Expat panel finds Budapest unaware of its charms

Generally speaking, expats find Budapest to be an enjoyable and exciting place to live, a focus group discussion held by Studio Metropolitana Budapest (SMB) within the framework of the Futurbia program revealed. However, they believe Budapest does not exploit its advantages - and is often not even aware of them.

According to a summary of the discussion on gazdasagiradio.hu, expats pointed to the Danube river as the city's biggest asset, which they believe is a cultural focus for a variety of events and festivals that create a youthful atmosphere in the city.

Foreigners living in the Hungarian capital also pointed out that Budapest has many characteristics that set it apart from other similar cities, such as being a gateway between West and East, offering a social contrast between Buda and Pest and preserving history in its architecture. They think that all of these characteristics provide great economic and cultural advantages, but that the city does not do enough to emphasize these positive characteristics.

Another advantage for Budapest is its size, which is neither too large nor too small. As a "walking city," tourists can get to know it on foot or by using the well-developed public transport system, while it is large enough to provide plenty of color and excitement.

Expats also said Budapest could be "a gateway to the East" for investors with its favorable economic conditions. However, these advantages are being eroded by a tax system not conducive to economic development.

Foreigners also mentioned that public safety in Budapest is excellent compared to other cities, and that it was safe to walk home alone early in the morning or late at night. Another advantage mentioned was the richness of its cuisine. But before Budapest becomes a genuine "food and wine city," they warned that the quality of cafés and other catering services needed improvement, adding that several places that used to be excellent have now lost their luster.

In addition to positive characteristics, expats also pointed out a number of disadvantages, one of them being inadequate protection of Budapest's historic cityscape and traditions, believing the architecture of the inner districts to be too eclectic, while arguing that local modern buildings were uninspiring. They added that one of the biggest problems everywhere in the city is the ubiquitous graffiti.

In terms of integration, the foreigners said Budapest was not accepting enough, with communication mentioned as a key problem. For example, they pointed to a lack of useful English-language information boards.

While foreigners find one of the greatest advantages of Budapest to be its colorful cultural events, they believe the city does have some dull moments, for example, in winter and sometimes on Sundays when everything is closed.

They also criticized the Budapest mentality of being preoccupied with historical losses. Some respondents mentioned being too open to multinational and globalized companies as a disadvantage, criticizing the pláza (shopping mall) system in the city, though others thought this was a rather interesting and positive feature.

All in all, expats think Budapest is a city where there is always something new to discover, rather than a museum-like town filled with monuments, making it livable and likable, and giving it a sophisticated and complex atmosphere. They added that the city should be made even more colorful and exciting, for example, by giving new functions to old landmarks.

The panel summed up the discussion by concluding that the Budapest brand should represent variety, revival and discovery.

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