under which the Municipality of Józsefváros will support applicants for one year in cleaning up public spaces near their premises or related to their operations maintenance and improvement of green areas and in the continuous maintenance of a tidy state the full call for proposals with detailed information (in hungarian) can be found at the end of the news section of the website the applying person or organisation specifies which tasks they can and would like to carry out in which public spaces It is recommended that the public space chosen is close to the place of residence A programba jelentkezőkkel – a Közösségi Részvételi Iroda és a Józsefvárosi Gazdálkodási Központ Zrt (a továbbiakban: JGK Zrt.) munkatársai bevonásával – egyeztetjük a feladatok elvégzésének szakmai kritériumait és közösségi feladatait pedig szakmai segítséget nyújt a program ideje alatt The following tasks are envisaged for cooperation under the programme but applicants may make other commitments: condominiums/cooperative housingorganisation (legal person) with its seat and/or premises in Józsefvárosinstitution of JózsefvárosIndividuals over the age of 18 The maximum amount of support per application is HUF 300,000 or HUF 700,000 for the construction of a community composting facility.The form of aid is a non-repayable cash grant The period of adoption is one year from the date of conclusion of the Grant Agreement The amount of the grant awarded will be paid by means of post-financing How else does the municipality support the adopter will give its professional opinion on the implementation plan proposed by the adopting authority of the area during the period between the submission of the application and the award of the grant and will provide ongoing expert assistance in the implementation of the tasks set out in the agreement The Office for Community Participation advises the adopters on community development and community organisation and helps to build contacts between adopters creating opportunities for exchanges of experience Public space owned and managed by the Municipality of Józsefváros planters) maintained by the Municipality of Józsefváros and public space owned or managed by the Municipality of Budapest may be adopted The subject of the application is the purchase of equipment improvement of the green areas of the adopted public space Submission deadline: 30 June 2025.Valid applications must be submitted by the deadline specified in the call for applications by completing the application form and declarations attached to the call for applications in Hungarian and signed by the person entitled to do so.The application can be submitted:in person: at the Customer Service and Applications Office (1082 Budapest Baross utca 66-68.)by post to the Customer Service and Applications Office of the Social Relations Department of the Municipality of Józsefváros (1082 Budapest floor 310.) (date of postage no later than 30 June 2025)electronically by individuals via the Office/Government Gate at https://epapir.gov.hu and by sole proprietors and companies via the Company Gate pursuant to Section 9 (1) of Act CCXXII of 2015 on the General Rules of Electronic Administration and Trust Services through the electronic form at https://ohp-20.asp.lgov.hu/nyitolap or via the Office/Government Gate at https://epapir.gov.hu.Please save the documents uploaded with the ‘pdf’ extension.On the envelope or in the subject line please indicate the applicant and the title of the application: Adopt a public space in Józsefváros – 2025Once the applications have been received contact will be made with the applicants and the technical coordination of the applications will be ongoing etc.) in the public space.The applicant may indicate in their application if they require a public waste bin and/or a litter bin for the improvement of the public area concerned in which case the Municipality of Józsefváros will provide them.If the regular maintenance and cleaning of the adopted area is preceded by a minor renovation (planting within the time limit specified in the grant agreement.In the case of the installation renovation or any other change to public furniture (e.g a settlement image procedure must be carried out pursuant to the Municipal Decree 2/2022 (I.20.) of the Municipal Council of the Municipality of Józsefváros When placing furniture in the public space a minimum free lane of 2 metres must be left on the paved surface to ensure a safe pedestrian surface and the provisions of Article 39 (2) and (3) of Government Decree No 253/1997 (XII.20.) on national urban planning and building requirements (OTÉK) must be observed.Furthermore in the case of public spaces owned by both the district and the capital the temporary placement of containers is subject to the existence of a public space use permit which requires a decision by the competent municipal committees. In the case of green areas owned and managed by the Municipality of Budapest adoption is only possible in areas which do not belong to the areas of priority public green areas according to the Municipal Decree 14/1993 (IV.30.) of the General Assembly of the Municipality of Budapest If the applicant submits an application to take into care a green area or dog run owned and managed by the capital or to place furniture in public areas the consent of the capital’s operator must be obtained before the conclusion of the grant contract following the evaluation of the application it is possible to apply for funding to set up a public the maximum grant amount is HUF 700,000.It is important to note that only organisations (legal entities) or institutions based in the district of Józsefváros may apply for the establishment of community composting facilities If you would like to set up a composting facility as a private person or as a representative of a condominium building you can apply at: https://jozsefvaros.hu/otthon/hirdetotabla/hirek/2025/03/palyazzon-komposztladara-iden-is/When designing a community compost bin it is necessary to ensure that the composting area is fenced the composting bins are lockable and that a concept for its operation is provided (expected load For guidance on the technical parameters and operation of the compost bins see the document at the end of this news item.When selecting a site prior consultation with the Urban and Green Office and JGK Zrt is required before submitting an application.In the event of a successful application the applicant organisation undertakes to conclude an operating agreement with the municipality on the details of the operation the establishment of the community composting facility will be subject to the existence of an operating agreement please contact us on +36 1 459 2111 or by e-mail at zoldpalyazat@iozsefvaros.hu For any other technical questions regarding the application please contact us on +36 1 459 2116 or by e-mail at halmos.zsuzsa@jozsefvaros.hu We only use cookies (data stored in your browser) when necessary to make our sites smarter for you. Please click the Accept button after reading the Privacy Policy! The new research centre of Semmelweis University is planned to be built on the land bordered by Kőris utca-Diószegi utca-Dugonics utca-Kálvária utca and on the site of small buildings that are ready for demolition and the block rehabilitation will result in an open A public consultation was held from 19 June to 10 July 2024. A total of 238 people filled in the questionnaire. The quantifiable results of the questionnaire are summarised in this website article. you can see the whole public’s feedback and responses The questions were answered by the Municipality of Józsefváros and Semmelweis University depending on who is responsible for the issue Based on the public feedback from the Municipality of Józsefváros the National Planning Council and the public consultation the designers took a structural engineer on a tour of the surrounding buildings The problems they identified were reported to the joint representatives and the planned construction is not dependent on their correction The investors are also carrying out preparatory structural analysis and drilling for groundwater measurements get first-hand information about the investment the Metropolitan Government Office decided (on the basis of the submitted application) to carry out the construction permit procedure for the Semmelweis University Research Centre and the demolition permit procedure for the demolition of the existing already vacated buildings and parts of buildings This means that residents have the possibility to register as clients This is important because only those who are considered as clients can participate in the building or demolition permit procedure (access documents you can read about your rights in Józsefváros if construction starts in your neighbourhood: Get quality reporting directly into your inbox The October investigation by Direkt36 uncovered how the consortium led by the company EU-Line had falsely claimed to have done similar construction work when they bid for the 1 billion forint (US$ 3.4 million) contract in the Hungarian capital’s Jozsefvaros district a citizen activist known for peppering authorities with criminal complaints based on news reports contacted police after reading Direkt36’s report The investigation is being conducted by the Budapest Metropolitan Police’s anti-corruption unit the police press office told Direkt36 in a written statement on Tuesday Falsifying documents is punishable with up to one year in prison under Hungary’s criminal code The clinic’s renovation was finished at the end of 2015 a prominent politician of the governing Fidesz party told Direkt36 in a September statement that they had no plans to look into the procurement ”It’s not the municipality’s responsibility to check tender bidders’ ownership structures or the truthfulness of their references,” the municipality said The municipality and EU-line did not respond to questions sent by Direkt36 after it was revealed police were conducting an investigation EU-Line was awarded a new contract by Jozsefvaros following Direkt36’s story on the clinic the municipality signed a 35 million forint contract with the company to renovate a local kindergarten The municipality did not respond to questions from Direkt36 about the deal Support from readers like you helps OCCRP expose organized crime and corruption around the world you’ll be directly supporting investigative journalism as a public good You’ll also gain access to exclusive insights and benefits Learn how smuggled Dunhill cigarettes are financing jihadists linked to the Islamic State group and al-Qaida in West.. Authorities seized 186 tonnes of cut tobacco and nearly 14 million cigarettes in raids on several illicit cigarette.. During a three months-long operation targeting dark web marketplaces Europol and law enforcement agencies from Italy,.. The plan for the arrangement of Déri Miksa Street in the 8th district of Budapest was born in 2018 for which the local council won the support in the 2018 TÉR-KÖZ tender of the Capital City of Budapest The goal was to create a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly street that could be reborn as a new “main street” in the area with its new green spaces sophisticated street furniture and tidy surroundings The concept focused on the significant transformation of the usability of the street the creation of a wider transport area for pedestrians and the creation of a more shady environment the local council also prepared the plans with the Korzó Studio The new district leadership changed its vision in 2020 The aim of the development is to create a pedestrian-friendly promenade on the section of Déri Miksa Street between Nagy Fuvaros and Fecske Street - we found out about jozsefvarosujsag.hu This will be the case of Déri Miksa street after the renovation (Source: megujuloderiutca.hu) The new promenade has been shaped by community design a steam gate and a drinking fountain on site A tube house will be built next to the playground to make the space safer and more usable There will also be a washbasin in the area and part of the playground will be converted into a gym a gazebo will be built next to the pipe house which will serve as a community meeting place - writes megujuloderiutca.hu.  this is what the promenade will look like (Source: megujuloderiutca.hu) 59 trees will also be planted during the works Another important aspect was the creation of a public space that also offers long-term solutions to the effects of climate change Some of the rainwater is diverted to green areas which evaporates to cool the city and reduce the need for irrigation Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2022.  Cover photo: Create a pedestrian-friendly promenade on the section of Déri Miksa Street between Nagy Fuvaros and Fecske Street (Source: megujuloderiutca.hu)  © 2025 Látóhatár Kiadó Lap-és Könyvkiadó Kft On the instructions of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops’ Conference the Government of Hungary would build a new campus for Pázmány Péter Catholic University on the former site of the Hungarian Radio This project is designated as a priority project under Hungarian law and is planned to be completed by September 2027 The project which aims to expand and develop the educational facilities of the Pázmány Péter Catholic University This will not only determine the architectural environment of the Palotanegyed (i.e. but also local society and the everyday experience and quality of life of the people living there The new campus could only fit into Palotanegyed if it is designed in a meaningful dialogue with its neighbours and if it is built in the spirit of consensus.  the Municipality of Józsefváros carried out a public consultation to find out the views of the residents of the area on the project The form for submitting an opinion can be found here. The consultation ran from 10 April to 10 May 2024 Residents could fill in the questionnaire online and in person Two public forums were held during the consultation. These can be viewed on the municipality’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jozsefvaros.hu/videos Staff and volunteers of the Office of Community Participation also personally visited residents of directly affected houses and placed leaflets and posters in houses throughout the Palotanegyed A brief summary of the results of the consultation based on the responses received is given below with a more detailed breakdown of the responses from the residents of Palotanegyed but you can read a detailed summary of the consultation in the document at the end of this website news A total of 1191 people completed the public questionnaire on the plans for the Pázmány campus 20 organisations completed the questionnaire addressed to organisations More than half of the respondents do not live in Józsefváros The percentage of respondents who live in the Palotanegyed is 29.58 percent (of which 13.53 percent live in directly affected houses) The percentage of respondents who live in Józsefváros but not in directly affected houses is 13.61 percent 43.19 per cent (514 people) of the respondents live in Józsefváros.In terms of age the most active age groups were the 12-24 age group and the 45-54 age group the other age groups were almost equally likely to share their views by completing the questionnaire Opinions on the new campus of Pázmány Péter Catholic University  43.1 percent of all respondents did not support the project and 12.7 percent of respondents only partially supported it When looking at support by place of residence it is clear that respondents living in directly affected houses have significantly higher rates of refusal than those not directly affected and higher rates of partial support than those not living in the district Those who do not live in Józsefváros have the highest rate of support for the project If we look specifically only at the responses of those who live in Palotanegyed we see that 52% do not support the project 22% partially support it and 26% support it Summary of issues related to the demolition of the buildings concerned For each of the affected buildings to be demolished respondents were asked how much and in what form they support their demolition or use More than half of the respondents do not support the demolition of the former Hungarian Radio building in any form and would prefer to see it renovated Apart from the former Hungarian Radio building the buildings least supported for demolition are 25/a and 25/b Szentkirályi utca and 27 respondents support the use of the buildings instead of demolition If we look only at the responses of those living in Palotanegyed we can see that in their case the support for renovation and use of buildings is even