Tompa Street Area

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#residential #renovated #moderncobblestonearea #restrictedtraffic #biggreeneryyards #manysmallshops #coffees #bars #craftbeerparadise #uptodatestreetfood #retail #localmood #frenchtype

WHERE IS THIS NEIGHBORHOOD?

We picked a relatively small squared shape area on the map with a grid street plan between the Grand Boulevard, the River Danube, the famous Corvin Quarter and the campus of the popular Semmelweis Medical University. As the main street of the area we nominated the nice and renovated Tompa street with attractive paving, restricted traffic and many green plants and trees. This guide is about the whole neighborhood around Tompa street, along the crossing streets and Ferenc square.

NEIGHBORHOOD IDENTITY

Ferenc square

Welcome to the role model type of residential areas in Budapest! There are not many in town to compare to this one. It is literally one of a kind in Budapest. (Many of us wish it wouldn’t be so particular, we would ask for more neighborhoods like this.) No wonder it is always requested among people looking rental apartments.

What makes it so special? This simply a renovated, gentrified downtown area, ideal for residents and this is not very common in Budapest. New apartment houses alternate mostly renovated classical frontages. Most of them are 2-4 storey buildings.

These contain mostly apartments in which people actually live in: locals or long term expats but not so many tourist. You can feel that on the streets. You capture everyday scenes by walking around.

There are lot of actually operating small shops under these buildings: coffees and retails for the daily life, lunch menu spots for the employees around and lot of bars for the evenings and nights.

Lux in Tompa street

Mester street

Mester street

Just to make you understand: lot of similar areas come with worned out buildings, abandoned stores and generally less vibrant environment (some have started to blossom recently too but this one is in realization already).

This is an old fashioned citizen zone of modern days where the inhabitants live urban life and not a suburban life like in outer newly built apartment building areas.

Piazza di Francesco in Ferenc square. The name would literally mean Ferenc square in Italian.

OVERVIEW FOR EVERYONE

(Wether you are a VISITOR or a soon to be / wannabe RESIDENT!)

The basics of the atmosphere

• Vivid and calm streets for the same time.
• Colorful buildings
• Modern but friendly environment
• Lot of green,
• Few tourist
• Many locals
• Great number of outdoor spaces for the good weather
• Every genre of the gastronomic venues.
• You will find everything in small shops even that you spontaneously need.

Our "MUSTS"

• Walk along Tompa street and just look around!
• Visit Ferenc square (or take a rest there!), this charming but less known square of Budapest:

Ferenc square

Breakfast out of home: Lux is one of the earliest brids in Tompa utca when it is about breakfast:

or you can also choose an other hidden option in the pleasant Angyal ("Angel") street. Its name means only "Breakfast spot, Coffee shop". Simply and it makes the dream true which it inspires.  

Reggeliző kávézó ("Breakfast Café") in Angyal utca

Regarding outdoor bars, coffee shops and restaurants there are many in the warmer seasons: almost the whole Tompa street is fully packed with them 

and quite a few ones are situated in the Mester street, Ferenc square and in the crossing streets. In this neighborhood a terrace belongs to quasi all the shops. A more specified option is the Élesztőház, one of the biggest craft beer bars in Budapest. It was also one of the oldest candidates (2013) when the Hungarian beer revolution started. It is in a whole up-cycled building but unlike the famous ruin pubs the big space is covered space in the middle:

Source of photo: Élesztőház

In the last years the original Élesztő (Hungarian word for yeast) became Élesztőház (Yeasthouse) because other gastronomic services have opened in different sections of the building complex. 

Rengeteg is a specialty coffee shop its basement. Here you can feel like in a Children's Fantasy Movie due to the many toys, especially teddy bears:

The other attractive feature of Élesztőház is the Wine and Tapas Bar, Vino Piano:

Sundays Élesztő runs special series of events worth to catch, a food / farmer's markets: PANCS gasztroplacc.

Street Food: Years before the current gastro revolution, Marika néni ("Aunt Mary") has opened her gates to the public and even till today she offers hamburger from the older, "retro" type but in many ways, with various fillings. It is an epic checkpoint to go. Don't expect fine dining! 

FOR THOSE WHO CONSIDER TO MOVE HERE

Ferenc square should be your constant spot for daily meditation or people-watch

Ferenc square consists a tartan running track on its edges.

There is a gym in the Bokréta street open from 7 AM till 10 PM! (with midday siesta)

If you want to set your "home office" in a coffee shop, the above mentioned Lux is also also suitable. Or another great option could be the very pleasant Öreg Óra ("Old Clock") that is open daily from 9:00 AM.

For daily lunch menu last year's newcomer Paletta Bisztró Budapest has especially good references. The less then one year old restaurant made his way to the Dining Guide Top 10 in Budapest in "business lunch" category. 

To do your everyday shopping the biggest supermarkets in the area are the Aldi in the Tűzoltó street and the Spar in Mester street. 

0-24 grocery store: there is one at the corner of Mester street and Liliom street.

One of the most interesting cultural center of whole Budapest is here to find. Trafó - The house of Contemporary Arts is based on a great concept: uniting all the possible type of arts at one place and filling up this idea with real constant happenings: theater, concerts, literature, various exhibitions and as main character: dance performances and even circus shows. Hungarian and International, classic and non-conformits. All in one:

If you moved here, or if your are looking for new suggestions in this area, save this link and look back any time: we keep refreshing it with new places and recommendations we explore.

For looking for available apartments also in this area and in other Budapest neighborhoods, click Here