{"id":1616,"date":"2020-05-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-18T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.newyorkcafe.hu\/a-new-york-kavehaz-lelke-a-kultura\/"},"modified":"2026-11-06T13:41:15","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T12:41:15","slug":"the-soul-of-the-new-york-coffee-house-is-its-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/a-new-york-kavehaz-lelke-a-kultura\/","title":{"rendered":"The heart and soul of a New York caf\u00e9: culture"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\nThe New York M\u0171v\u00e9sz P\u00e1holy is celebrating yet another anniversary \u2013 its fifth birthday. On 26 March, a grand gala evening was held in the Roma Hall of the New York Palace, organised under the auspices of literature, music, film, the stage and theatre. However, the New York M\u0171v\u00e9sz P\u00e1holy is more than just an evening\u2019s event. The series of programmes is a mission, a tribute and a mark of respect to the great figures of culture.<\/strong>\n\n<\/div>\n
\n\nEver since the New York Caf\u00e9 opened in 1894, it has always been at its most successful when run by art-loving managers. As Csaba Szab\u00f3, manager of the World\u2019s Most Beautiful Caf\u00e9, put it: \u201eLiterature, music and the visual arts are part of the soul of this place\u201d.\n\nThis is precisely what Eventrend Holding, the operator of the New York Caf\u00e9, respected when it took over the management of the caf\u00e9 in 2006 \u2013 following a lengthy but meticulous and period-accurate renovation. For the group\u2019s owners, there was no question that cultural and literary programmes needed to be organised, as the New York Caf\u00e9 was once synonymous with Hungarian artistic life, and the name carries a certain obligation. Whatever may have happened in the course of history and the history of the New York Caf\u00e9, culture could not be erased from within its time-honoured walls. The new management recognised and supported this, thus paving the way for a new initiative.\n

The Beginnings<\/h4>\nIn the spring of 2012, the group\u2019s executives, together with close colleagues who are keen enthusiasts of the arts, began organising the foundation. Their aim was to create programmes covering literature, music and other art forms that would do justice to the New York Caf\u00e9\u2019s past, and through which they could communicate and discuss the legendary New York. They sought to bring back within the walls of the \u201eNew York\u201d the vibrant cultural and artistic life that once characterised the Caf\u00e9, and which would also appeal to an art-loving, discerning audience. Their primary initiative to revitalise the arts scene was to \u201elure back\u201d literary life within the walls of the Caf\u00e9.\n

The first attempt: the New York Literary Circle<\/h4>\nThe predecessor of the New York Artists\u201e Lodge was the New York Literary Lodge, which was moderated and led by the writer and poet Istv\u00e1n Turczi. They revived the tradition of donating \u201dNew York-style\u2019 tables named after individuals: those renowned creative figures who had once done so much for the New York Caf\u00e9: who were involved in running the numerous editorial offices, publishing houses and literary journals based in the building, were given a regular table so that they might once again find a home at the Caf\u00e9. Thus, in April 2012, the first \u2018Regulars\u2019 Table\u2019 of the 21st century was awarded to Ferenc Juh\u00e1sz, a poet and two-time winner of the Kossuth and Baumgarten Prizes. Subsequently \u2013 during the operation of the Literary Box and the M\u0171v\u00e9sz P\u00e1holy \u2013 the following were honoured: the poet L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Lator; Tam\u00e1s Ungv\u00e1ri, teacher, literary historian and writer; poet Anna J\u00f3kai, poet \u00c9va Janikovszky, geneticist Endre Czeizel, pianist Tam\u00e1s V\u00e1s\u00e1ry, ethologist Vilmos Cs\u00e1nyi, and writer Magda Szab\u00f3 were also honoured in this way for their work and life\u2019s achievements. \u00a0Ever since then, hundreds of guests and tourists have been sitting down at the regulars\u2019 tables day in, day out, and through the biographies and quotations displayed there, they can gain a fascinating insight, in two languages, into the lives of these outstanding figures of Hungarian literature.\n

Inspiring contemporary authors: the Literary Competition<\/h4>\nThe artistic director of the Literary Circle and the\u00a0www.irodalmipalyazat.hu<\/a>\u00a0Its representative, G\u00e9za Mih\u00e1lyi, announced a writing competition \u2013 on a theme in the spirit of \u201eNyugat\u201d, by no means by chance. Following a swift assessment by the jury, Ferenc Juh\u00e1sz personally presented the prizes to the entrants. The initiative generated considerable interest amongst contemporary writers: according to the terms of the competition, a maximum of 140 entries could be accepted; as this number was reached so quickly, the closing date for entries was brought forward. The conditions stipulated that entrants could submit works in the genres of poetry or short prose, with a maximum of 8,000 characters. The distinguished judging panel \u2013 comprising writer and poet Orsolya Karafi\u00e1th and writer Istv\u00e1n Turczi \u2013 assessed the entries on the spot, at the World\u2019s Most Beautiful Caf\u00e9. Incidentally, all the entries had previously been posted on the irodalmipalyazat.hu Facebook page, so the public could also vote by clicking \u2018Like\u2019.\n