higher We also wanted to know how respondents felt about the spaces and functions proposed in the plans for the demolition of each building To what extent they supported their creation and how they felt about the demolition plans for the spaces to be developed to fulfill these functions we can see that the respondents are most opposed to the construction of a sports hall with 200 seats and a grandstand on the basement level -4 of the new educational block The construction of the sports hall would cause the demolition of  the Studio Palace the Central Radio Office Building and the bunker the fitness room and the dormitory are considered less favoured ideas more than half of the respondents are open to demolition The responses of respondents show that there is greater support for functions that do not involve the demolition of a building If we look only at the opinion of those who live in Palotanegyed we see that they are even more opposed to certain functions they are more opposed to the planned underground parking garage Respondents were also asked about their views on the planned changes of public spaces looking at the responses of all respondents more than half of them are in favour of the renovation of all the public spaces concerned The highest level of support is for the planned transformation of Pollack Mihály tér the proportion of partial support is very high for all projects (18.6-21.5 percent) Support for the renewal of Pollack Mihály tér is also high among the residents of Palotanegyed but we find that there is a higher level of no or partial support for plans to renew public spaces on other streets When we asked respondents to describe what they would change about their plans for the public space the most popular requests were for greening and preserving access to parking how satisfied are you with the plans for the Pázmány campus At the end of the questionnaire on the plans we also wanted to know how the plans for the campus were assessed overall in the light of the previous findings Respondents were asked to rate their overall satisfaction with the plans on a scale of 1 to 6 The responses show that 54 percent of respondents gave a score of 3 or less (36 percent of whom were not at all satisfied) while 27 percent were very satisfied with the plans they saw.  looking at the responses of the respondents in Palotanegyed 71% of respondents gave a score of 3 or less (of which 49% were not at all satisfied) while only 15% were very satisfied with the plans they saw The full summary of the opinion can be viewed and downloaded here: Summary of results (only in hungarian) the Municipality of Józsefváros presented the summary of the opinion to the representatives of the Ministry of Construction and Transport and Pázmány Péter Catholic University The municipality will carry out durability tests on the directly affected houses This is to determine exactly how much they are at risk from planned and unsubsidized demolitions Once the results of the durability tests have been established Municipality of Józsefváros Office of Community Participation the Austrian-owned Central Railways in Pest had a railway station on the site of today's Nyugati (Western) Railway Station while the Southern Railways had a station in Buda on the site of today's Southern Railway Station the Hungarian Northern Railways' station opened in Józsefváros on 19 May 1867 All three railway stations were owned by private railway companies more precisely in the direction of Hatvan – Salgótarján – Losonc and its Pest railway station was located at the intersection of Kőbányai and Fiumei Road meaning it was a station from which trains would not go any further At the opening of the Northern Railways' station in 1867 in the 1 September 1867 issue of the Vasárnapi Ujság  The creation of the railway line did not go without troubles it is no coincidence that the 1 September 1867 issue of the Vasárnapi Ujság wrote about it: which was originally established as the famous Imperial Royal Patent Pest-Losonc-Banská Bystrica Railway and St as the whole construction was already characterised by scandals and financial problems private railways were usually built in such a way that the state guaranteed profits with a standard guaranteed income of 5 per cent of the capital invested each year the state wanted to promote very capital-intensive railway construction Licenses were usually issued by the state from the outset in such a way that the line passed to the state after a certain patent period which was also offset by this interest subsidy Józsefváros in the 1890s (Source: Fortepan/ Budapest Archives which received a 90-year concession to operate the railway line did not have enough money to provide the security deposit required for the interest rate insurance The bank that managed its shares and bonds went bankrupt in 1865 which almost dragged the entire railway company but at that time the Austrian state rescued it and it was unable to pay any instalments that were mandatory for shareholders the Hungarian government formed as a result of the Compromise was responsible which finally decided not to save the railway line the Hungarian state railway company was formed which took the name of the Hungarian Royal State Railways on 31 October 1869 The station again as a passenger railway station in 1936 (Photo: FSZEK Budapest Collection)  With the acquisition of the Northern Railway the Hungarian transport policy changed fundamentally which had a significant impact on Budapest as well The fact that the state-owned railway station was in the southeastern part of the city helped to decide where the railway bridge should be in Budapest if it had been built in the north according to the original plans it would have connected the (present) Nyugati (Western) and Déli (Southern) railway stations and the connection over the Danube would have been controlled by foreign companies if the connection between the two halves of the country is established in the south including the Hungarian state-owned MÁV railway line then the strategically important railway line and the bridge will remain in the hands of the Hungarian state and by 1877 the connecting railway and the Connecting Railway Bridge were built in the south The train station in 1951 (Photo: Fortepan/No.: 3630)  later Józsefvárosi railway station remained the MÁV's capital railway station accordingly from 1882 its name became Budapest railway station the station was only a forced passenger railway station it was intended to be a freight station from the outset so MÁV have thought of building a representative central railway station for themselves instead of a station almost since they were formed in 1884 the new MÁV railway station was opened which took over the role of the Józsefváros railway station so the latter was used exclusively as a freight station and from 1936 to 2005 it also operated as an additional passenger station The last passenger train left on the evening of 10 December 2005 from there Cover photo: At the opening of the railway station (Source: FSZEK Budapest Collection) The investigation by Direkt36 and Uruguayan journalist Jimena Abad found a consortium led by EU-Line Zrt made false claims prior to being awarded a contract by Budapest’s Jozsefvaros municipality in January 2015 to renovate a local clinic the consortium was obliged to prove it had conducted similar work beforehand in order to be eligible for the 1 billion forint (US$ 3.67 million) contract had renovated a clinic in the Uruguayan city of Pando But documents and interviews show that a reference provided by Medicor which is owned by Hungarian-born Laszlo Hidvegi misled municipal authorities over the nature of the work The reference claimed that Medicor had previously installed an elevator in the Uruguay clinic – fulfilling a requirement by Jozsefvaros officials that contractors have carried out such work before But both official records and interviews revealed that not only had the company not done the work but that the clinic had no elevator in the first place When contacted by a Direkt36 reporter and confronted with this what’s important is that the construction is over and (the facility) functions.” Hidvegi refused to answer further questions Companies that submit false information in bidding procedures can be banned from procurements for years The municipality of Jozsefvaros said in a statement that it was under no obligations to check the truthfulness of procurement references “The construction was carried out in order,” the municipality said The renovation of the health center now means “the patients of Jozsefvaros are treated in a modern health centre,” it said is set to pay US$97 million to resolve allegations that it.. The State of New York filed on Tuesday civil charges against an opioid manufacturer for fraudulently overrating the efficacy.. The Troika Laundromat supported an Armenian lifestyle magazine started by Gor Nakhapetyan [A cikk magyar változatát itt találja: https://jozsefvaros.hu/otthon/hirdetotabla/hirek/esemenyek/2023/10/multikulturalis-jozsefvaros-meseld-el-te-is-a-torteneted/] the storytelling series My Józsefváros welcomes participants and listeners on 26 October 2023 in Népszínház utca The choice of location and theme goes hand in hand – there is hardly a wider showcase for the multicultural Józsefváros than the legendary Népszínház utca there is no doubt that cultural diversity is a great asset – it teaches us to be attentive You could say: the world and history come to your house Józsefváros is perhaps the most diverse district in Budapest and it is certainly this diversity that is one of its main attractions But how does all this translate into public spaces How do small and large groups of people interact and influence each other lifelong encounters and gigantic misunderstandings are the result of so many different cultures and communities living together in such a large area We welcome both storytellers and listeners Do you have a story that you think is unmissable Would you like someone else to tell your story a Hungarian interpreter will be provided whenever possible At the Office Community Participation’s public storytelling evenings funniest or most memorable story in 5-10 minutes You don’t need to be a professional speaker or a skilled actor The point is to share the special anecdotes and stories of Józsefváros with people who know the district from personal experience and everyday life Send your story by email to enjozsefvarosom@gmail.com by Friday 20 October 2023 We will then contact you and help you to take the microphone with confidence and tell your story the way you want to Have a good story but don’t want to be featured write “for reading” and “with or without name” printed out and will be free to read at the My Józsefváros events someone else will tell your story at the event but would like to hear someone else’s story You’re very welcome – you don’t have to have a story to take part We’re looking forward to hearing from the best listeners if you’d like to get to know your neighbors from a different angle Call us at +36 1/459 2139 or email reszvetel@jozsefvaros.hu your story will be added to the oral history collection of the Józsefváros Museum and thus to the history of Józsefváros The patron of the event is Gergely Litkai Karinthy-ringed comedian Summary of our activities in 2020 including information partnerships and dialogues with the local community Magyar nyelvű összefoglalók munkánkról // Summary about our work in Hungarian: 2020. március-június >>> 2020. június-augusztus >>> 2020. szeptember-november >>> Józsefváros was originally born as a suburb of Budapest bustling with commerce and industry and it was named after Emperor Joseph II in 1777 The district has traditionally been culturally and socially diverse welcoming many ethnic and religious minorities and migrants Today it is home to around 80,000 residents and has one of the largest Roma populations in the capital There is also a big Chinese community living and working here and many refugees and migrants start out their life in our city in this district The 8th district is among the poorest parts of Budapest with unemployment above the Budapest average and the poorest pensioners living here The district has one of the largest social housing stocks in Budapest with around 10% of the total housing stock in the district Most municipal units are in miserable condition because of the neglect of the past 70 years while the district is also undergoing heavy gentrification Józsefváros was hit hard by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic According to a phone-based survey in Józsefváros in July 51% of respondents said that the financial situation of their household got worse because of the pandemic 19% of the respondents under the age of 65 lost their jobs Altogether 37% of respondents were affected existentially (financially) by the pandemic by either losing their jobs being on unpaid leave or losing some form of income among other reasons the poorest residents were the most affected by the crisis: 60% of those with less than 100.000 HUF (around 300 EUR) household income and only 28% of those with more than 400.000 HUF (around 1100 EUR) household income reported negative financial impact Self-governance means that citizens can collectively and autonomously shape their own physical and social environment and their own future and are able to have a say in the decisions that affect them municipal governments are the most widespread institutionalized form of self-governance local governments have moved away from this original purpose and are operating increasingly as bureaucratic institutions isolated from local residents While local governments are especially important institutions of representative democracy using the principles and tools of participatory democracy offers an opportunity for citizens to reclaim these institutions and for municipalities to serve their original function in a more sensitive and meaningful way It is the shared responsibility of citizens and municipalities that local governments receive proper feedback about their work and become more open to the needs Creating a more participatory municipality is the goal and at the same time tool to make sure that public life and politics belong to everyone and that nobody is excluded from the political community because of their age mental or physical condition or any other reason Today “participation” is a buzzword often used by politicians but its actual meaning often remains vague mayor András Pikó’s program placed great emphasis on involving residents more in running the municipality But participation does not mean that it is the mayor personally who solves all the problems as this would make his functioning virtually impossible Quite the opposite: a well-functioning local government does not need residents to advocate for their problems individually there is a system in place for residents to share their criticism and find the appropriate channels and platforms to address their needs By striving for a more participatory local governance we not only expect the experience of democracy to improve for residents but we also believe that by we can come up with new efficient and just solutions to our shared challenges What is the Office of Community Participation the assembly of the 8th district created the Office of Community Participation as part of the Mayor’s Cabinet to dedicate resources to the development of the culture of participation in our district The main aim of the Office is to strengthen the communities of Józsefváros and engage local residents in common decisions The main principles of the Office are the following: In order to offer adequate and transparent information to Józsefváros residents our task is to create client friendly surfaces and channels of communication and make sure that the operation of the municipality is understandable and transparent to everyone We are also charged with implementing consultative processes on behalf of the leadership of the municipality to involve residents in the decisions that affect their lives We organize and support events and programs that create opportunities for the municipality and local residents to engage in constructive dialogue including community meetings and public hearings In order to foster partnerships between local residents civil society organizations and the municipality we design and monitor processes that lead to mutual decision-making around specific issues including participatory budgeting and community-based planning our Office consists of four staff members including a head of office a community organizer and two assistants and we also work in close cooperation with the head of communications of the municipality