Ferencváros () is the 9th district of Budapest (), Hungary.
Name
The southern suburb of Pest was named after King Francis I on 4 December 1792 when he was crowned king of Hungary.
History
The development of Ferencváros began in the late 18th century.
In both 1799 and 1838, many buildings in Ferencváros were destroyed by flooding of the River Danube. Subsequent construction utilized brick and stone instead of mud bricks, thus preventing serious flood damage.
Industrialisation of the district occurred during the second half of the 19th century. During this period, Ferencváros' five mills, slaughterhouse (the largest in Hungary) and Central Market Hall were constructed.
Mixed district: has areas along the Danube (the National Theatre, Müpa, the Palace of Arts are located here, more universities in or close to the area); has a semi-pedestrian street, Ráday utca, with plenty of restaurants, cafes; and the inner areas with many new buildings (see below).
Ferencváros today
Mainly due to recent large-scale housing redevelopment and ensuing gentrification, in the past 15 years former working-class Ferencváros has become one of the most attractive districts of Budapest. It is massively popular with lower-middle to middle class twenty- and thirtysomethings, with property prices to match the hype. As a real two-in-one, it suits the hip and trendy set both for its vibrant urban scene and as a quality place to live. Thanks to the large amount of greenery, especially around the midsection called Central Ferencváros and further to the south, especially in the low-rise Attila József housing estate, the area has healthy outdoor spaces unequalled in central Pest.
Population
The current population is 60,323 (2003 census). Ferencváros has various traditional ethnic minorities represented: most importantly Bulgarians, Germans, Croats, Serbs and Slovaks. The Roma population has been decreasing in the past 10 years as many of them gravitate to neighbouring districts with cheaper accommodation.
Due to the large universities located in the district (Corvinus, Semmelweis) and some more in the vicinity (Budapest University of Technology and Economics), a recent trend is the influx of foreign students of German (Semmelweis University of Medicine), Arabic, Pakistani (working in IT), Indian (working in IT), Norwegian (Semmelweis University of Medicine) and African backgrounds who rent apartments alongside Hungarian students coming from the countryside. Small Chinese and Vietnamese enterprises have also cropped up: these are mostly fast food bars and second-hand clothes shops. The Turks are also represented through their kebab houses.
Areas
Inner Ferencváros
Traditionally, Belső (=Inner) Ferencváros has always been the wealthiest part of the district, with well-preserved apartment blocks dating back to the late 19th century and even earlier. In stark contrast to its bourgeois past, these days Ráday utca, the main artery of "publand" Ferencváros, has a bohemian, youthful atmosphere. The concentration of well over 50 entertainment establishments (pubs, bars, clubs, restaurants, art galleries, culture institutes, open-air concert venue) along a stretch of barely more than 1.3 kilometres is one of the densest in Budapest, the environs of Liszt Ferenc tér being a major competitor.
Ráday utca is also known as "Kultutca", with book shows and arts festivals every spring and autumn and a summer opera festival in June.
On the Danube riverside, one can find a mixed picture. Together with its fin-de-siecle main campus building still dominating the area south of the bridgehead of Szabadság híd (former Ferencz József híd), the new high-tech wing of the Corvinus University is also a major architectural landmark of the area. Behind is Vásárcsarnok, the Central Market Hall, whose upper souvenir floor can get overfull of tourists in peak season. However, by its side, Leaving the university campus behind, is the Közraktárak, "Public Warehouses", which are earmarked for redevelopment. To the south, Nehru Park provides green space for residents.