districts in budapest

District 1 - Vizivaro - includes the Castle Hill. And in there is Bellevue B and B - a real gem. Short walk to Metro or short walk to Chain Bridge and walk to Pest side. Everything is close,a dn if you are not wlakers, there is great public transit. Quieter.
Many good restaurants.

We stayed in an apartment from 'Budapesting', ours was near the Astoria metro stop with a good location, about 3 blocks from the river. That is also walking distance to other major sites, except the baths. The Restaurant row that Rick endorses is also in walking distance where we enjoyed dining at "Soul Kitchen" twice.

I prefer the Pest side. Most of the sights, save for Castle Hill itself, are in Pest. Anything near Deak Ter is a good spot, preferably on a side street. We rented an apartment a few blocks from St. Stephens nad loved it. Others in our group stayed at the K&K Opera and were very happy.

I stayed, last September on the Pest side of the Duna, at the Kempinski Hotel Corvinus, on Erzsebet ter; Erzsebet ter and Deak ter are really one city block...they've apparently merged over the years. Deak ter is a main metro stop, with several metro lines. A walk up to the Opera on Andrassy ut takes you about 10 minutes; Andrassy also takes you to City Park which has the Sechenyi baths and Gundel Restaurant. This grand avenue has, as well, a number of good restaurants--Abszint, right on Andrassy and Menza, off Andrassy on Liszt Ferenc ter, to name a few.

I stayed in the Oktogon area - District VI or VII, I believe. It was perfectly fine, as "quiet" as a city can be, and I never felt unsafe. There is ample access to metro stations and trams.

If you are an opera (or classical music) lover, then the Hungarian State Opera is a must, and you can likely get top tier tickets with full view on-line in advance for 1,000 florints each (about $5.60) House of Terror is fascinating and educational. I think the comments about Wenceslas Square, the Jewish Quarter and Cemetery apply to Prague, but there is the world's 2nd largest synagogue, and it, along with the memorials, is really interesting.
We were partial to Menza (Liszt Square), Szent Jupat's (near Moskva Ter) and Pater Marcus and Hunyadi Etterem in Buda near the Chain bridge. the first 3 of these all have good write-ups in Rick's Budapest guide.

We also liked the Bellevue B&B. Very quiet and clean and the family that runs it is wonderful. Our room had a nice balconey that overlooked woods below St Matthias Church. Many good restaurants in the area and transportation is excellent in Budapest. Did not care for the area around Wenceslas Square. Do not miss the Jewish Quarter with the cemetery and synagog.

Thank you all for the suggestions. We decided on the Corinthia for 3 days. we really liked the spa in the hotel, and it looked wonderful. i have read many posts that the transportation is great in budapest, so we are staying a little out of the way. Is there anything that we absolutely have to do? does anyone have a suggested itinerary for 3 days 4 nights. Thank you for the recommendation to not miss the synagogue or the cemetary. that is one place that i want to go. Are there any suggested restaraunts? we dont mind travelling a little to eat great food. we are going to be there mon-thur. how do i book a train with a sleeper when there website says that i have to do it at the station?

I love the Corinthia!!! Easy walk to House of Terror Museum....New York Cafe.....and the M-1 Metro Line! As a matter of fact I am staying there again the beginning of December on my second Christmas Market trek, this time up the Danube.