Address: Józsefvárosi Polgármesteri Hivatal (Baross utca 63-67.) Fsz jozsefvaros.hu/civil jozsefvaros.hu/szoljon-bele jozsefvaros.hu/hasznos facebook.com/reszveteliiroda The aim of thematic forums and community meetings is to create opportunities for local residents to meet directly with their elected representatives and municipal officials to participate in shaping the life of the district by asking them questions expressing their opinions and voicing their criticism our plan is to hold at least one community meeting in each of the 9 neighborhoods of Józsefváros every year We ended up organizing the following thematic –    forum about film shootings in public spaces (approx 50 residents) – part of the long-term consultation about the local legislation regarding film shootings in public spaces –    forum about the house rules of municipal public housing units (approx 30 participants) – part of the long-term consultation about the house rules of municipal public housing units –    online forum about public safety (approx 100 participants) – information and Q & A about security cameras in public spaces –    hybrid forum in cooperation with the Office of Urban Architecture about the Integrated Local Development Strategy (approx –    online forum about new rules regarding public parking (100 participants) – part of the long-term consultation regarding new parking rules –    urban walk and workshop to generate ideas as part of the participatory budgeting of the municipality of Budapest (15 participants) –    forum about the trees and greenery around Rókus hospital (approx 10 participants) – our role was to prepare decisionmakers for the facilitation of the forum –    3 offline community forums in three neighborhoods of Józsefváros (Orczy negyed –    2 online community forums in two neighborhoods of Józsefváros (Losonci negyed and Százados negyed –    3 online mayoral forums (followed by several hundred people each time) 20 participants) in cooperation with the municipal clerk’s office (mandated by law) Community programs are events that help the residents of Józsefváros come together and are great opportunities to generate new encounters among residents and the municipality We implemented the following programs in cooperation with the Józsefváros Közösségeiért Nonprofit Zrt Commemoration of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day: wreath-laying ceremony 100 participants)Day of Hungarian Culture: urban walk and community recitals in cooperation with C8 Civilians for Józsefváros (approx – Outdoor community movie screenings in Teleki tér (9 occasions 550 participants) – this was the only widely available public event in the district after the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic – Strengthening gender equality by naming public spaces after important women we initiated the naming of two public squares after Júlia Brunszvik (co-founder of the first nursery school in Hungary) and Vilma Hugonnai (the first female medical doctor) we organized public naming ceremonies for both with the participation of around 100 people – Community clean-up in various parts of the district with a total of 90 participants – Supporting biking as an alternative form of transportation Free breakfast for cyclists in cooperation with the Hungarian Cyclists’ Club (approx Biking around Józsefváros for beginners in cooperation with the Hungarian Cyclists’ Club (5 occasions – Showcasing the historical significance and architectural heritage of Józsefváros Budapest100 programs in Józsefváros celebrating local communities in cooperation with the Contemporary Center of Architecture (3 venues Day of Places of Remembrance – urban walk in the 8th district in cooperation with Beyond Budapest (2 occasions – Coronavirus through children’s eyes Open call for drawings and other works of art by children award ceremony and permanent exhibition in the municipality (18 entries) We place great emphasis on the widespread dissemination of municipal information in a plain and accessible way our aim is to make sure that citizens understand the processes communities and civil society to have a say in the decisions that affect them for an institution that calls itself client friendly opportunities and information reach even the most vulnerable citizens We are convinced that because of the sociological features of the 8th district there is a great need for the intensive use of offline tools of communication We cooperate with other municipal companies in the production and dissemination of these materials a)    Short information materials – 23 in total https://old.jozsefvaros.hu/hasznos https://old.jozsefvaros.hu/civil In 2020 we created summaries and information materials about all of the decisions of the municipality that affect the wider public c)    Infopoint posters – 25 A1 posters in 34 different places in the district (updated twice a month) d)    Municipal newsletter – 15 newsletters to 3000 addresses consultations and information of public interest – booklet on municipally owned public housing (in process) – booklet for volunteers under the pandemic (online distribution) f)    Information boards in residential buildings (1500 pieces) – production and maintenance of information boards containing useful information such as the contact information of the local representative g)    Coronavirus-related information (posters and online information in Hungarian and 6 foreign languages) – email to custodians of residential buildings – posters in all buildings of Józsefváros – posters in community institutions and stores h)    Supervision of film shootings in public spaces – public information for residents for 12 film shootings approved in the district – changing information boards on kindergartens – regularizing public information regarding the cutting down and planting of trees The aim of surveys is to collect information to prepare and improve municipal interventions – Survey about the impact of the coronavirus (690 respondents) – “The social status of Józsefváros residents and the diagnosis of the municipal institutional system” (in progress) 1 phone-based public opinion survey among 1000 Józsefváros adults 6 focus groups with 8-10 participants each The aim of needs assessment is to understand what people need before a specific program or intervention is implemented –    Survey about the needs of female employees of the municipality (online –    Dog owners’ needs (online & offline –    Participation needs of local residents about their preferred forms of communication and interaction with elected representatives (online & offline –    Needs and feedback regarding the Tolnai recreation park (in process) The aim of evaluation is to see how people like an intervention –    Evaluation questionnaires regarding our urban biking programs for beginners (25 respondents) –    Development of Népszínház utca (in progress) We have initiated long-term consultations in a number of topics in 2020 to be able to make decisions in a collaborative way The process of our consultations usually takes the following form: – Informing and lobbying decision makers about the summary of needs and opinions to make sure that these are included in the preparation of policies or legislation – Supporting the implementation of the final political decisions Our consultations in 2020 were in the following topics: –    Consultation regarding the shooting of films in public spaces (number of survey respondents: 766 number of participants in public forum: 50 people) –    Consultation about the house rules of municipally owned public housing (number of survey respondents: 100 number of participants in public forum: 30 people) –    Consultation about the reform of public parking (participants in review: 42 We also help the municipality to gain insights both orally and in writing from the public regarding strategies The process of public reviews usually takes the following form: – Creating a form for opinions and input – Collecting opinions and inputs and summarizing them for the decision makers – Cooperation with the relevant municipal officials (especially where the law mandates public review) We facilitated the following public reviews in 2020: –    Public review of the Józsefváros Civil Strategy (number of reviewers: 12 organizations) –    Public Review of the Integrated Local Development Strategy (supporting the work of the Urban Architecture Office) –    Review of housing strategy by housing organizations and community groups (in progress) The call for ideas or ideas competition offers an opportunity for people to provide ideas for a program or intervention we took part in the promotion of the call for ideas in the participatory budgeting project of the municipality of Budapest In 2020 we organized several direct community votes where local residents were able to both vote and make the final decision about a specific topic –    Children’s drawing competition (in the end –    For the Communities of Józsefváros Award (number of voters: 789) –    Choosing a new play instrument for the Pom-Pom playground (number of participants: 64) One of our most important tasks is to encourage local residents to work together for issues that are important for all of us and support the making of connections between people living in the district we recruited around 100 volunteers who helped the municipality to respond to the crisis such as putting up posters helping people fill out forms for social assistance helping people in official quarantine and running our toll-free helpline We also helped recruit volunteers for the community-based planning of Déri Miksa utca where a total of 16 volunteers helped with flyering door-to-door recruitment and other smaller things Under the second wave of the pandemic in the fall we worked again with volunteers to help Józsefváros residents in need we have 22 active volunteers who help with the toll-free helpline we created a strategy for comprehensive volunteer management Our aim is to have a solid base of volunteers who can help the local community outside of the pandemic Our work during the pandemic has been acknowledged by two organizations: The Hungarian National Association of Local Authorities (TÖOSZ) has included our project titled “Community help network under the pandemic” among the 19 best practices in Hungary Our spring volunteer activities were awarded with a certificate of excellence by the Volunteer Center Foundation We created the Facebook group Józsefváros Comes Together where members of the local community can help and inform each other c)    Supporting local businesses and civic groups We have put out calls for small local entrepreneurs family-owned businesses and civic communities to promote their services and activities and to encourage local residents to support the local economy We have coordinated numerous municipal campaigns to solicit in-kind (e.g equipment for digital learning etc.) and financial donations to support the residents of the district in need and we supported the similar activities of other branches of the municipality e)    Community development among dog owners In 2010 we started the first steps of a long-term community development process to find those dog owners who are ready to help us create a district with less dog poop on our streets and a better relationship between people with and without dogs We assessed the needs of dog owners with the help of an online and offline survey talked to many local dog owners and also joined all the relevant Facebook groups in the district We have been participating in working out the details of a large social rehabilitation EU grant related to the development of dog runs in a specific part of the 8th district Every year the Municipality of Józsefváros awards people and communities who have contributed to the district in an outstanding way We participated in the reform of the municipal awards which are now the following: Honorary Citizen We promoted the nomination process of the awards in the community and received a total of 84 nominations at the proposal of the working group on the civil strategy the local assembly created a new award called For the Communities of Józsefváros which is a 100% community award: community members are free to nominate and the final decision is also made through a direct community vote we received nominations for 12 organizations two community organizations were selected for the award with a total number of 789 valid votes It is important for the Józsefváros municipality that local communities and NGOs become strong and active This is why we have created a working group to create the civic strategy of the district which has not existed for the past 30 years The main aim of the strategy is to make the cooperation between the municipality and local civic organizations and communities open and transparent The strategy was made available for public for review We received inputs from 12 different organizations which we included in the final version of the strategy we also participated in the dissemination of the call for proposals for local civic sport and ethnic organizations and we coordinated the independent review of these grant applications We also started to build a closer relationships with the civic organizations working in the district We had one-on-one conversations with the following organizations: Rosa Parks Foundation We have created an online municipal newsletter for civic organization that we disseminate among interested local organizations We started our toll-free number service on March 17 2020 as a response to the emergency created by the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic the number could be reached every day between 8am and 8pm and people could ask for any help or information We also added an online form for residents to ask for help during the first wave of the pandemic the number’s availability changed to 8am to 6pm weekdays and then during the second wave we boosted the number of available lines to be able to help people who are lonely or need longer conversations The calls are received by volunteers as well as employees of the municipality or the municipality’s companies who volunteer for the job The requests are processed either by the person on duty directly by the local social institutions or by the maintenance company of the municipality Our office is responsible for coordinating the calls training the volunteers and also for quality assurance we received 3500 calls (which corresponds to about 4000-4500 cases because many callers ask for help or information in many different areas) b)     Management of citizen requests at the mayoral cabinet we have started to coordinate a system for managing the requests by local residents who contact the mayoral cabinet by email or mail in cooperation offer solutions to the problems and create statistical analyses to understand the needs and opinions of local residents We participated in the development of the principles for running the Józsefváros app an application that helps residents report problems in public spaces more efficiently 2021 we will take over the coordination of the app with the help of local companies responsible for public security and public space maintenance and other organizational units d)    Towards a human-centered municipality and bureaucracy In the second half of 2020 we participated in writing the Quality Management Manual of the municipality where we have been designated as the unit responsible for the assessment of clients’ needs and satisfaction We have started to develop a system of customer management that goes beyond the legally mandated minimum and aims to provide services that meet their needs In 2020 we created a working group with municipal employees and external experts to write the concept paper for running the local participatory budgeting process While the economic crisis caused by the pandemic did not make it possible to put this in practice we hope that the budget of 2022 will make it possible for us to start this long-term process We created a proposal for the reform of the H13 Center for Students and Entrepreneurs to make sure that it truly serves Józsefváros residents including more vulnerable communities and also works in a more efficient way We have been the co-coordinators of the development plan for II an important park in our district that is full of opportunities for social interaction We have been working in close cooperation with the municipal social services system to support local residents under the pandemic and have led weekly meetings with the leaders of local social institutions to design support schemes for the most vulnerable residents You can read about the summary and evaluation of four participatory processes that took place in 2020 