The New York Actors\u2019 Guild<\/h4>\nThe New York Actors\u2019 Club was launched at the same time in 2012; at its events, host \u00c9va Csom\u00f3s invited an actor or a theatre-related artist to take part in the programme, thus once again providing a home for the performing arts at the New York Caf\u00e9. The Caf\u00e9 hosted the last New York Literary Salon in October 2012, coinciding with the launch of *The Stables of Pegasus*, a book by Ferenc Juh\u00e1sz, owner of the T\u00f6rzsasztal.\n

The legendary Budapest caf\u00e9, the New York Caf\u00e9, served as a favourite meeting place for artists in the early 20th century; the caf\u00e9\u2019s entire history is inextricably linked with literature. In days gone by, great emphasis was placed on creating a sumptuous, spacious interior, the beauty of which we can still enjoy today, along with the traditional motifs and the beautiful marble columns.\u00a0Every Hungarian should visit this place, as even simply having a coffee here is a truly memorable experience. If you\u2019d like to enjoy this experience for yourself, book a table<\/h4>\nIn March 2013, following the merger of the former societies, the New York M\u0171v\u00e9sz P\u00e1holy was launched, a series of events that remains successful to this day, placing literature, the visual arts, cinema and creative work at the heart of its discussion evenings. This event brought together the previous initiatives and, whilst exceeding all expectations, became one of the capital\u2019s most successful and best-attended cultural series.\n\nThe organisers asked Anna Juh\u00e1sz, a cultural manager and literary scholar, to take on the role of hostess. Since the New York M\u0171v\u00e9sz P\u00e1holy opened, it has welcomed visitors once a month, inviting musicians, writers, dancers and painters to its programme, hosting book launches and celebrating birthdays. The events in this series are held in the Caf\u00e9\u2019s famous M\u00e9lyv\u00edz Hall, and on a few occasions each year in the New York Palace\u2019s grand ROMA Hall, which can accommodate up to five hundred people.\n

The key to sustained success<\/h4>\nThe success of the New York M\u0171v\u00e9sz P\u00e1holy lies, on the one hand, in the fact that the organisers put their heart and soul into organising their events every month, driven by a commitment to culture. The audience is always presented with a topical message, ensuring that each evening has a clear character and atmosphere, conveying the diversity and values of knowledge, culture and the arts to the audience in a down-to-earth and direct manner. This directness is one of the defining features of the programmes.\n\nAn event of this scale could not take place if the management of the Caf\u00e9, or its managing director, Csaba Szab\u00f3, did not take the event to heart. However, the enthusiasm remains undiminished. Just like that of the hostess, Anna Juh\u00e1sz, who presents the programmes with authenticity, not only through her knowledge and preparation, but because literature runs through her veins: she herself is the daughter of a contemporary poetic giant.\n\nNor can we overlook the now entirely unusual approach to guest communication. One of the driving forces behind the event, Diana J\u00f3zsa, the marketing manager, personally coordinates and responds to participants\u2019 registrations and enquiries. This form of communication plays a major role in fostering a friendly, direct rapport, and this is clearly reflected in the guests\u2019 reactions. The enthusiastic team at the New York M\u0171v\u00e9sz P\u00e1holy, working alongside Anna, is thus able to create a highly guest-centred and successful series of literary events.\n

A legend \u2013 and it will remain a legend<\/h4>\nContinuing the series we have begun, our aim year on year is for art and our country\u2019s most acclaimed artists to find a home at the Caf\u00e9 through these high-quality, enriching evenings, so that there may be a place where like-minded people, committed to art, culture can meet, where, in a \u201eNew York-style\u201d atmosphere, culture takes centre stage one evening a month.\n\nThe New York M\u0171v\u00e9sz P\u00e1holy evenings have become so popular that places sell out within 1\u20132 hours of registration opening. This means that sometimes more than 500 guests attend a single evening in the series.\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00dajabb \u00e9vfordul\u00f3t, imm\u00e1ron az \u00f6t\u00f6dik sz\u00fclet\u00e9snapj\u00e1t \u00fcnnepli a New York M\u0171v\u00e9sz P\u00e1holy. M\u00e1rcius 26-\u00e1n a New York Palota Roma term\u00e9ben tartott\u00e1k a nagyszab\u00e1s\u00fa g\u00e1laestet, amelyet az irdalom, a zene, a film, a sz\u00ednpad, a sz\u00ednh\u00e1z \u00e9gisze alatt rendeztek. A New York M\u0171v\u00e9sz P\u00e1holy azonban t\u00f6bb, mint egy est. A programsorozat k\u00fcldet\u00e9s, f\u0151hajt\u00e1s \u00e9s tisztelet a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-muveszek"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1616"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3912,"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1616\/revisions\/3912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newyorkcafe.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}