Op-ed: Traces of a distant homeland – The Hungarian imprint on New York City
New York is a palimpsest of migrant stories; some are shouted from monuments and church steeples, others sit quietly in windows, alleys and small cultural houses. For those looking for Hungarian traces in the city, the Greenwich Village–Upper East Side corridor offers a surprising itinerary: André Kertész’s famous window at 2 Fifth Avenue; the cobblestoned intimacy of Washington Mews; congregations and institutions on the Upper East Side; and a nationalist monument that still draws crowds every March 15. Below are the places, the short histories, and the practical details that make them storyworthy.
1. André Kertész – (2 Fifth Avenue)
Why it matters: André Kertész (1894–1985), the Hungarian-born photographer who helped define modern photo-language in Paris and New York, spent his later life at 2 Fifth Avenue, in an upper-floor apartment overlooking Washington Square Park. From that high, private vantage he produced his celebrated “From My Window” series — intimate, geometric views of the park and its passersby that crystallize the outsider’s gaze turned toward everyday city life. Kertész’s move into a 12th-floor flat in 1952 marked a decisive shift: the apartment became his studio and subject.
2. Washington Mews — a cobbled pocket of old Europe
Why it matters: Just north of Washington Square lies Washington Mews, a gated, cobblestoned lane that once housed carriage houses and later artists’ studios. Though the surviving documentary evidence of named Hungarian residents in the Mews is limited, the street’s character — small-scale, studio-filled, European in atmosphere — drew many émigré artists and students connected to NYU in the mid 20th century and functions scenographically in stories of Central European presence in the Village. For a feature about Hungarian cultural footprints, the Mews is an atmospheric link between Kertész’s window views and the studio culture of immigrant artists.
3. The Hungarian churches of the Upper East Side — community anchors
First Hungarian Reformed Church (Emery Roth)
Why it matters: The First Hungarian Reformed Church, at East 69th Street, was built in a deliberate “Hungarian vernacular” style and designed by Hungarian-born architect Emery Roth; it has long been a focal point for the city’s Hungarian Protestant community and stands as one of the few explicitly Hungarian ecclesiastical buildings in Manhattan. The church interior preserves folk ornamentation and a coffered ceiling painted with Hungarian motifs, reflecting immigrant efforts to recreate a familiar spiritual architecture in the New World.
4. St. Stephen (Szent István) — Roman Catholic Church
Why it matters: The Church of St. Stephen of Hungary, often called Szent István, on East 82nd Street, served and still serves Hungarian Catholics; its presence alongside the Hungarian House and the American Hungarian Library helps complete a religious and cultural axis for the Hungarian diaspora on the Upper East Side. The parish’s records and community memory are a useful oral-history resource for any writer exploring midcentury Hungarian life in New York.
5. Hungarian House and the American Hungarian Library — civic memory at E 82nd
Why it matters: The Hungarian House of New York (officially: The American Foundation for Hungarian Literature and Education) and the American Hungarian Library & Historical Society at 213–215 E. 82nd Street have been central to preserving Hungarian-language books, newspapers, records and community programs in New York since the 1960s. For a feature piece, these institutions supply archival material, contacts for first-hand interviews, and photos of ephemera (programs, posters, immigration documents) that enrich any narrative about the community’s lived life.
6. Lajos (Louis) Kossuth Monument — a public pledge of memory on Riverside
Why it matters: The Lajos Kossuth Monument, on Riverside Drive at West 113th Street (Riverside Park), commemorates the Hungarian revolutionary leader Lajos (Louis) Kossuth (1802–1894) and stands as a tangible expression of Hungarian-American pride and transatlantic solidarity. The sculptural group, created by János Horvay (Horváy János) and unveiled in 1928 amid large public ceremonies, was funded by Hungarian-American donations and remains a locus for Hungarian national commemoration (notably March 15 observances). The statue’s scale and the 1928 dedication — attended by tens of thousands — underscore how visible Hungarian political memory once was in New York.
7. The Balassi Institute and Hungarian cultural diplomacy in NYC
Why it matters: Hungary’s official cultural diplomacy is coordinated through the Balassi Institute, which operates Hungarian cultural centres and programs worldwide and maintains a New York presence (the Institute reactivated a New York operation in the 2000s). In practice, Balassi-affiliated events, partner programs and visiting lecturers provide a contemporary connective tissue between the American Hungarian community (Hungarian House, university programs) and cultural programming (exhibitions, language classes, literary events). Mentioning Balassi shows that the Hungarian presence here is not only historical but also actively maintained at an institutional level.
8. The 1956 Hungarian Revolution Memorial, Riverside Park
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Riverside Park, near West 113th Street and Riverside Drive, stands one of New York City’s most meaningful tributes to freedom — the 1956 Hungarian Revolution Memorial.
The monument was initiated by the Hungarian American Memorial Committee in the early 2000s to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution against Soviet rule. The organization, composed largely of members of the Hungarian diaspora, wished to create a lasting symbol of gratitude to the United States and of remembrance for those who fought for liberty in Hungary.
The chosen location — Kossuth Plaza — already featured the striking statue of Lajos Kossuth, the 19th-century Hungarian statesman and revolutionary. The addition of the 1956 Memorial turned this corner of Riverside Park into a small but powerful “Hungarian memory square” on the Hudson River.
Designed by Tamás Nagy, a Budapest-based architect, the monument was selected through an international design competition. Its minimalist form consists of two granite elements: a rectangular bench-like block and a circular slab engraved with the constellations visible above Budapest on the night of October 23, 1956 — the moment the uprising began. This subtle celestial map evokes both loss and hope, linking the Hungarian night sky with the open heavens above New York.
More than a work of art, the memorial serves as a place of reflection for both New Yorkers and Hungarian-Americans. Commemorative ceremonies are held here each October, when community members gather to honor the spirit of freedom that transcends nations and generations.
Today, anyone strolling along Riverside Drive can pause for a moment among the trees, gaze toward the Hudson, and encounter a quiet echo of Hungary’s struggle for independence — a reminder that the story of 1956 is not confined to Budapest, but also lives on in the heart of Manhattan.
9. A Taste of Europe at Caffe Reggio
A short walk from the park, Caffe Reggio at 119 MacDougal Street has been serving espresso since 1927—in fact, it claims to have brought the cappuccino to New York. Although not of Hungarian origin, it remains a cultural landmark for the many European artists, writers, and émigrés who once gathered here, including many Hungarians.
The dark wood interior and green facade evoke Budapest’s classic coffeehouse culture, making it an ideal place to stop and imagine the transatlantic dialogues that shaped art and literature across continents. László Moholy-Nagy is a frequent meeting place for former and current NYU professors of Hungarian descent, and this imposing café is located next to Washington Square Park.
Written by: Susanna Angel
Become a guest author at Daily News Hungary: write for us!
Read more op-eds on Daily News Hungary:
- Op-ed: Why Israel might strike Iran again — and what it really seeks to achieve
- Op-ed: Syrian Christian students in Hungary may be forced to return to Syria to face certain death