here >>> We have analyzed the survey about the new plans of the Harminckettesek tere The majority of respondents support the concept of a coherent the planning of the square will continue and the received suggestions will be incorporated into the final plans where it’s possible We want the central square of Józsefváros to be recreated as a green where residents can spend and enjoy their time the planning of the Harminckettesek tere continues The suggestions and needs of the residents were taken into account and a comprehensive study of the traffic order in the Corvin negyed was carried out The final plans will be finalised by the planners and the rules for the area will be defined in such a way that the following conditions are met: Why is it important to redesign the Harminckettesek tere liveable neighbourhoods have been created in Józsefváros such as the Palotanegyed from Szabó Ervin tér to Mikszáth Kálmán tér and Lőrinc pap tér This continues with the forthcoming renewal of Krúdy utca Similar projects can be fund in other parts of the district like Mátyás tér Corvin Sétány and the recently renovated Horváth Mihály tér The main goal of the experimental design and the long term plans for the Harminckettesek tere is to connect the Harminckettesek tere to this pedestrian path How was the survey about the new plans and experimental design carried out We asked the residents about the square from 15 November to 15 December 2023. Residents could fill out the survey online and in person with the help of the volunteers from the Municipality of Józsefváros the staff from RÉV8 Zrt and the Office of Community Participation We visited the residential buildings in the square and its close neighborhood we left leaflets with the QR-code of the survey On 28 November 2023, residents also had the opportunity to see the plans and give their opinions to the Józsefváros Municipality and RÉV8 colleagues, as well as to the designer, at a plan presentation forum. The video of the event can be found here. A total of 655 residents answered our questions in the survey of which 618 (607 in Hungarian and 11 in English) filled out online and 37 in person The pie chart below shows where the respondents live: The largest part of the respondents were of active working age the age distribution can be seen in the graph below: Two-thirds of the respondents were either very or very satisfied with the experimental design The opinions and suggestions received for the experimental design can be summarised as follows: If there is a similar project in the district we will use these experiences during the process The Municipality of Józsefváros has entrusted OpenSpace Kft to design the renewal of the Harminckettesek tere The main goal of the design was to create a coherent open space that would be more liveable for the residents by increasing the green space and furnishing the square More information about the concept plan is available on the website of the Municipality of Józsefváros and RÉV8 Zrt. 84% of all respondents support the proposed design of the square and 16% are against it For those who didn’t support the renewal of the Harminckettesek tere we offered the following three options for the traffic flow and future of the space but the service road is a pedestrian zone with no vehicular traffic Option: No vehicular traffic on the current service road transport of disabled and elderly residents) car access to the square is temporary allowed Option: Current status – car traffic and parking allowed around the square The distribution of responses by residential groups (all respondents in Józsefváros and residents living only in the square) is also shown separately The graph below shows that the support for the plans among those living in the square is also 55% and 24% are against any intervention in the square We examined how support for each option changes depending on whether respondents own a car or not The majority of respondents who own a car in and around the square (57%) also support a coherent The responses show that the majority of respondents support the plans It also emerged that the square should be designed to provide some form of access for the car owners living around the square in certain cases (e.g residents could also share their suggestions and opinions about the square and the received suggestions will be incorporated into the final plans where it’s possible: the planning of the Harminckettesek tere will continue The earliest date in which construction can begin – after the necessary management steps – is autumn 2025 Full financial coverage will be provided in the municipality’s 2025 budget The municipality’s goal is to make the residential parking system as efficient as possible and a system is currently being prepared that would allow residents to use parking spaces in underground car parks with a significant discount Thank you for sharing your opinions and suggestions on the development of the square If you want to follow the latest news about the Harminckettesek tere, subscribe to the RÉV8 newletter: https://rev8.hu/hirlevel/For more information, visit: https://rev8.hu/harminckettesektere/ It does matter to the artists where they work you can see attic apartments in many places that have been designed for artists setting up an entire artists' colony in the capital for artists The art life in Budapest was lively at that time One of the houses of the artists' colony on Százados Road in 1928 (Photo: Fortepan / No.: 22052)  The initiators were sculptors Ede Kallós and Géza Horváth asked the capital to build artist apartments and in 1909 the management of Budapest voted to build a total of 32 apartments with a budget of 480,000 crowns A total of 15 one-storey houses were eventually built at the artists' colony on  Százados Road designed specifically for sculptors and painters The cost-saving division was finally the following: 8 studios with a 3-room apartments as well as other independent studios.   The choice of the Százados Street site belonging to Kőbánya at that time was not self-evident which was considered an outlying area at the time There were still cabbage fields on the site of the artists' colony buildings at the time of the decision The houses were built according to the needs of the artists (Photo: Balázs Both / pestbuda.hu)  The rent for the artists was set to cover the interest on the cost of the investment but the capital no longer took on the cost of renovations and repairs and by November the houses were already standing Százados Street was covered with macadam pavements and canals but the electricity was not introduced until 1923 The general plan of the settlement was prepared by Sándor Wossala The houses were built by several contractors who did not do the same quality of work The roof structures in some of the buildings were not be designed properly because in May 1912 residents complained that the tiles in six houses had fallen from the slightest wind with major windstorms sweeping down entire roofs so the artists - two-thirds of whom were sculptors and one-third were painters - could be thankful for the establishment of the colony according to the 3 July 1912 issue of the Pesti Napló: “The artists living in the Százados Road artists 'colony established by the capital today paid tribute to the mayor of István Bárczy to express their gratitude for the establishment of the artists' colony The head of the delegation was the sculptor Ede Kallós handed over to the mayor the artists' memorabilia a silver plaque placed on a marble plate on which the mayor's relief­ and a picture of the houses of artists on two sides They paid tribute to Councilor Ödön Wildner And the moving-in artists worked enthusiastically on the site the situation of the artists was not good either it happened that they paid the rent with works of art Once upon a time there were cabbage fields here (Photo: Balázs Both / pestbuda.hu)  The artists' colony belonged to Kőbánya until 1949 underwent a major renovation by the 8th District council in 1960-1963 the capital did not undertake them when the site was built but once belonged to Kőbánya (Photo: Balázs Both / pestbuda.hu)  The settlement was registered as having monumental importance in 1976 and has been a monument since 1985 The artists' colony on Százados Road is not only a 110-year-old monument ensemble today as it is still inhabited by artists who work here but also one of the oldest continuously operating colonies in Europe Cover photo: One of the oldest artist residential districts in Europe (Photo: Balázs Both / pestbuda.hu)  New plan for the renovation of the Harminckettesek tere has been produced perennial beds and a convenient bus stop to make the square more welcoming The Municipality of Józsefváros has commissioned OpenSpace Kft. to design the renewal of the Harminckettesek tere. The planners also used the experiences from the experimental design to create the plan open space that would serve the city’s residents by increasing the green space and by furnishing the square the Harminckettesek tere will be reconstructed with trees The planners intention was not just to have a bus shelter on the square but to offer a variety of waiting facilities shading is provided by trees and plants where it is possible The square will have a variety of circular elements for waiting and resting and the paving will also be decorated with these circles One is a structure surrounded by a framework on which climbing plants can be trained and inside there is a sheltered area for people to wait for the bus The other is a shading structure under which you can sit on a curved bench The trees in the square are also arranged in circular elements others surrounded by raised planters with benches The plan places as many trees as the public utilities will allow Trees will appear on both sides of the square in front of the statue and on the opposite side of Baross Street The trees will be planted with care to provide the right living conditions for the root system The experimental design revealed that the residents there did not want benches in front of their houses the plan includes perennial beds in front of the houses and space for terraces for restaurants as new plants do not need to be planted every season we have also seen the appearance of insects around the yellow planters which shows how easy it is to increase biodiversity in such a small area An important element of the plan is to eliminate the service road we want to create a single level pedestrian area This will create a coherent space and give birth to the Harminckettesek tere The new space will be transparent and passable It is important for the municipality to make a decision together with the people of Józsefváros about what the square should look like we are asking the users of the square to take note of the changes they experience looking at it with an open and inclusive mind so that when it comes time to give your opinion on the plans and the future of the space in November We will also be visiting the residents of the houses on the square in person but residents and passers-by will also be able to give their opinions online about the past months and the concept plans for the square that will be ready by then we will be asking you to decide whether you would like to see more cars on the square in the future or whether you would prefer more trees and a more comfortable bus stop Based on the experience of the past months we are designing a square that we believe is worthy of the Harminckettesek tere but the decision is up to the people of Józsefváros More information about the Harminckettesek tere: https://rev8.hu/harminckettesektere/ The use of public spaces in Józsefváros is regulated by Decree No. 4/2020 (II.27) on the use of public spaces owned by Józsefváros Municipality, available here>>> The following summary highlights only the main points of the regulation, in case you are submitting an application, please refer to the whole regulation or ask for detailed information from the Administrative Office at the Mayor’s Office of Józsefváros: https://jozsefvaros.hu/otthon/polgarmesteri-hivatal/szervezeti-egysegek/igazgatasi-iroda/ More information on the process is available here: https://jozsefvaros.hu/ugyintezes/ugy/kozterulet-hasznalat-kerelmezes/ A permission for the use of public spaces must be obtained for the following activities Structures installed in the public interest Using micromobility points; for providers of micromobility points Information on establishment of micromobility points is available here >>> Information on rules related to filming in public spaces is available here >>> The following activities do not require a permission for the use of public spaces but shall be notified within 72 hours before the start of the activity Where and in which cases a permission for the use of public spaces MAY NOT be granted A permission for the use of public spaces may not be granted in the following cases Who can NOT be granted a permission for the use of public space Applications for the use of public space up to seven days must be submitted at least 8 working days in advance for use beyond seven days at least 15 days in advance How long does it take for the Municipality to issue permission The relevant committee of the representative body makes a first-instance decision about the applications at its session following receipt of expert opinion but within 60 days the latest How much will district residents have to pay for use of public space The decision maker shall establish the fee for the use of public space based on the provisions in Annex 1 to the Regulation, which is available here >>> How can one apply for the reduction of or exemption from the fee You can apply for reduction of or exemption from the fee by submitting the documents verifying your cause if one of the following is true for you: When is the use of public space free-of-charge but subject to permission the Municipality of Józsefváros and the Office of Community Participation will launch the third participatory budgeting the community will decide on the fate of HUF 180 million As in previous years: the submission of ideas comes first Please register on the website reszvetel.jozsefvaros.hu You can submit ideas in person at the Participation Points in the district tell us what you think would make Józsefváros a better place Write about what improvements you think would be useful and what would make your neighbourhood or the district more homely and liveable You can read about previous winning proposals and ideas that have already been implemented here gain lots of useful experience and the work is guaranteed to be exciting and varied What you contribute is important and your participationt matters Apply at reszvetel@jozsefvaros.hu or call 06-1/459-2139 You have a lot of questions? Still undecided but interested? Join us at our volunteer meeting in December for a chat We look forward to seeing you on Thursday 14 December 2023 from 17:00 to 19:00 please send an e-mail to reszvetel@jozsefvaros.hu Ideas can be submitted by anyone who has some connection to Józsefváros and is over 16 years old only residents of the district over the age of 16 can vote The submission of ideas starts on 1 January 2024 and will run until 10 February The submission of ideas will again be facilitated by the brainstorming workshops and Participation Points the latter will also be the venue for voting each idea will be reviewed and then all ideas will be made public and available on the participatory budgeting website Then the relevant departments of the municipality will examine the ideas to see if they can be implemented the ideas will be discussed by a working group of district residents who will put together a short list that will be put on the ballot papers Would you like to be part of the working group All residents of Józsefváros over the age of 16 can vote one each in the other two zones and one among the ideas for the whole district Sign up to the participation newsletter to receive all the latest information Úgy tűnik nem található semmi ezen a helyen IMPRESSZUM SZERZŐI JOGOK ADATVÉDELEM FELHASZNÁLÁSI FELTÉTELEK Neo-Baroque Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library there was little incentive for chicken paprikash–clamoring tourists to delve deeper into its nexus of rundown streets The ornate onetime dwellings garnering the neighborhood with the nickname the “Palace District” were eye-popping juxtapositions to those neglected buildings still bearing World War II–era bullet holes inspiration has been just as prominent as grit animated hub dominated by colorful food and drink lairs So take an afternoon (that will most likely stretch well into the evening) and food crawl your way through the Eighth nine