A comprehensive overview of the most family-friendly cities and neighborhoods in The Netherlands. More info: http://www.perfecthousing.com/expat-information

1. FAMILY LIVING IN THE NETHERLANDS

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Family Living;
- in Amsterdam
Amsterdam's thriving city life has much to offer expat families. Despite a
reputation built primarily on nightlife, a busy restaurant scene, and a liberal
attitude, Amsterdam's many public playgrounds, parks, facilities and activities
geared towards children make it an ideal place to relocate and raise a family.
This article describes the city's best places for expats with kids wishing to live
comfortably, conveniently, and to make the most of their Amsterdam experience.
Amsterdam is a city extremely well-equipped for kids, offering countless
facilities, kid-centric activities, green areas and a liberal scattering of public
playgrounds. However, while expat singles and couples tend to focus on finding
housing in busy areas such as the historic centre, Jordaan and the Pijp, living
spaces are typically small, canal house stairways are steep, and parking is
limited.
There are several areas of Amsterdam with more living space and great family
accommodation, which are still close to the major parks and a short tram or
cycle ride from the downtown area. Old South, Old West and the Rivierenbuurt,
in particular, also tend to house a larger expat community, driven in part by their
close proximity to the city's international schools.
Old South is roughly demarcated by the Museumplein to the north, the
Vondelpark to the west, the Beethovenstraat to the east, and the
Amstelveenseweg and Stadionweg to the south. This is one of Amsterdam's most
stylish districts and is priced accordingly. The Vondelpark, the city's large central
oasis, is a haven for children and contains several playgrounds, a very child-
friendly cafe, a small water play area for hot summer days, as well as a number
of fields and paths for exploring.
Old South offers big living spaces
- a large percentage of which are
single family homes with gardens
and ground floor access - and no
waiting time for parking permits
in certain areas. The nearby
Museum Quarter and an
abundance of chic cafes,
restaurants and boutiques make
the area especially attractive, and
the expat community here is
extensive.
Vondelpark during winter

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Old West is situated directly west of the Vondelpark and extends to the
Naussaukade in the north, the De Clercqstraat in the west and the
Kostverlorenvaart canal to the south. Until recently, Old West was not so firmly
established on the expat radar. However, recent regeneration efforts and an
influx of money to the area have meant it is now a buzzing and sought after
district. While not as traditionally grand as the Old South neighbourhood, the
Vondelpark is also a quick trip away and further towards the De Clercqstraat
there are several (enclosed) children's outdoor play areas and petting zoos.
Families looking in this area can expect relatively smaller, multi-family houses
when compared with Old South. Many still have typical Amsterdam (steep)
stairways, but this is gradually changing as buildings are being redeveloped and
upgraded. In Old West there is generally a wait to get a parking permit - at the
moment the waiting list for on-street parking is approximately two years.
The Rivierenbuurt is a large neighbourhood approximately bounded to the
north and east by the Amstel River, and the Amstelkanaal and the A10 ring road,
respectively, to the west and south. The Rivierenbuurt is slightly further outside
the old city centre than Old South and Old West and is well-equipped for families.
Houses are larger here and generally cheaper than those closer to the
Vondelpark. The Martin Luther Kingpark, an abundance of smaller parks and
quick access to the large Amstelpark just outside the ring road make this one of
the greener areas of the city, extremely well-suited for children. Easy access to
the highway also makes this a great place for commuting outside the city.
Waiting times for parking permits vary: some places in the neighbourhood have
a short wait, while in other places permits are granted immediately.
Further afield, there are a number of neighbourhoods with spacious, single family
living options. Watergraafsmeer, North Amsterdam and Sloten, for example, all
house more typical family-oriented,
Dutch "city outskirts" communities.
These neighbourhoods are traditionally
considered less attractive to temporary
expats because they do not provide
the same unique old Amsterdam
experience that areas closer to the city
centre provide, but they do offer a
chance to integrate more closely with
Dutch society.

