutional recognition of Asian heritage that was largely absent during much of Michelle's childhood in Oregon, highlighting the cultural isolation she sometimes felt.
The Oregon Nikkei Endowment was established to preserve the history and culture of Japanese Americans in Oregon, particularly those affected by internment during World War II. The building serves as a community and cultural center.
The Oregon Nikkei Endowment Building functions as a museum, gallery, and community center dedicated to Japanese American history and culture. It hosts exhibitions, educational programs, and community events.
Visit: Oregon Nikkei Endowment (museum)
Central business district — Urban exploration and growing up
Downtown Eugene represents the urban landscape of Michelle's formative years. Walking through the downtown core, visiting shops and restaurants, represents her exploration of American culture outside the family home. The downtown becomes the setting for her becoming American while grappling with her Korean heritage.
Eugene's downtown developed in the late 19th century following the arrival of the railroad. It became the commercial and cultural heart of the city, with the Willamette Street corridor as the main business district.
Downtown Eugene remains the cultural and commercial center of the city, with shops, restaurants, theaters, galleries, and public spaces. The area has undergone revitalization efforts to maintain its vibrancy and character.
Visit: Downtown Eugene (landmark)
East 13th Avenue — Creative formation and identity
The School of Music was central to Michelle's development as a musician and artist. Here she honed her musical skills, experimented with her sound, and began to build her professional identity independent from her family. The school represents the space where she could express herself creatively and discover her artistic voice.
The University of Oregon School of Music was established in the early 20th century and has grown into one of the nation's premier music education institutions. The Beall Concert Hall opened in 1982 as a centerpiece of the program.
The School of Music continues to offer comprehensive music education from undergraduate to doctoral levels. Its facilities include practice rooms, studios, and performance halls that serve students and the wider Eugene community.
Visit: University of Oregon School of Music (landmark)
Willamette Street — Alternative food culture
Whole Foods represents the progressive, health-conscious food culture of Eugene that contrasts with and sometimes conflicts with Michelle's Korean food heritage. The store embodies the American wellness movement that was central to the Pacific Northwest cultural identity Michelle grew up within.
Whole Foods Market was founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, and expanded nationally in the 1990s and 2000s. The Eugene location opened as part of the chain's expansion into the Pacific Northwest, a region particularly receptive to organic and natural food movements.
Whole Foods Market Eugene operates as a flagship location in the region, offering organic produce, prepared foods, and supplements. It remains a major grocery anchor in the Willamette Street shopping corridor.
Visit: Whole Foods Market (landmark)
Highway 99 area — Heritage and belonging
The Korean Cultural Center represents institutional Korean community presence in Eugene. While Michelle's relationship to her Korean heritage was complicated by growing up in a predominantly white area, such cultural centers provided spaces where Korean traditions could be practiced and celebrated. This space embodies the cultural bridge between Michelle's family identity and broader American society.
Korean Cultural Centers developed in many American cities during the late 20th century as Korean American populations grew. The Oregon center was established to preserve Korean cultural traditions and provide community support for Korean and Korean American residents.
The Korean Cultural Center of Oregon serves the local Korean American community with cultural classes, events, and programming celebrating Korean traditions, language, and heritage. It remains an important community gathering space.
Visit: Korean Cultural Center of Oregon (landmark)
South Eugene — University culture and community
Autzen Stadium represents the broader University of Oregon community and culture that Michelle was part of during her college years. The stadium embodies the school spirit and collective identity that contextualized her individual artistic development and personal growth.
Autzen Stadium opened in 1967 and has been the home of University of Oregon Ducks football. It has been expanded and renovated multiple times and remains one of the Pac-12's premier football venues.
Autzen Stadium continues to host University of Oregon football games and is a major focal point of school spirit and community gathering. The facility remains a state-of-the-art athletics venue.
Visit: Autzen Stadium (landmark)
West 8th Avenue — Medical crisis and mortality
The hospital becomes the setting for Richie's cancer treatment and eventual hospitalization. Michelle spends significant time here as her mother undergoes chemotherapy and fights her illness. The sterile hallways and clinical spaces represent the trauma of watching her mother's physical decline and confronting mortality for the first time.
PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center (formerly Lane County Hospital) was founded in 1877 and is one of Oregon's oldest hospitals. It has grown into a major medical center serving the Eugene-Springfield area.
PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center Eugene operates as a 443-bed acute care hospital providing comprehensive medical services to the community. It remains one of the region's major employers and healthcare providers.
East 13th Avenue — University identity and athletic tradition
Hayward Field represents the University of Oregon athletic and community traditions that formed part of Michelle's college experience. The historic track and field venue embodies institutional pride and the sense of belonging to a larger community that college provided during her formative years.
Hayward Field opened in 1919 and has been a center of University of Oregon athletics for over a century. It hosted the 2021 Olympic Trials for Track and Field and has been home to some of the nation's most successful distance running programs.
Hayward Field continues to serve as the home of University of Oregon track and field. The stadium underwent significant renovations and expansion in recent years, becoming a world-class athletic facility.
Visit: Hayward Field (landmark)
More by Michelle Zauner: All Michelle Zauner books
Other nearby maps: In Her Defense by Kate Wilhelm locations map