must-visit spots and one charming hotel where you can catch some shut-eye once the food coma sets in she’s Hungarian—runs this subterranean den with the arched brick ceiling where Americanos spun from Torino-made Costadoro Coffee are savored amid soothing pops of orange and a lighthearted soundtrack of Italian pop Come at lunchtime and mounds of pasta draped in Tasting Table (& Shop)Oenophiles descend into Tasting Table (& Shop) where husband-and-wife team Gábor and Carolyn Bánfalvi preside over a collection of quality bottles (and cheese and charcuterie) from small Hungarian producers like Heumann are illuminated through guided tastings and convivial communal dinners BisztrónyúlExcept for a few makeshift chairs there is nowhere to sit in petite-size Bisztrónyúl this curiosity from recipe blogger Erzsi Puskás is worth popping into for a restorative espresso—and to perhaps snag a pair of bold postcards bearing photography by Zsolt Birtalan adorn the wall and cookbooks spanning Balinese cuisine and from-scratch bread are on display surrounded by vintage vinyl from Tina Turner to Hungary’s own Franz Liszt Matrjoska BisztróPelmeni Russia’s traditional meat-stuffed dumplings While waiting for the beef and pork version slicked in tangy butter sauce graced with painted odes to the cherished liquor and caviar are heightened by an enchanting backdrop of wood and transporting tree branches Lumen KávézóA spot-on macchiato sipped to the sounds of Nickodemus and Thievery Corporation is one of the reasons to visit Lumen Kávézó attracts a laptop set during the afternoons but come evening morphs into a convivial wine-fueled bar—especially when there are upbeat string performances that leave the crowd bopping A tiny gallery showcases ever-changing artwork while the adjacent boutique is the spot to peruse the likes of notebooks and bags handmade by such Hungarian designers as Printa JelenLike its sister restaurant buzzing nightly with creative folks in search of comforting grub such as beef slathered in mustard sauce and accompanied by bread dumplings Wine bottles sprouting candles are perched on the wooden tables an eclectic touch that complements the vintage rocking horses dangling from the ceiling Zsiga BárFloral tablecloths and Jesus images aplenty instill Zsiga Bár with a kitschy—and bewitching—Grandma’s parlor vibe In the summertime revelers take to the glass-enclosed patio but in the winter the basement becomes an appropriately cozy hideaway for homemade goulash and conversation The friendly staff is quick to replenish glasses drained of Kékfrankos Café CsigaDelightfully open books are just as prevalent a sight as laptops at the mismatched tables at Café Csiga artwork-bedecked café serves a roster of satisfying dishes like sweet potato soup with anchovies and chicken dressed in lemon-hazelnut sauce that keep patrons parked inside for much longer than a frothy cappuccino Climb up the staircase with the attractive wrought-iron railing for a spell of solitude ÉpítészpinceAs if working in a circa-1880 palace wasn’t serendipitous enough employees of the Chamber of Hungarian Architects need only head down to the cellar for lunch at Építészpince which arose during the 1956 revolution as a haven for architects and artists to hold secret powwows is known for its ever-changing daily menus of homespun favorites such as tomato soup and hunks of pork over noodles A wraparound pew-like banquette and original ceramic tiles by artist Margit Kovács infuse the space with fittingly hushed Writer Ferenc Molnár was born as Ferenc Neumann in Józsefváros he moved into the first-floor apartment of their own residential building at 83 József Boulevard Mór Neumann commissioned Alfréd Wellisch (1854–1941) to design the three-story Neo-Renaissance building the architect created around two hundred residential buildings in the capital but people can thank him for the former high school in Tavaszmező Street (now part of Óbuda University) the headquarters of Salgótarján Coal Mines PLC at 25 Arany János Street or the headquarters of the Jewish Congregation in Síp Street where Ferenc Molnár lived (Photo: Tímea Simon) The three-story residential building was built by the writer's father The Neumann House at 83 József Boulevard was designed by Alfréd Wellisch (Photo: Tímea Simon) The client was a well-known doctor throughout the city as one of the founders of the General Workers' Patient Care and Disability Fund [Általános Munkás Betegsegélyező és Rokkant Pénztár] did a lot to improve public health conditions in Budapest who graduated as a surgeon at the University of Vienna took care of the members of the organisation in Józsefváros and Ferencváros from 1872 treated the workers of the Workers' Association working in larger factories and was the factory doctor of the Ganz Factory for 25 years During the construction of the Margit Bridge he was also responsible for the health of the construction workers he could often be seen driving from one patient's house to another in his horse-drawn carriage he was able to build his own house on the boulevard at the age of 41 the family lived in Józsefváros (50 József Boulevard 16 Rigó Street) and Ferencváros (31 Kinizsi Street) his son Ferenc - who took the name Molnár in 1895 - was a student at the reformed high school edited his own newspaper (of course he wrote all the articles) which was provided by the new house and new apartment drawn and reproduced by 8th grader Ferenc Neumann (Source: Színházi Élet Ferenc Molnár's caricature of Ignotus and Endre Nagy's drawing of Ferenc Molnár (Source: Világ The three-story Neo-Renaissance style building reflected its owner's puritan outlook on life The main facade is not ostentatious in the least the closing of the windows on the second floor decorated with human heads and the graceful design of the roof cornice reflect the skill of the designer The inner courtyard of the house with a circular corridor proves the same restraint and precision The staircase at 83 József Boulevard (Photo: Tímea Simon) The inner courtyard of the building with a circular corridor (Photo: Tímea Simon) The family's apartment was behind the first-floor windows overlooking the Outer Ring Road and the building's only ornate balcony there was a good view of József and Ferenc Boulevards as well as the huge barracks at the intersection of Üllői Road and the Gschwindt yeast and spirit factory opposite it (the barracks building is still there the Corvin Cinema and the houses surrounding it) One of the rooms served as a doctor's office where Mór Neumann received his patients during the day in which she primarily collected and expanded the works of Hungarian literary figures the already world-famous Ferenc Molnár confessed that his mother's love of literature instilled in him an interest in writing The entrance to the apartment on the first floor The apartment could have been a real family nest she preferred to live her everyday life within the well-known walls although a successful newspaper and playwright he could afford to rent a separate apartment in the city from 1899 sooner or later he always returned to the family home His father also furnished one of the apartments on the third floor so that his son could live his independent life in calm conditions Entrance to the apartment on the third floor (Photo: Tímea Simon) Ferenc Molnár with his teammates in a photograph taken in 1901 (Source: Színházi Élet Ferenc Molnár's caricature of Jenő Heltai (Source: Színházi Hét but due to his marriages and frequent invitations abroad he only came to visit for a short time at 83 József Boulevard the house and apartment were forever etched in his memory and occasionally appeared in a novel or drama as an interior Signs of affluence are everywhere: a modern black bookcase with oxidised silver fittings; large yellow English leather armchairs in the master bedroom there is a Maple glass holder with a beautiful row of Moser glasses with tulip stems Rounded corners so that the child does not hit anything Only the soft movement of the tiny hand can be heard the doctor drops his top hat and the young lady runs trembling to the phone The housekeeper turns curiously into the empty kitchen through the hastily left open door..." he wrote in his work The Cocoon  [A gubó] in 1905 Ferenc Molnár as a successful playwright at the age of 28 (Source: Vasárnapi Ujság a plaque on the facade of the house at 83 József Boulevard indicates that Ferenc Molnár the storyteller of Budapest growing into a metropolis and the world-famous master of Hungarian comedy A memorial plaque in honour of Ferenc Molnár was unveiled on the wall of the house in 1958 (Photo: Tímea Simon) Cover photo: The former Neumann House at 83 József Boulevard (Photo: Tímea Simon) The company needed to show that they had done similar construction in the past so they brought a reference from Uruguay Everything appears to have gone well with the renovation of the Aurora Street Clinic one of recent years’ biggest construction projects of Józsefváros remained largely free of political controversies and the official inauguration last December was attended not only by district mayor Máté Kocsis The consortium that carried out the construction has won the contract worth nearly a billion forints (3.2 million euros) by submitting false information during the bidding process the consortium had to prove that it had done similar work before The group of companies claimed that one of its members had renovated a clinic in the distant country of Uruguay A Direkt36 investigation with the help of a local journalist has revealed that this was not true The renovation indeed took place but documents and interviews show that the company that provided the reference made false claims about it bidders were required to show that during their previous clinic renovation they carried out the replacement of at least one elevator This was not the only lie that the company said in the reference Other pieces of information suggest that the firm had nothing to do with the construction at all One of the story’s players is János Borzován, a Hungarian businessman with ties to Uruguay. Local politicians have raised questions about his potential connections to Józsefváros’ municipality but did not provide clear evidence to prove that. In a story last year, Direkt36 exposed that Borzován had connections to EU-Line the company that was the leading member of the consortium winning the clinic renovation in Józsefváros based on secretly recorded phone calls played during a recent corruption trial suggests more direct links between him and the municipality Companies that submit false information in bidding procedures are sanctioned by law If they are caught they can be banned from procurements for years We asked Józsefváros’ municipality whether they made any efforts to verify the reference it was coming from the other side of the world They said that they don’t think that municipalities should check whether procurement references are truthful “The construction was carried out in order,” the municipality said in a written response adding that ”patients of Józsefváros are treated in a modern health centre.” The Aurora Street Clinic was originally opened in March 1978 and it had taken almost four decades before its first major renovation began launched the procurement process for the construction in the summer of 2014 The call for proposals made it clear that only those bidders qualify who can show that they had done similar work in the past 5 years The call specifically noted that this previous construction had to include the “complete replacement” of at least one elevator and of a heating system The Aurora Street Clinic – Source: Jozsefvaros.hu and the one led by EU-Line failed to file the required reference in the first round Procurement documents obtained through a freedom of information request show that in October 2014 the municipality wrote a letter to EU-Line noting the missing information and asking the consortium to submit the reference The consortium leader said that their group includes a Uruguayan company that worked on the renovation of a clinic in Pando a town close to the capital Montevideo in 2011 and 2012 The documents claimed that during this construction the company replaced an elevator changed the heating system and made the building accessible for disabled people This reference cleared the way for the consortium led by EU-Line which eventually won the tender with a 997 million HUF (3.2 million euros) bid This was 200 million HUF (645 thousand euros) more than the project’s originally estimated costs but it was still lower than the other bidder’s offer They offered to complete the work for more than 1.2 billion HUF (3.87 million euros) Now it’s clear though that EU-Line’s consortium won the contract by breaking the rules Several elements of their offer were not true The lack of elevator in the Pando clinic provides evidence for that The Uruguayan journalist working with Direkt36 went to the clinic and found that the building had no elevator saying in a written response that the clinic had never had an elevator People associated with the clinic said that there is equipment in the clinic for lifting heavy items but it has been out of use for years The agency’s response cast doubt over another element of the reference ASSE said that the heating system was not replaced during the 2011-12 construction This means that at least two crucial parts of the consortium’s reference were false Other details suggest that the company that provided the Uruguayan reference had nothing to do with the Pando clinic’s renovation in the first place The firm is called Medicor Latinoamericana and it has Hungarian connections It used to be part of a big former state company which has been dealing with producing and selling medical devices Medicor Latinoamericana had been operating as a local office during the socialist era it became an independent company around the fall of socialism who is now the honorary consul of Hungary in Uruguay added that as far as he knows the company is still only involved in medical devices and does not perform construction works Medicor Latinoamericana’s owner and manager also told Direkt36 that “the firm’s profile has always been dealing with medical equipment,” but he added that the company “did all kinds of things.” Hídvégi signed several of the reference documents used for the Józsefváros construction and in the phone conversation with Direkt36’s reporter he claimed that Medicor participated in the Pando renovation how he can prove that they indeed did that work Why would I have to prove this?” he asked angrily When he was told that despite what the reference said what’s important is that the construction is over and [the facility] functions.” When our reporter told him that people closely involved in the renovation have not heard about Medicor’s participation in the project he said that ”all I can say what I said before.” Then he told us not to ask more questions and ended the conversation He did not respond to an e-mail sent after the phone call Hídvégi did not give clear answers to the questions raised about their participation but the manager of the main contractor in Pando told Direkt36 that he has not heard of Medicor Lafory has gone bankrupt since then but its former owner and director Guillermo Fraga told Direkt36 in an email that Medicor did not participate directly in the project He added that he does not know which companies the subcontractors worked with Medicor claimed that they were contracted to do the Pando renovation by a Uruguayan company called BAU R.S.I Guillermo Fraga said that he did not hear about this company either and as far as he knows they did not participate in the project through which the businessman called János Borzován is linked to the story János Borzován was the president of this company When Direkt36 asked Borzován for a previous story about BAU R.S.I. he said that he became president at the request of a friend and claimed that “to my knowledge the company performed no activity during my tenure.” The part of the Pando clinic’s renovation that was allegedly done by Medicor and BAU R.S.I Borzován told Direkt36 that his previous claim does not mean that the company could not have had any activity He said that since he is not the president any more he does not think he has the right to speak on behalf of the company especially about documents that were created after his departure from the firm Borzován’s role could be politically sensitive for the leaders of the municipality Local opposition politicians have raised questions about the businessman’s potential involvement with the municipality’s businesses but they did not present any hard evidence for that easy for the district’s leaders