Even though there are so many great
coffee shops on the
Upper East Side, I continue to go to my favorite Starbucks on the corner of 81st and 2nd Avenue. Why would a seasoned Upper East Sider like myself go to the same Starbucks everyday? While the frappachinos are delicious, I go to watch my favorite Hungarian men who sit in their special corner of Starbucks so I can listen to their boisterous and cheerful afternoon conversations. The Hungarian friends gather together every single day at this particular Starbucks on 81st and 2nd Avenue. As I sipped my afternoon vanilla bean frappachino, I looked across 2nd Avenue and noticed the
Hungarian Meat Market & Delicatessen. I was starting to sense some kind of connection taking place.
When I returned to my apartment (ironically located one block from “King Stephen of Hungary Way” on 82nd Street and 1st Avenue) I began to research the Hungarian influence on the Upper East Side and was amazed at what I discovered. Decades ago, three of the main streets crossing Yorkville created an Eastern European ethnic flavor that still resonates today. The Bohemian Boulevard covered 72nd Street, Hungarian Boulevard was 79th Street, and the German Boulevard stretched across 86th Street.
Of course, the Upper East Side has evolved since these times but it is important to recognize and celebrate the cultural influences that are present in our neighborhood today. When I returned to the Hungarian Meat Market & Delicatessen at 1560 2nd Avenue, I learned that the market was established in the 1950’s on “Goulash Avenue” when Hungarian immigrants populated Manhattan’s Yorkville district. The delicatessen continues to be family owned and the employees in the market are from Hungary. As Yorkville’s last Hungarian meat market, they are committed to preserving Hungarian culture and cuisine as well as familiarizing Upper East Siders with its famous Kalosca paprika, apricot jam, and Kashkaval cheese among other delicacies.
My quest to find everything Hungarian did not stop there. I ventured forward to
Andre’s Café and Bakery, the last Hungarian restaurant on the Upper East Side located at 1631 2nd Avenue between 84th and 85th Street. For a bargain price of $12.95 each, my friend and I lunched on Andre’s famous goulash soup, generous portions of stuffed cabbage and breaded chicken (a recommendation from my new friend at the Hungarian Meat Market) and, finally, a delicious helping of Napoleon Kremes.
From the lively Hungarian men, to the Hungarian Meat Market & Delicatessen, and finally Andre’s Café and Bakery, I felt like I traveled back in time to Hungarian Boulevard for the afternoon. The
Upper East Side contains so many cultural gems and sometimes they are hard to see beyond modern New York. However, if you look hard enough, behind every Starbucks might be a group of cheerful old friends with a special connection to Upper East Side history.
When I returned to my apartment (ironically located one block from “King Stephen of Hungary Way” on 82nd Street and 1st Avenue) I began to research the Hungarian influence on the Upper East Side and was amazed at what I discovered. Decades ago, three of the main streets crossing Yorkville created an Eastern European ethnic flavor that still resonates today. The Bohemian Boulevard covered 72nd Street, Hungarian Boulevard was 79th Street, and the German Boulevard stretched across 86th Street.
Of course, the Upper East Side has evolved since these times but it is important to recognize and celebrate the cultural influences that are present in our neighborhood today. When I returned to the Hungarian Meat Market & Delicatessen at 1560 2nd Avenue, I learned that the market was established in the 1950’s on “Goulash Avenue” when Hungarian immigrants populated Manhattan’s Yorkville district. The delicatessen continues to be family owned and the employees in the market are from Hungary. As Yorkville’s last Hungarian meat market, they are committed to preserving Hungarian culture and cuisine as well as familiarizing Upper East Siders with its famous Kalosca paprika, apricot jam, and Kashkaval cheese among other delicacies.
My quest to find everything Hungarian did not stop there. I ventured forward to Andre’s Café and Bakery, the last Hungarian restaurant on the Upper East Side located at 1631 2nd Avenue between 84th and 85th Street. For a bargain price of $12.95 each, my friend and I lunched on Andre’s famous goulash soup, generous portions of stuffed cabbage and breaded chicken (a recommendation from my new friend at the Hungarian Meat Market) and, finally, a delicious helping of Napoleon Kremes.
From the lively Hungarian men, to the Hungarian Meat Market & Delicatessen, and finally Andre’s Café and Bakery, I felt like I traveled back in time to Hungarian Boulevard for the afternoon. The Upper East Side contains so many cultural gems and sometimes they are hard to see beyond modern New York. However, if you look hard enough, behind every Starbucks might be a group of cheerful old friends with a special connection to Upper East Side history. 
1 comments:
I liked it there.
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