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I Went To An Old Jewish Quarter In Budapest To Find Out What The Fuss Is All About Ruin Bars (20 Pics)
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I Went To An Old Jewish Quarter In Budapest To Find Out What The Fuss Is All About Ruin Bars (20 Pics)

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Budapest’s old Jewish quarter is home to the craze of ‘ruin bars’ – old industrial buildings converted to drinking joints. So what’s all the fuss about? I went to find out.

More info: curiologist.com

Started in 2002, Szimpla Kert is the oldest and most iconic ruin bar

It had been an old factory that had become dilapidated

The genius idea was to renovate it by making everything a bit worse

Not that there isn’t any innovation

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With things to look at

While you’re having a nice beer in the bath

And if you don’t like what you see

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Change it – just bring something to draw with

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There are some empty spaces left

There’s plenty of greenery

With the odd bicycle and pair of legs thrown in

You can also buy a candle of the prime minister, Victor Orban to burn

Victor Orban declared Hungary an illiberal state

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But it looks like liberalism is flourishing here

So who drinks in this bar?

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After a couple of trips and a chat with a bouncer

I learned that a big proportion of the visitors were tourists

Who can come and do what they like

And then go home

And tell their friends that Hungary is actually really cool

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charlotteparis1982 avatar
Charlotte
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm sorry, but it just looks like a glorified crack den to me. I think the Jewish people who used to live and work there would turn in their graves of they saw the messy hipster b******t their neighborhood had turned into. My grandmother wouldn't even let me eat an apple without a plate and a napkin. I think that if I had started writing on the walls, she would have roundhouse kicked me straight through it.

mittenkg avatar
Alib
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This neighborhood was a Jewish ghetto—Jews were forced to live there and many starved to death. The last thing they are "turning in the graves" about is ruin bars. I don't "love" gentrification but Szimpla has done a good thing: It turned a decrepit building into a creative community space with a weekly farmers market, live music, and amazing food. It's just a great place to meet up with friends.

Load More Replies...
lauramd avatar
Laura M D
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I studied in Budapest for a while and this was the place. It wasn't unusual that random people asked to share your table, and since the general atmosphere was nice and polite, you could do it without a problem. I even took my parents there, they were shocked at first, but appreciated the singularity. Oh, I miss those days and miss Szimpla so much!

holtsara avatar
Sara Holt
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I look at this ‘cool’ space and mourn my late mom’s family who lived in Hungary. Their home and belongings were confiscated by the Germans and Hungarians. All Jews were taken to the concentration camps. My mom was 13 (children under 16 were normally killed immediately but an old man in the crowd asked her how old she was and told her to lie) and saw her baby brother thrown alive into a bonfire. She had other siblings. Only an older brother lived. My mom’s toes froze off during a death march in the snow. I couldn’t sit in a ruin bar and not be aware of the ruined lives, the trauma of the ruined survivors.

encephalomonster avatar
Turo Rudi
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please be assured that the victims of the Holocaust in Hungary have not been forgotten in this neighborhood. There are monuments and plaques and museum exhibitions commemorating them. Many residents' ancestors were Holocaust survivors and are very much aware of how their families suffered. Today, those same residents live and laugh and have babies and visit ruin pubs.

Load More Replies...
brigitta-swart avatar
wietsepot avatar
Wietse Pot
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Random? Yes. Dirty? No. Been there several years in a row on vacations. The ruin pubs are great. Professional staff in a very relaxed environment.

Load More Replies...
kenesey-judit avatar
Buba Mara
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also, I would not blame this pub for ruining the memory of the victims of the Jewish Quarter. There are far bigger property business scandals in the area, and the quarter is doing quite a lot in many other ways the remind people of that horrible part of our history. Anyway, if you go to Hungary, go check out other pubs too, cuz Szimpla is not more than a quirky museum for tourists.

kenesey-judit avatar
Buba Mara
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Back in the day I used to go there a lot with my friends from the uni. It was not as popular yet as it is now, was a lot less crowded and the design was simpler too. It was a cosy place with a special ambience where it was great to study in the afternoon or have a pint in the evening. Publicity is killing this place. And no offence, but these photos show nothing of its real appearance and ambiance.

nadineducca avatar
Nadine
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband and I went there this year and it was great. Sure some places look dingy (others are really cut and clean), but the area has its charm and people are just having fun. Plus the little street with the food trucks was great!

onemessylady avatar
Aunt Messy
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We're going to Budapest in the fall, but I think I'll take a pass on this one.

captaindash avatar
Full Name
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm normally a minimalist but I think this place would be cool to visit. It doesn't look dirty to me, it looks like well maintained chaos.