to dismiss the claims started his speech with the following question: “Ladies and gentleman I would like to ask you if you know János Borzován He is one of Hungary’s most secretive oligarchs.” Jakabfy’s theatrical opening remarks were followed by laughter When he paused for some more seconds to wait for an answer “put some dynamics in your speech.” Jakabfy continued with listing the alleged links between Borzován and the municipality prompting Kocsis to make another belittling comment: ”Okay Borzován had connections to the municipality This is known from the corruption trial in which the prosecutors charged the businessman with asking money from other entrepreneurs with the promise that he can influence the decisions of the municipality of Budapest’s central district received contracts worth more than 6 billion forints (19 million euros) from the central district in the past 15 years During this period he developed close relationships with some senior officials of the municipality the long-time former notary of the district During the court hearings the judge played several phone conversations secretly recorded by the authorities that contained information suggesting links between Borzován and Józsefváros Borzován told Rónaszéki that he was going to have a meeting with Máté Kocsis but it was cancelled because Kocsis got sick ”I’ve just got a call from the secretary of Máté Kocsis that Máté Then he and Rónaszéki continued with jokes that members of Fidesz might have had a gathering because another member of the party also got sick recently Borzován did not mention in the call why he was going to meet Kocsis “Anybody can ask for an appointment with Máté Kocsis Then you can either have that appointment or not I did not succeed in this case,” said Borzován The municipality said that Kocsis knows Borzován but only to the same extent as “he knows other investors in the district.” They added that in 2013 Kocsis and Borzován were indeed going to have a meeting in concerning a local sports event but in the end the meeting did not take place “There is no close acquaintance or work relationship between the mayor and the entrepreneur,” the municipality said in a written response Máté Kocsis at the ceremony of launching the renovation – Source: Jozsefvaros.hu The municipality claimed that they are not able to tell exactly what sports event would have been the topic of the meeting “Nobody can recall this at the secretariat,” they told Direkt36 Borzován said that sometime in the early 2010 he was involved in organizing a bicycle race that would have taken place partly in Józsefváros He said that “maybe this was the reason” why he wanted to meet the mayor nor the sports event took place,” he added The municipality referred to Borzován as an investor in the district but did not explain what they know about his investment activities “The municipality does not list the private investments in the district,” they said Borzován told Direkt36 that he and his companies have never had any business activities in the district Another phone call played in court revealed new details about a controversial real estate deal of the Józsefváros municipality the municipality decided to sell one of its properties a 19th century building known as Hunyady Palace They signed a contract with a company called Georosco which agreed to carry out certain real estate developments in the district in return for getting Hunyady Palace a short and quiet street at the heart of Budapest Georosco occupied the building but the real estate developments did not go according to the plans the company could use the property only as a tenant several local politicians criticized the deal arguing that it was disadvantageous for the municipality Another major concern was that Georosco had a murky ownership structure jurisdictions where public company records do not contain ownership information Press reports showed indirect links between these foreign companies and Borzován but no hard evidence emerged showing his role in the real estate deal Borzován suggested that he was personally involved the matter which also took place in the 2013 between Rónaszéki and Borzován started with the former notary complaining about a newspaper that wrote a critical article about his municipality Borzován then shared with him his own bad experience with the press He told Rónaszéki how one online news site (as he put it but it is a known site”) once reported that the ”Trefort Street was bought by a Jewish investor leaving the municipality in a situation where they did not know what to do.” Borzován hinted at his involvement in the real estate deal maybe there is something in me but I don’t think I am [a Jew],” he said He added that it was also not true that the investor had disappeared Although he did not go into the details it was quite clear that he was talking about the Hunyady Palace No other building in Trefort Street was owned by the municipality in recent years indeed published a rather confusing story in 2007 saying that an Israeli investor bought the building at the address of Trefort Street 3-5 (the address of Hunyady Palace) Borzován claims that his only connection the the Hunyady palace is that the company that moved into the property asked his firm to do renovation work on the building The municipality said that they are not aware of Borzován’s involvement in the property deals They said that during the process the municipality was in touch with Tamás Dulin who reassured them that the company’s ownership structure is transparent we have no knowledge on who was involved and what role he or she played in this” the municipality said Georosco finally purchased Hunyady Palace at the beginning of 2016 the company is owned by two companies that both were involved in the Aurora Street Clinic’s renovation the Uruguayan company which had a role in providing the false reference which has become a close partner of the municipality since the clinic construction EU-Line has won three other bids from Józsefváros worth 220 million forints (710 thousand euros) in total ”It is not the municipalities’ responsibility to check the tender bidders’ ownership structure or the truthfulness of their references” the municipality said For data on the Hungarian companies we used the services of Opten and Céginfo Soon another destroyed public work will return to Budapest: the stone columns of all fourteen stations have been erected on Golgota Square in Józsefváros The worksaer being made by sculptor Zsolt Hermann soon the bronze reliefs depicting the stations of the cross will also be placed in the booths on the statues The former columns of the stations of the cross on Golgota Square have been re-created the final one was put in place recently (Photo: Lívia Blázsovics/pestbuda.hu) At the end of the stations stood the Calvary Chapel in front of which a group of statues could be seen Mary and John stand at the foot of the cross.  Golgota Square is around 1897 with its fourteen stations and the Golgotha Chapel at the end of the road but some of the stations were saved (Source: Fortepan / Budapest Capital Archives Archival reference: HU.BFL.XV.19.d.1.07.092) The chapel was destroyed during communism and is now marked by a cross that stands in the park renovated in 2014 Two of the stations on the way to the chapel - stations I and XIV - were saved in 1970 These were erected behind the Church of Our Lady of Hungary on Rezső Square Seven stations are being rebuilt on both sides of the promenade The picture shows the columns on the side of the square facing Golgota Street (Photo: Lívia Blázsovics / pestbuda.hu)  The original bronze reliefs on the sculptures were the work of the sculptor Antal Szécsi The relief of station VI was incorporated into the "Malenkij robot" memorial plaque at the entrance to Rezső Square church while the relief of station VIII became part of the "1956 monument" on the back wall of the church The damaged relief of station XIII is located in the Mayor's Office of Józsefváros and other damaged reliefs are in the Church of Our Lady of Hungary The stations of the Calvary in Máriabesnyő were built in 1929 based on the patterns of the original reliefs The reliefs returning to Golgota Square are being reconstructed based on these Seven stations on the side of the square facing Péter Vajda Street (Photo: Lívia Blázsovics / pestbuda.hu) The restoration was initiated by the Józsefváros Local Council in 2019 supported by the state with HUF 250 million.  Cover photo: Golgota Square in Józsefváros with the cross marking the former chapel and the stations re-erected on two sides (Photo: Lívia Blázsovics / pestbuda.hu) According to the cooperation agreement between the Municipality of Józsefváros and the National University of Public Service the Ludovika Arena Swimming Pool can be used at a reduced rate by residents of Józsefváros with a permanent or temporary address and by members and employees of certain bodies and organisations working in the interests of Józsefváros The discount can be used according to the following: During the 2023 academic term (January 30 – May 26 dates for the autumn term are not yet known): Outside the regular academic term in 2023: For information on the academic year of the National University of Public Service, please visit: https://hhk.uni-nke.hu/hallgatoknak/a-tanev-beosztasa The discounted use of the swimming pool is available at the reception desk of the swimming pool upon presentation of an identity card and an address card and signing the access registration form provided by NKE Although NKE increased the price of swimming pool tickets due to inflation this hike has been taken over by the Municipality of Józsefváros so the price of the discounted swimming pool ticket remains 800 HUF artists from around the world painted their dreams said in his introduction how much he likes to live in Hungary the hearts of Hungarians are different from Hungarian politics it is difficult for many to understand how difficult it was for him to come with his little boy it is difficult to understand the one who has lost everything’ But this understanding can be a means of art while we were waiting to be admitted to the Hungarian transit zone I was attracted to painting and calligraphy A group arrived at the camp in Serbia where I was living with my son Armin and somehow I wanted to reciprocate their goodness I wanted to show them that I understood their kindness That’s why I started doing calligraphy That was what was available to me as a means of self-expression and I want to take this to an increasingly professional level We receive a lot of kindness and attention from people here It is admirable that in the difficult situation you and Armin have found yourselves you have discovered a source of joy and hope The stated purpose of the exhibition is to display the dreams of the creators I have found security and freedom here in Hungary and I want the Hungarians living here to recognise the values of their own country and find as much joy in it as I do Receive our fresh reports and analyses straight to your inbox by signing up here © 2025 Hungarian Helsinki Committee · All rights reserved · Privacy and Terms of Use Design & Sitebuild: Hydrogene There are multiple three-hour walks through Budapest’s District VIII offered by Beyond Budapest we cover two parts of the neighbourhood in stark contrast to each other yet both fundamentally define this slice of the city we navigate through Palotanegyed – the luxurious and stately Palace Quarter – and then continue to the second half nobles and wealthy citizens populated this affluent area while some of the palaces were also rented out as apartments revealing hidden secrets about places we walk past on a daily basis without knowing their past Often it feels as though we’ve flown back in time imagining that a fancy carriage will turn the corner any minute on the way to a ball at the Festetics Palace It will surprise some visitors to learn that the name 'Palace Quarter' was only given to the area in the 1990s after the change of régime which has the same overall meaning but far less poetic The term 'Palace Quarter' was invented by savvy real estate agents and property developers to entice wealthy prospective tenants Leaving the Palace Quarter and entering another part of District VIII is a real culture shock Away from the grand boulevards and stately columns the buildings here often sport peeling paint holes in the façades and residents lounging on the doorstep nods to our tour guide and says with a sardonic smile as District VIII hasn’t been a jungle for some time thanks to the slow effects of gentrification The buildings here certainly aren’t palaces feeling much like the outskirts or almost a rural village others are waiting for demolition and several hold out hope for renovation you can still see the ravages of World War II and even the ’56 Revolution so it’s hoped that renovation will be chosen over demolition Our tour comes to an end next to Teleki tér we learn that more Jewish families lived in and around Teleki than in the official Jewish Quarter of District VII more than 80 synagogues and houses of worship once existed here the snatches of Gypsy rhythms here and there echoing the generations of musicians who have been raised here Rat extermination is free of charge for the public What to do if you see a rat in the district Rat control is not a district responsibility the RNBH Consortium does it on behalf of the Budapest Municipality Report rat sightings electronically through the following link set up by the Mayor’s Office for this specific purpose: https://patkanybejelentes.budapest.hu you can report rat sightings by phone during working hours at 06-1-327-1448 and 06-1-327-1572 How can the public help the rat control programme to succeed The exterminators must carry out the process without any difficulties please provide all relevant information to the professionals arriving on the scene (e.g the exact location of the rat sighting) and access to the property if necessary Please do not litter; keep our environment clean – Rubbish in the streets contributes to a rat infestation and increase in the rat population throw the packaging and leftovers in a bin or take them home and throw them in your bin especially if the packaging can be recycled – Put bulky waste only to designated areas and only at the time of bulky waste collection because a pile of bulky waste can provide nesting and hiding places for rodents – Please do not pour food waste into the sewage system because a sewage system loaded with food waste provides ideal conditions for the rat population we ask you to carefully seal and wrap food waste and put them in the household waste container or compost where possible.Removal of rodent nesting and hiding places – Keep the surroundings of your property tidy heaps of hay and straw around buildings are convenient nesting sites for rodents Storing them properly or removing them can prevent rat infestation – Store stacks of firewood at least 30 cm above the ground Gather nuts and fruits as they fall from the tree in the yard or garden – Trim the underside of hedges and carefully pull out dry grass from underneath in the autumn – Place the compost in sealed compost bins and do not put animal waste in them – Dry pet food is attractive to rodents give them only as much as your pet will immediately eat Please do not throw breadcrumbs to pigeons and other birds because leftover food will attract rats the streets of Budapest's Eighth District – also known as Józsefváros – were best avoided Beneath the shadows of the grand aristocratic homes and ornate residences walked prostitutes which fans eastward from behind the National Museum has changed its reputation: easygoing cafes and art spaces are filling the gaps in an area laden with faded glamour This is the place to head if you want to swap traditional sites and rowdy bars in favour of crumbling balconies and local haunts One block behind the National Museum (Múzeum körút 14-16) which is packed with medieval swords and cold-war posters – and past some of the looming mansions that have led to the inner Eighth District being dubbed "the palace quarter" – is the main hub of the district's nascent bohemian scene: a row of shops cafes and restaurants running along Krúdy Gyula street and around the sides of peaceful Mikszáth Kálmán square an atmospheric cellar where you can immerse yourself in the Hungarian punk scene This article includes content provided by Spotify We ask for your permission before anything is loaded as they may be using cookies and other technologies Further along the street there are a couple of shops well worth dropping into. The first, Ethno Sound (Krúdy Gyula utca 7) looks at first glance like a hippy gift