Courtyards
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Szondi utca 64: One of the Greenest Courtyards I have seen in Budapest
This courtyard, one of the greenest I’ve seen in Budapest, is hidden at Szondi utca 64, in the 6th district. The property manager (társasházkezelő) of this house changed a few years ago, leading to many improvements, including this amazing courtyard that you wouldn’t expect hidden behind a crumbling old facade. This house was designed by…
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Király Utca 70: Murder in the Architect’s Apartment
Yesterday, while conducting research in old newspapers about Király utca 70, I came across an article published in the Friss Ujság in 1928 titled “Horrific Robbery Murder on Király Street.” This crime occurred in the apartment of Pál Varsa, an architect who designed a house on Práter utca, a topic I previously posted about on…
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Nádor utca 36: The House of the Rimamurány-Salgótarján Steelworks
Nádor utca 36 is a building located nearby the Parliament. It was designed by Artúr Meinig and built in 1901 for the Rimamurányi-Salgótarjáni Vasmű Rt. (Rimamurány-Salgótarján Steelworks), a huge company responsible for steel production in northern Hungary. The company, often nicknamed “Rima” had its headquarters in this building and rented out the rest. The name…
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Lenhossék utca 5: Alcohol and Pocket Knife
This decaying apartment building is located at Lenhossék utca (formerly Szvetenay utca) 5, in an area that has long grappled with poverty and its associated issues, including criminality and drug addiction, rendering it still considered unsafe. However, this area is undergoing significant changes, with many old buildings being demolished and replaced by large condominiums. During…
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Székely Mihály utca 12: Second-Hand Stores and Stabbing in Terézváros
This old house is located at Székely Mihály utca 12. Prior to the war, this narrow street, then known as Kazár utca in Terézváros, the 6th district of Budapest, was bustling with second-hand stores selling clothing once owned by affluent individuals. Many of these shops were owned by Jews, with synagogues of Erzsébetváros nearby and…
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Csengery utca 80: A Decaying Treasure in Terézváros
Csengery utca 80, an old apartment building dating back to 1890 and designed by Sándor Sterk, is one of those timeless structures that evoke a bygone era. Interestingly, I stumbled upon an old information sheet hanging on the wall, featuring pre-1990 street names such as Lenin körút (Lenin Boulevard, now Teréz and Erzsébet Boulevards), Majakovszkij…
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Krúdy utca 2 : Art Nouveau & Contemporary Art
The house located at Krúdy Gyula utca 2, a small street of Józsefváros, boasts an exemplary piece of art nouveau architecture by Antal Hofhauser, completed in 1906-1907. François (Ferenc) Fiedler, a French painter of Hungarian descent, resided here from 1941 to 1945 before his move to Paris. Fiedler’s artistic journey began at a tender age,…
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Orczy út 27: Jakab Grünfeld’s Distillery
This house, situated at the intersection of Orczy út and Sárkány utca (specifically Orczy út 27), was once owned by the Grünfeld family, renowned for their success in the production and distribution of various alcoholic beverages such as pálinka, rum, and liquors. Jakab Grünfeld, the patriarch, operated a distillery and a tavern on this site.…
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Thököly út 10 : Hungarian Emigrants’ First Steps Toward the United States
The section of Thököly út between Keleti and Reiner Frigyes Park is, in my opinion, one of the most depressing areas in Budapest (if you go further you will find nice villas such as Thököly út 61). The deteriorating facades are darkened by pollution, and there are numerous stores and pubs that closed long ago.…
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Kossuth Lajos utca 4 : The Dreher-Palace
A few years ago, I used to enjoy drinking beer in summer before gradually switching to ‘fröccs’, a mix of soda water and white wine. Among the mass-produced Hungarian beers, my favorite was Dreher, especially their dark beer called ‘Bak’ But why am I writing about my taste for beer? Because this beautiful building known…
Buildings Tell Tales 