saihoekstra avatar
Sanne H.
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Szimpla Kert is a great ruin bar with remarkable street art. You can have not-so-expensive pub food or just take a beer, or enjoy a carrot (some kind of bar tradition)

gray avatar
Helen Gray
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Far too much Graffiti on walls, floors, doors, everywhere...

mphseti avatar
mph seti
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it looks awesome. I'd love to have a place like that within walking distance to hang out at regularly.

michel_cromwell avatar
K Michel Cromwell
Community Member
4 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Yep...liberalism has been there...making everything ugly.

charlotteparis1982 avatar
Charlotte
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm sorry, but it just looks like a glorified crack den to me. I think the Jewish people who used to live and work there would turn in their graves of they saw the messy hipster b******t their neighborhood had turned into. My grandmother wouldn't even let me eat an apple without a plate and a napkin. I think that if I had started writing on the walls, she would have roundhouse kicked me straight through it.

mittenkg avatar
Alib
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This neighborhood was a Jewish ghetto—Jews were forced to live there and many starved to death. The last thing they are "turning in the graves" about is ruin bars. I don't "love" gentrification but Szimpla has done a good thing: It turned a decrepit building into a creative community space with a weekly farmers market, live music, and amazing food. It's just a great place to meet up with friends.

Load More Replies...
lauramd avatar
Laura M D
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I studied in Budapest for a while and this was the place. It wasn't unusual that random people asked to share your table, and since the general atmosphere was nice and polite, you could do it without a problem. I even took my parents there, they were shocked at first, but appreciated the singularity. Oh, I miss those days and miss Szimpla so much!

holtsara avatar
Sara Holt
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I look at this ‘cool’ space and mourn my late mom’s family who lived in Hungary. Their home and belongings were confiscated by the Germans and Hungarians. All Jews were taken to the concentration camps. My mom was 13 (children under 16 were normally killed immediately but an old man in the crowd asked her how old she was and told her to lie) and saw her baby brother thrown alive into a bonfire. She had other siblings. Only an older brother lived. My mom’s toes froze off during a death march in the snow. I couldn’t sit in a ruin bar and not be aware of the ruined lives, the trauma of the ruined survivors.

encephalomonster avatar
Turo Rudi
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please be assured that the victims of the Holocaust in Hungary have not been forgotten in this neighborhood. There are monuments and plaques and museum exhibitions commemorating them. Many residents' ancestors were Holocaust survivors and are very much aware of how their families suffered. Today, those same residents live and laugh and have babies and visit ruin pubs.

Load More Replies...
brigitta-swart avatar
wietsepot avatar
Wietse Pot
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Random? Yes. Dirty? No. Been there several years in a row on vacations. The ruin pubs are great. Professional staff in a very relaxed environment.

Load More Replies...
kenesey-judit avatar
Buba Mara
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also, I would not blame this pub for ruining the memory of the victims of the Jewish Quarter. There are far bigger property business scandals in the area, and the quarter is doing quite a lot in many other ways the remind people of that horrible part of our history. Anyway, if you go to Hungary, go check out other pubs too, cuz Szimpla is not more than a quirky museum for tourists.

kenesey-judit avatar
Buba Mara
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Back in the day I used to go there a lot with my friends from the uni. It was not as popular yet as it is now, was a lot less crowded and the design was simpler too. It was a cosy place with a special ambience where it was great to study in the afternoon or have a pint in the evening. Publicity is killing this place. And no offence, but these photos show nothing of its real appearance and ambiance.

nadineducca avatar
Nadine
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My husband and I went there this year and it was great. Sure some places look dingy (others are really cut and clean), but the area has its charm and people are just having fun. Plus the little street with the food trucks was great!

onemessylady avatar
Aunt Messy
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We're going to Budapest in the fall, but I think I'll take a pass on this one.

captaindash avatar
Full Name
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm normally a minimalist but I think this place would be cool to visit. It doesn't look dirty to me, it looks like well maintained chaos.

saihoekstra avatar
Sanne H.
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Szimpla Kert is a great ruin bar with remarkable street art. You can have not-so-expensive pub food or just take a beer, or enjoy a carrot (some kind of bar tradition)

gray avatar
Helen Gray
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Far too much Graffiti on walls, floors, doors, everywhere...

mphseti avatar
mph seti
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think it looks awesome. I'd love to have a place like that within walking distance to hang out at regularly.

michel_cromwell avatar
K Michel Cromwell
Community Member
4 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

Yep...liberalism has been there...making everything ugly.

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