shop is an unbelievably comprehensive collection of percussion instruments from all over the world Most people find it impossible to leave without having tapped Csiga CafeA couple of doors down is Iguana (Krúdy Gyula street 9) – a den-like vintage shop filled with retro garments of twice the quality and at half the price you'd find in London Those looking for hearty Hungarian grub should make a beeline for Darsham Udvar Étterem (Krúdy Gyula street 7), a place where you can fill up on meat and dumplings and wash it down with a beer for around a tenner a head. But it's worth venturing into the outer Eighth to find one of the district's nicest places to eat: Csiga Cafe (Vásár utca 2) such as traditional borscht (£1.30) and duck leg with pumpkin purée (£5.50) a cafe and a barbershop to enjoy in the day but still manages to host rowdy club nights with a shabby house-party feel Nelli Virágh, manager at Csiga Cafe: "Another really nice pub is Macska (Berkocsis street 23) (The word macska means cat.) They have lots of events with music – sometimes famous bands play there and sometimes it's just friends." Flights with Wizz Air and accommodation were provided by Hungarian Tourism (gotohungary.com) Wizz Air flights from Luton to Budapest cost from £30 one way The coffee bar at Lumen caféRuin bars - pubs in disused old buildings and originally aimed at students - are all over Pest The outdoor kitchen serves a mash-up of street food: Vietnamese caramelised pork belly Thai chicken with lemongrass and Mexican empanadas The place buzzes with a low-key thrum; some nights silent films are projected onto the wall on others an art class takes over the communal table to paint by candlelight coffee and Hungarian craft beers are all that's on the menu at Budapest Bagel are stacked in an upturned crate on the counter and toasted on the spot by bearded guys wearing backwards baseball caps salami or sautéed peppers; for the sweet-toothed there are cinnamon-and- raisin bagels with blueberry cream cheese or peanut butter Yellow-tiled steps and tons of greenery surround the entrance to all-day bar and restaurant Café Csiga (breakfast is until noon) mismatched wooden tables and chairs cluster around a wrought-iron spiral staircase The kitchen whips up sharing platters and thick warming goulash - and there are water bowls for dogs by the door From about £35 per night (minimum two-night stay) Watching an arthouse European or Hungarian FILM (with English subtitles) at the beautiful Urania National Movie Theatre (urania-nf.hu) Built in the 1890s and originally a cabaret venue it combines Venetian-Gothic and Moorish design It's worth keeping an eye on the calendar of events too as the theatre also hosts several film festivals throughout the year I order the tom kha gai sweet and spicy chicken soup or the curried duck.' daige.hu This feature first appeared in Condé Nast Traveller January 2015 GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE RISE OF UTILITY COSTS 2022 new rules apply to residents’ energy consumption (gas You can check your electricity and gas consumption on your monthly bills by monitoring the meter or from the service provider Using the ‘bills calculator’ of Pénzcentrum, you can calculate your utility bills:  https://www.penzcentrum.hu/iframe/rezsi The website of MVM Next contains detailed information on tariff changes: https://www.mvmnext.hu/lakossagirezsi This news item is a summary of all useful information for the residents of Józsefváros on the kinds of subsidies they can apply for if the payment of utility bills is a problem as well as recommendations on how to save energy to reduce costs Households are eligible for the discount if there are at least three children in the household and they have a service agreement with MVM Zrt The discount can only be used for one point of use In the case of a consumption community (i.e if there is one gas mater in a building but there are several separate flats in it) more than one eligible household can get the discount at one point of use The gas discount for large families means the discount tariff is used if the gas consumed is above the threshold value The applications must be submitted to the relevant government office by the applicant’s residence, which is the Department of Family Support of the Metropolitan Government Office in Budapest. https://www.kormanyhivatal.hu/hu/budapest/szervezeti-egyseg/csaladtamogatasi-foosztaly Applications must be submitted on the relevant form. Application forms and completion guidelines can be downloaded from: https://www.allamkincstar.gov.hu/hu/lakossagi-ugyfelek/nagycsalados_foldgaz_arkedvezmeny_ Applications must be submitted by the persons who concluded the relevant service agreement people in need receive special protection with regards to energy services which means that so-called protected consumers receive special protection regarding electricity and gas provision The law specifies two categories of people who are eligible for the protected consumer status: 1) consumers with social needs – receives non-contributory old-age allowance – is eligible for active age benefit – receives municipality allowance to cover housing-related regular expenses (in Józsefváros, it means extraordinary municipality allowance for housing expenses, allowance for heating and utility bills and allowance for arrears management, see details: https://jozsefvaros.hu/ugyintezes/miben-segithetunk/tamogatas/) – receives regular childcare allowance – has received home-building support a professional foster parent who raise in their household a child in temporary or long-term care – has tenancy relationship with Nemzeti Eszközkezelő (national asset management fund) – receive personal allowance for the blind – (on whom their parent or supporter) receive family allowance of a higher amount – disruption of the service directly endangers the life or health of a resident consumer or a person living within the same household The energy service provider must register the consumers so affected – fill out and sign the registration form related to consumers The resolution establishing protection will tell you which – the completed and signed forms must be submitted to the Customer Service of the energy service provider within 30 days the service provider must carry out registration within 8 days Family Support Office of Józsefváros Municipality https://jozsefvaros.hu/otthon/polgarmesteri-hivatal/szervezeti-egysegek/csaladtamogatasi-iroda/ Electricity: https://www.mvmnext.hu/ee/egyetemes-szolgaltatas/tudnivalok/hasznos-informaciok/vedendo-fogyasztok Natural gas: https://www.mvmnext.hu/foldgaz/Egyetemes-Szolgaltatas/Ugyintezes/Vedendo-fogyasztok The discount is available if there are not more than four flats at a property not deemed a condominium or housing cooperative If there are more than four flats in a house it is worth to be declared a condominium and then each flat can make use of preferential tariffs on its own You need to have a Memorandum to establish a condominium Request the notary of Józsefváros Municipality at the Urban Planning Office to issue a so-called “official certificate” on the number of “residential units” You must submit the certificate to the gas service provider so that the residents in the house can get natural gas at the preferential rates applied to residential consumers Residential consumers if they or persons in their household use medical aids daily The discount linked to a person can only be applied at one point of use but several eligible persons can make use of it at the same point of use What medical aids can the discount be applied for The discount applies for electric wheelchairs electric mopeds and oxygen concentrators operating on mains power purchased with social security support The discount above average consumption is: 1697 kWh The applications must be submitted to the competent government office according to the point of use via the relevant government agency or online on the relevant application form The forms can be downloaded from the websites of the government agencies You can find information on government agencies in District 8 here: https://kormanyablak.hu/hu/kormanyablakok/budapest/viii-kerulet/8 People in need living in Budapest who are end users of one of the following services: and can verify that they or a person living in the same household: persons are eligible for utility assistance by the Municipality of Budapest if they receive: and the monthly amount of their pension/annuity is not more than 200,000 HUF Monthly allowance to support district heating fee is 2000 HUF sewage and garbage disposal service fees is 2000 HUF Monthly subsidy to support gas supply fees is 2000 HUF Monthly subsidy to support power supply fees is 2000 HUF Eligible residents can apply for not more than two types of subsidies You can apply for a single type of subsidy too but you cannot submit application for another type until the first one expires Fee subsidies are not paid in cash but are credited to the energy bills of consumers The subsidies are valid for 12 months beginning from crediting the first amount http://www.halozatalapitvany.hu Residents in need in arrears with payment of district heating offers support to residents whose net monthly income is at or below 120,000 HUF (150,000 HUF if they live on their own) In specific justified cases subsidies can be provided beyond the above income limit The maximum amount of subsidies is 350,000 HUF Provision of the subsidies is subject to payment of 30% of the debt – installments are also allowed To apply you also need a supporting proposal by a welfare organization (for instance our local social and child welfare agency called JSZSZGYK: https://jszszgyk.hu/) so applicants should directly approach the welfare organization to submit their applications The welfare organization decide about supporting proposals in view of the given subsidy and the applicant’s social Hálózat Alapítvány http://www.halozatalapitvany.hu/article/tamogatasi-szabalyzat Residents in need in arrears who are threatened with the termination of service provision immediately or in the near future and with termination of their tenancy agreement as a result of non-payment of water Crisis support can be extended to cover arrears of rent but their sum total is limited and cannot go beyond 20% of the total subsidy provided by the Board of Trustees The welfare organization decides about supporting proposals in view of the given subsidy and the applicant’s social These subsidies are available for people who are Hungarian citizens or have an international protection status (e.g temporary protection) or are settled or stateless and have a permanent address in the 8th district The target group of the service are persons living in Józsefváros and having their permanent address or residence there (except if their address is in some institution) whose social situation and/or housing conditions make washing and drying clothes impossible or very difficult you need to register presenting your ID and address cards You can do your laundry by appointment in person and you can wash two loads a day Community Place and Laundry in Szerdahelyi utca Tenants living in flats owned by Józsefváros Municipality can apply for investments worth 50,000 HUF to 300,000 HUF gross The whole amount of the subsidies are post-financed The Municipality is expected to invite the next applications in November 2022 JGK Vagyongazdálkodási Igazgatóság [asset management directorate] Website: http://jgk.hu/167-vagyongazdalkodasi-igazgatosag Persons can apply for that form of extraordinary subsidy if their subsistence is periodically or long-term jeopardized and the monthly income by consumption unit in the family is below 128,250 HUF in case of one or two-member families or 114,000 HUF in case of three and more-member families Consumption unit calculator: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ih3SOQzRXn0yeV4Ro0YXc5na_CJN07ivXCh_u8WdJa0/template/preview It can be provided four times a year; 1 month must pass between the submission of applications The amount of subsidies is subject to the size and income of families but the annual limit is 50,000 HUF to 75,000 HUF Maximum 30,000 HUF can be given for an application If the subsidy is requested for settlement of housing costs via transfer to the service provider(s) it can be maximum 40,000 HUF /occasion subject to the annual limit Applications can be submitted from September in person at the Family Support Office of the Municipality Further information: https://jozsefvaros.hu/ugyintezes/miben-segithetunk/tamogatas/ The target group of the service are persons living in Józsefváros and having their permanent address or residence there whose monthly income for a consumption unit is below 99,750 HUF for one or two-member households or below 85,500 HUF for three or more-member households That form of extraordinary municipality subsidy can be given from the beginning of October till the end of March Its amount is 6,000 HUF a month transferred directly to the heating service provider which appears on the applicant’s bill as a reduction You can apply for the subsidy if you are in housing related arrears for at least two months and you are or have been in a one-month preliminary cooperation with JSzSzGyK You will be exempt from it if any of the services have already been terminated because of your debt – applicants have no maintenance or annuity contracts on their flats – applicants have received no subsidies for settlement of arrears from the Municipality over the past year – applicants agree to participate in individual or group advisory sessions on arrears management – the monthly income by consumption unit in their households is not more than 142,500 HUF Monthly transfer (for maximum 2 years) or debt write-off of debts to the Municipality up to the amount of the debt managed but not more than 300,000 HUF (maximum debt to be managed is 500,000 HUF) JÓZSEFVÁROS SOCIAL SERVICES AND CHILD WELFARE CENTER (JSZSZGYK) You can apply for the subsidy if you are tenant in or user of a flat owned by the Municipality and the following conditions apply: – you have concluded an installment agreement with Józsefváros Business Center on payment of rent or other housing-related (e.g. – you have already paid half of the installments – the monthly income by consumption unit in your household is not more than 114,000 HUF A purchase voucher of 10,000 HUF can be applied for once a year irrespective of earlier applications for extraordinary municipality subsidies if the monthly income per one consumption unit is at or below 128,250 HUF in the case of one or two-member families or 114,000 HUF in three or more-member families The Municipality is planning to invite applications for gift energy packages JSzSZGyK is going to take part in distributing the packages The packages are expected to include the following: thermal foil behind radiator HOW TO SAVE ENERGY AND REDUCE YOUR UTILITY BILLS As part of the utility bills reduction package of the Municipality, the staff of the Green Office offer clients advisory sessions of 4 hours weekly at the Family Support Office beginning from 1st week of October at the following dates: Wednesday 10 am – 11 am and 2 pm – 3 pm A free advisory service under the PowerPoor program aiming to save energy offers interested residents assistance to understand their energy-related expenses reveals wrong or wasteful patterns of energy consumption and provides advice on how to reduce high utility bills To get ideas on how to save money and energy by reducing gas and electricity consumption without major investments At RenoPont Office at Gutenberg tér 2 every Thursday from 9 am to 10 am (entrance from Kőfaragó utca)  Heating: Heating makes up two-third of household energy consumption –       Energy efficient devices – if you can buy new electric devices look out for energy-efficient ones (A or A+ categories) –       Regular maintenance of electric devices – if your electric devices are not in a proper state RenoPont Energy Home Refurbishment Center have put together many useful pieces of advice to be used before and after home refurbishment to save energy: https://renopont.hu/felujitanek/cikk/uzemeltetesi-karbantartasi-tanacsok You can receive personalized advice at Gutenberg tér 2: https://renopont.hu/kapcsolat/irodaink/budapest Using the solar map you can see what part of the roof of your house is suitable to make use of solar energy what capacity solar panels can be placed on it and how much electricity can be produced by them annually The website also offers useful advice on installing solar panels Budapest Driven by the Sun: https://nappalhajtva.budapest.hu/szolar-terkep/ “It was also an important consideration in the design to create a public space