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- in Amstelveen
Amstelveen is a quiet, green residential suburb located to the south of
Amsterdam. This suburb is a leafy, prosperous, family-oriented which has a
significant population of international residents. The largest group comes from
Japan and the area is increasingly popular with expats from India and China who
have displaced the Americans and Germans in the top four.
Prices are slightly cheaper than Amsterdam but there's more family-style housing
with gardens. The International School of Amstelveen is located here and the
beautiful Amsterdam Forest provides a haven for dog walkers, cyclists, joggers
and anyone looking for an escape to nature. Amstelveen has several large
shopping centres and is well connected by public transport to Amsterdam's city
centre and Schiphol Airport (10 minutes by car). Parking in the area is generally
free and parking permits, where required, are typically available immediately.
'The Old Village' (Het Oude Dorp) is the ancient hub of the original
settlement (1278) with the Amsterdamse Bos to the west and the town centre to
the east. There's a mix of older detached houses, farms, terraced houses and
apartments.
Westwijk is a relatively new area of Amstelveen which is more modern and
spacious and lined with small canals. The one central shopping zone in the centre
of the neighbourhood preserves the feeling of a residential area. Larger detached
family homes and villas are available here, in a green and tranquil setting that
offers a lot of individual privacy. These are premium properties, so expect to pay
premium prices.
“I'm glad I'm living in Amstelveen;
it's greener than Amsterdam, but you
still have the advantage of living next
to a big city.” G.B., Latvian,
Amstelveen”

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- in The Hague
The Hague offers a diverse set of neighbourhoods for expats relocating to the
area to choose from. The city is divided into eight districts, each of which is
further partitioned into different neighbourhoods. In general, the more
prosperous areas are found in the northwest of the city, while less affluent areas
are typically located in the south and east.
Approximately 14,000 people reside in the Bomen and Bloemenbuurt
neighborhood, located to the north-west of the center. Several parks are close at
hand, as well as a number of sports clubs and recreational areas. The district
consists of three neighborhoods: the Bomenbuurt, The
Bloemenbuurt and Bloemenbuurt East. The Bomen-en
Bloemenbuurt area is close to the sea and offers easy
access to the city centre. The most important shopping
streets are: Fahrenheitstraat, Thomsonlaan and
Goudenregenstraat. This district is home to a variety
of building styles, and especially the gables of the
houses along the Laan van Meerdervoort and Beeklaan
have been carried out with particular attention to
detail.
The Statenkwartier in The Hague is a neighborhood which evolved for the most
part between 1900 and 1915. It is characterized by a diagonal street layout, with
large squares at cross streets and a prevalence of Art Nouveau building styles.
Many exteriors of houses, as well as the interiors, are elaborately decorated.
Some houses, for instance on the
Statenlaan and Statenplein, have been
placed under the protection of the
"Netherlands Department for
Conservation" (Monumentenzorg).
Recently the entire neighborhood was
named a "Protected Urban Area"
(Beschermd Stadsgezicht).
Typical Statenkwartier view

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The Duinoord neighborhood was largely built in the early 20th-century with a
mixture of broad avenues and stately town-houses, and narrower streets and
family accommodation. Bohemian atmosphere and charming but typically smaller
(than those in the Statenkwartier neighborhood) houses many of which date
back to the late 19th century. The monumental character and pleasant
combination of living and working makes this an attractive area to live.
Sweelinckplein, Duinoord
The Benoordenhout area is a stately, attractive residential neighborhood to the
east of The Hague's center. The houses are typically spacious and comfortable,
with a mix of villas, townhouses, family houses, and apartments. In the Nassau
region of the neighborhood some townhouses (herenhuizen) have been
converted to prime location offices. This district offers an interesting mix of
urbanity and nature close to the city centre with easy access to the motorways
and plentiful parking. This affluent area has a number of exclusive stores and
boutiques, charming cafes and restaurants.

