The street was first named after him in 1910. But in 1943 his name was not good enough any more, a recently died Chief Judge of the Supreme Court took the upper hand.

Two years later Falk gloriously returned again, but only until 1953, when again he had to go, then "People' Army" came, I mean as a name.

Until as late as 1990, when several hundreds of old names were restored. It was that year when the apparently too severe rule was passed that no street names can be given earlier than 25 (!) years from the death of the personality.

The old-new name stuck very easily, since in the early 1990 a hectic change started: the proliferation of the antique shops.

Originally there was only one: the large and naff state-owned shop at the corner of Grand Boulevard, called BÁV, that has used the Venus de Milo as their trademark. (See the corner of the building!)

In the mid-90s the shop was given a vulgar and tasteless facelift, since then no decent local or expat person is likely to visit it.

The excessive use of brass rails is an obsession with some nouveau riche owners of some middle size businesses. Maybe because it so much resembles gold?

But before you get to the anticlimactic end of the street it is worth visiting the four key players on the scene - though the others are interesting too...

Text reproduced with permission of András Török - for more see 'Budapest: A Critical Guide'