that offers long-term solutions to the effects of climate change Some of the rainwater is discharged into the green areas which evaporates to cool the city and reduces the need for irrigation The lighter pavement will heat up less in summer and there will also be a walk-through shower gate and a drinking fountain on the street to make the heat more bearable” Spanish singer Luz Casal will give a concert at the Belvárosi Theatre a true Mediterranean atmosphere will be brought to one of Budapest’s most colourful neighbourhoods: on 30 September and 1 October and special artistic and cultural experiences will take centre stage in the Palace Quarter in the 8th district World-famous Spanish singer Luz Casal will also perform at the festival with the support of the Spanish Embassy in Hungary and the Cervantes Institute in cooperation with Spanish cultural organisations is organising a cultural mini-festival called ¡Hola Budapest! the country holding the Presidency of the European Union celebrating the 150th anniversary of its unification The cultures of these two distant yet intertwined nations with similar temperaments will enter into dialogue in a wide variety of genres proving that the arts can be a way of discovering what unites us and what can inspire interest and respect for each other all offer exciting encounters that can be experienced live by those who attend the programmes so the mini-festival will be a series of concerts There will also be arts and crafts and gastronomic activities A series of photographs of Spanish and Hungarian street traditions will be exhibited in the FőFotó Gallery and works by Spanish and Hungarian artists in dialogue will be on display in the EatArt Gallery you can attend a food tasting with a cultural history presentation in the beautiful villa of the Association of Hungarian Architects including an exciting pairing of serrano ham made from mangalica and wines from the Tokaj wine regions Browse through a varied programme of Spanish and Hungarian music Lőrinc Pap tér is sure to be a hot spot on 30 September as Spanish flamenco singer Jesús Mendez and Hungarian flamenco dancer Zsófia Pirók will perform together Jesús Mendez was born into one of the most prominent families of flamenco singers in Jerez of which La Paquera de Jerez was the most famous member Zsófia Pirók is a flamenco dancer who graduated in Seville she is constantly seeking connections with other artistic disciplines thus expanding the boundaries of the genre and bringing flamenco into the professional art scene in Spain and after the performance you can try out the dance steps you saw on stage which Zsófia Pirók will help you to master Flamenco was inscribed by UNESCO on the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on 16 November 2010 Ana Crismán and Miklós Lukács will be performing at Premier Kultcafé on 1 October is the first and only person in the world to play the harp and to make flamenco music for the harp she is a self-taught artist who creates and develops techniques that allow her to play the harp as a flamenco instrument for the first time Miklós Lukács needs no introduction to domestic jazz fans he is one of the most employed and versatile domestic cimbalom players in the world His playing can be heard on more than fifty recordings His concerts and recordings are constantly covered not only by international magazines but also by newspapers such as The New York Times Tickets: https://www.jegy.hu/program/ana-crisman-koncert-vendeg-lukacs-miklos151325/1028440 The concert will also include a church music concert: a free concert with literary readings ranging from the early Middle Ages to the Baroque period and up to the present day with a selection of works by Spanish and Hungarian authors The concert will feature prayers in several languages; Latin accompanied by organ music performed by teachers and students of the Music Academy’s Department of Sacred Music The guest of the concert will be organist Xabier Urtasun Eraso from Spain 14:00 Tapas workshop at the Culinary Institute and contemporary dance performance at the Lőrinc pap tér 15:00 Flamenco performance by Jesús Mendez and Zsófia Pirók at Lőrinc pap tér 16:00 Zsófia Pirók dance workshop at Lőrinc pap tér 17:00 Contemporary dance performance at Lőrinc pap tér 18:00 Opening of an applied arts exhibition at the Culinary Institute 19:00 Church music concert at Lőrinc pap tér 20:30 Performance of La Bejazz and Mihály Borbély and friends at Mixát 11:00-16:00 Workshops in the building of the Association of Hungarian Architects 11:00 and 13:00 Lectures on the history of gastronomic culture in the courtyard of the Hungarian Builders’ Association 13:00-19:00 Applied art exhibition at the EatArt Gallery 14:00 Guitar jam in the courtyard of the Hungarian Builders’ Association 17:00 Concert of Ana Crismán and Miklós Lukács at Premier Kultcafé 20:00 Luz Casal and Eszter Váczi & Quartet at the Belvárosi Theatre The photo exhibition at the FőFotó Gallery is open all weekend More details can be found in the Facebook event and on the website Kata and Imre worked abroad for a long time before deciding to return home last summer and embark on something entirely different from what they did before because they eventually find that their favorites have changed too much they decided to create the perfect hangout for themselves Thus Cintányéros Borozó (“Cymbalist Wine Tavern”) was born called a tavern instead of a wine bar for good reason The place opens at 9am with fresh coffee – not some fancy specialty either and gladly serve guests who want to drink and eat until late at night All of this can possibly be accompanied by live music; a pianino is already provided for anyone to play Imre admittedly likes old-school stuff and preserving traditions Hence the tavern’s name; the whole district and Cintányéros itself carries this charming nostalgia The design is absolutely authentic; everything from the chairs through the gallery’s railing to the glasses and plates came from the past the aforementioned pianino is more than 100 years old and was the property of the previous owner of Imre and Kata’s apartment and the chandelier was already in the shop they decided not to become another ruin bar.The wines in Cintányéros have been carefully selected; the wines by the glass while the price of bottled items ranges between 290 and 1,000 forints per deciliter – all from the Hungarian wine regions of Etyek They get their pálinka from small suppliers as well as well: the meat platter (sausage and ham the cheese platter (savory Hungarian hard cheeses served with slightly piquant Dijon mustard and fresh horseradish (700 HUF).This is the secret of Cintányéros: paying attention to quality and service understanding the area and appreciating good wine Let’s make Women’s Day better together the Municipality of Józsefváros is organising a donation campaign to collect menstrual supplies and other hygiene items for women living in poverty 3 out of 10 women may be affected by menstrual poverty meaning that 3 out of 10 women cannot afford to buy the hygiene products they need during their period Ending menstrual poverty can only happen with systemic changes the Municipality of Józsefváros is working to help women who are struggling to buy menstrual supplies month after month It is important to note that this year we are no longer collecting sanitary pads as they are provided free of charge by the Municipality of Józsefváros to women in need under the 2M Programme Duration of campaign: 17 February – 3 March 2025 You can drop your donations at the following locations: Opening hours: Monday: 08:15-18:00 | Tuesday: 08:15-16:00 | Wednesday: 08:15-16:30 | Thursday: 08:15-16:00 | Friday: 08:15-13:30 Opening hours: Monday: 08:00-18:00 | Tuesday: 08:00-16:00 | Wednesday: 08:00-16:30 | Thursday: 08:00-16:00 | Friday: 08:00-13:30 Opening hours: From Monday to Friday between 8 am and 7 pm Opening hours:From Monday to Friday between 8 am and 6 pm on Saturday between 9 am and 4 pm The donations will be delivered to the people in need by the staff of the Social Services and Child Welfare Centre Orlando (@orli.fans) is a Mexican vlogger living in Budapest. He is mainly known for his funny videos about Hungary, Hungarian traditions, and his experiences living in Hungary as a Mexican. A few days ago, he posted a video on Instagram suggesting a “great plan” for making Józsefváros (the 8th district of Budapest) the Venice of the Hungarian capital Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony and Józsefváros Mayor András Pikó reacted to the amazing idea it’s beautiful because it’s Venice So I propose to flood the entire 8th district and we would live in a beautiful place like this like this could be the 8th district if it had water we can start with Blaha Lujza tér (Blaha Lujza Square – ed.)” A post shared by 🔥Orlando🔥 (@orli.fans) announcing happily that Pikó actually reacted to his idea: but I wanted to take a second to tell you that Pikó answered!” And then he reads out the mayor’s private message he received A post shared by 🔥Orlando🔥 (@orli.fans) he mentions that Karácsony only liked his message “so I guess he’s busy flooding the city” Karácsony actually commented under this second video with two emojis: “🚣🌊” Orlando concluded his video by saying “I said it once and I’ll say it again: Make Józsefváros Great Again!” What do you think about this genius plan to make the 8th district of Budapest the Venice of the Hungarian capital Cute story I can see why it got the clueless city goverment attention A you tuber could probably do a better job One of the worlds most beautiful cities- most from years ago when it was half the population and website in this browser for the next time I comment Y"},"category":false,"taxonomy":{"active":false,"name":"category"}},"markup":{"custom_html":true,"wpp-start":"","wpp-end":"<\/ul>","title-start":"","title-end":"<\/h2>","post-html":"{thumb} {title} {stats}<\/span>{excerpt}<\/p><\/li>"},"theme":{"name":""}} You have successfully joined our subscriber list SupportUs Newsletter © 2025 DailyNewsHungary | All rights reserved A Polish man has been arrested in Budapest on charges of kidnapping hostage-taking and armed robbery in Poland the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) said on Wednesday The 24-year-old man had been hiding in a rented flat in Józsefváros on Sunday The man is being held in custody pending extradition proceedings The Metropolitan Court said in a statement on Wednesday that the Polish citizen and his accomplices held a man hostage between November 15 and 29 They forced their victim to hand over his vehicles The Polish authorities issued a European arrest warrant which the Hungarian authorities acted on and the Poles must fulfil by March 18 The fabulous Hungarian capital attracts millions of tourists every year Budapest also has its dodgier parts that are best to be avoided as a tourist It is not surprising that the most favourable real estate prices are found in the neighbourhood of Hero Street in Budapest’s 10th district (Kőbánya) The horror district of Hős Street is one of the most frightening examples of slums in Budapest lack of public safety and serious drug problems the municipality has carried out complete environmental cleaning and waste removal several times so the condition of the neighborhood has improved in recent years prostitution and assaults are still dominant in the area The 8th district of Budapest – also known as Józsefváros – is also infamous for its lack of public safety the district has seen major developments in recent years located in a renovated part of the neighbourhood is one of the most prominent residential areas in the city centre the more backward parts of the district should be avoided at all costs tourists should avoid the abandoned areas of the district as well as the underpass at Blaha Lujza Square It is highly recommended to always keep your bags locked as pickpocketing is common on József Boulevard and on tram lines 4-6 or perhaps because of it (in the hope of a bigger catch) criminal activities are very common in Budapest’s 5th district the 5th district became one of the dodgiest areas where the highest number of incidents involving violence vandalism and offences against property were registered it is recommended to visit the unmissable attractions of the area during the daytime it is not advisable to walk alone in the district in the evening and at night tourists should avoid public areas where gang encounters are common including Deák Square where a double murder took place in 2020 The murder was recorded by the street cameras the Budapest Police keep a close eye on public safety in the underpasses during the night we should be extremely careful or even avoid underpasses (if possible) and choose another more visible and adequately lit way to get home all passers-by were warned to be careful in the 14th district’s Örs vezér Square where defenceless pedestrians were insulted by loud the situation at Kelenföld Station (11th district) Blaha Lujza underpass (7th district) and Nyugati Station (6th district) was also untenable violence and assaults were experienced in the late hours Although policemen pay close attention to public safety it is highly recommended to avoid underpasses call a taxi or accompany a friend on your way home For a specific street I would advise everyone to be careful of Naphagy tér in District 1 one finds oneself tripping over the lies that emanate from one particular building Thank you Daily News Hungary for a very useful article The only time I felt truly unsafe was at an underpass in the 13th district leading to the tram stop Vagany utca/ Robert karoly korut and that was during the day There were four people loitering there who really looked like they were waiting to choose their potential victim Definitely avoid underpasses and other low visibility and low traffic areas at night My motto is that most bad things on the street happen after midnight You will find that most establishments other than bars will close by 11:30pm That’s the time to go home unless you are young and really are into nightlife So basically avoid everywhere in the main centre Pest side or district VIII is one of the most characteristic places in Budapest this district is worthy of tourists’ attention This might be the reason why Condé Nast Traveller a British travel magazine featured a lengthy illustrated article about it in their January issue the author of the article listed her favourite places and her enthusiasm becomes even more tangible through the photos of this hip Based on the article of Condé Nast Traveller travel.hu listed the best places in Józsefváros especially ruin bars are the most frequented destinations for tourists in Budapest Another spot you might want to try is Lumen you can sip your favourite coffee while listening to jazz music Every tourist spends time at souvenir shops in search of something for their families and friends but gifts that really express the ambiance of a city are rare and they are also overpriced Portéka and Flatlab stand as refreshing exceptions like crocheted tablecloths and jewellery with creative designs but the best choice is probably the traditional FlatLab offers exciting new creations for the stylist tourists who want to find something they won’t see on other people You can find this shop on the 2nd floor of a flat The author also designed a place for Szputnyik Shop which is not a souvenir shop but rather a vintage second-hand shop where you can travel back in time with the help of crazy outfits and accessories you will probably feel hungry and according to the authors of Condé Nast Traveller and travel.hu Budapest Bagel is the hippest place for your well-deserved bagel Jezsek Confectionery is also a good choice if you are around the area It is situated in the infamous Népszínház Street and the plain interior of the shop hides the most delicious pies and pastries in the district visit Matrjoska for a tasty traditional Russian dish or go to Café Csiga and try goulash soup for lunch You can find Matrjoska at Lőrinc pap square and Csiga at Vásár Street Budapesti Építész Kamara is also worth visiting this beautiful restaurant at Ötpacsirta Street looks like a little Paris café with its ivy-covered walls and statues Urania Cinema provides quality entertainment for film lovers and the Moorish-Venetian building gives a spectacular view – absolutely worth a visit Urania also broadcasts ballet performances from international theatres like the Sydney Opera and although it is a good choice for travellers Little Whistle Apartman (which is in the 7th district You can reserve it for a maximum of four people Brody House is in the 8th district and Síp utca in the 6th district ie the other way around