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- in Wassenaar
Green oasis Wassenaar is situated to the north of The Hague and Scheveningen
and to the south west of Leiden. It is known as one of the most beautiful villages
of the Dutch North Sea shore area. The coastline of Wassenaar is over 8
kilometers long and covers an area over 60 square kilometers. Wassenaar has
approx. 26.000 inhabitants, 3.400 inhabitants have a different nationality than
the Dutch. Wassenaar is a village surrounded by dunes and a wooded area with
many villas and mansions. Many of these houses use to be old estates, summer
homes for wealthy urbanites. I addition to many wealthy residents offering
shelter to companies and consulates, Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess
Máxima have their house on the estate Eikenhorst. The town has a green and
rustic character and hardly has any industry. There is a very nice and cosy
center, restaurants and the American School.
De Kieviet is another district in the municipaility of Wassenaar. The district was
created in 1908 as a residential area southwest of Wassenaar, north of the Groot
Haesebroekseweg and is near Meijendel. According to ‘Planet’ is De Kieviet the
third district in the Netherlands with the highest millionaire rate. Directly north of
De Kieviet is the Kieviets dune.
Futuristic building; American school in Wassenaar

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- in Hilversum
The town is often called 'media city' since it is the principal centre for radio and
television broadcasting in the Netherlands. Because of its attractive location, the
city is surrounded by forests, moors and lakes (Loosdrecht), and at only 30
kilometres from Amsterdam, Hilversum has become the center of one of the
most exclusive areas in The Netherlands called 't Gooi.
Easy commute is possible by train; 20 minutes intercity to Amsterdam Central,
25 minutes intercity to Amsterdam WTC, 20 minutes to Utrecht Central and 20
minutes to Amersfoort. Most international corporate companies are located
within these areas. Nike has its European headquarter located in Hilversum,
which employs many expats. Hilversum is known for its spacious family houses
with private gardens. International education is offered with two international
primary schools and one international secondary school.
Nike headquarter Hilversum
- in Haarlem
Haarlem is a beautiful old city, close to the beach, and only 15 minutes by train
from Amsterdam Central Station. Haarlem, the capital of the province of Noord
Holland, has a population of over 150,000 inhabitants.
Haarlem offers varied accommodation and is more costly in the city centre.
Living in the old city centre is popular, although houses tend to be smaller and
less viable for families. Popular areas for families due to space and location of
schools include Kleverparkbuurt, Leidesbuurt, Garenkokerskwartier, Bosch en
Vaart, and Koninginnebuurt. The surrounding towns of Bloemendaal, Heemstede
and Aerdenhout are also popular, although usually more pricey choices.

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- in Rotterdam
There are plenty of
neighbourhoods to consider in
the city and surrounding
villages, each with its own local
highlights, hotspots and charm.
Expats typically tend to settle in
the city centre or one of
Rotterdam's beautiful green
suburbs. Many expats, for
example, find their way to the
trendy Kop van Zuid
neighbourhood, the bustling
Prins Alexander district, or can
be found further afield in the exclusive Hillegersberg area.
Prinsenland - Affordable expat housing
Located in the bustling Prins Alexander district, this is an up-and-coming expat
neighbourhood east of the centre. Prices here are relatively more affordable than
downtown, and its child-friendly reputation attracts many families . The area is
close to Rotterdam's largest shopping centre, the Alexandrium Shopping Centre,
the Erasmus University Campus and several international schools.
Ommoord / Zevenkamp - Child-friendly expat neighbourhood
Ommoord/Zevenkamp is popular with expats thanks to its quiet, peaceful
atmosphere. Child-friendly and green, this neighbourhood boosts numerous
playgrounds and is well-connected to public transport. The city centre is 20
minutes away by metro, and the renowned Alexandrium mall is easily accessible.
Maritime Quarter / NieuweWerk - Upscale expat apartments
This upmarket neighbourhood is one of the country's most affluent. Luxury
apartments, magnificently transformed warehouses, museums and some of the
city's best restaurants line the streets surrounding the historic harbour.
Rotterdam's main recreational area, simply called The Park, and the nearby
Museum Park, lend a suburban feel to this central neighbourhood.
While you will pay accordingly for the pleasure of living here, the breathtaking
views over the Maas River and the central location may make it worth the
expense.
Hillegersberg - Upmarket expat living
This beautiful, green suburb north-east of the city is extremely popular with
expats with families and locals alike. House prices reflect its attractiveness and
its chic, upmarket reputation. Several international schools are located here, and
the commute to the city centre is a mere 10 minutes by public transport.

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