Hoofddorp.org

Chapter 05 · Daily life

Living in Hoofddorp.

In a few generations, Hoofddorp has grown into one of the most appealing residential towns of the Randstad: spaciously planned, surrounded by green and water, and within cycling distance of an international airport and the dunes of the North Sea.

— 01

What makes the town appealing

The appeal of Hoofddorp comes down to a few clear factors. First, its location: in the middle of Amsterdam, Haarlem and Leiden, with trains reaching Schiphol in minutes and Amsterdam-Zuid or Amsterdam Central in around fifteen to twenty minutes. Second, the space: in almost every district, people live between broad green strips, small parks and water features — a legacy of the planned urbanism in which the town grew up.

Add to that an unusually wide range of amenities for a town this size. A large shopping centre, a sizeable library, theatres, sports parks, a regional hospital and a wide choice of primary and secondary education mean that much of daily life can be arranged within the town itself. The combination of the human scale of a mid-sized place and the facilities of a real town is what sets Hoofddorp apart from both a village and a city district.

— 02

Housing stock in layers

Because Hoofddorp grew in waves, its housing stock mirrors the building history of the Netherlands. The oldest sections along the Hoofdweg and the Hoofdvaart hold nineteenth- and early twentieth-century homes — often detached houses or small shop fronts from the pioneer years. The 1960s and 70s brought walk-up and gallery apartments in Pax and Graan voor Visch; later came the family homes of Bornholm and the cauliflower layouts of Overbos. Toolenburg and Floriande are newer, offering terraced houses, semi-detached homes, waterfront apartments and — especially in Floriande — more spacious villas. More recent densification around the centre and station has added apartments on smaller plots.

— 03

A commuter town — with a life of its own

A significant share of residents work outside Hoofddorp: at Schiphol Airport, in Amsterdam, Haarlem or elsewhere in the Randstad. Even so, the town does not feel like a sleeper town. The combination of the Beukenhorst office district, the Stadshart shopping function, schools and a steady cultural offering keeps the centre lively on ordinary weekdays and crowded on Saturdays.

Hoofddorp is also a pronounced cycling town. The dead-straight polder grid makes almost every destination quickly reachable by bike, and beyond the urban edge a fine-grained network of cycle paths runs through open landscape towards Vijfhuizen, Cruquius, Aalsmeer and Schiphol. Many households combine a car with daily bike use.

— 04

For newcomers and internationals

International

A diverse town

Thanks to the proximity of Schiphol and the international firms around Beukenhorst, a wide range of nationalities live in Hoofddorp. English-language services, international supermarkets and an international school are part of that picture.

Practical

Quick to settle

The compact layout makes it easy to build a routine quickly: a GP nearby, a primary school around the corner, a supermarket within cycling distance. The Stadshart and the neighbourhood centres cover most everyday needs.

Character

Polder, not suburb

Hoofddorp is not a suburb of Amsterdam in urban terms. It sits on the same grid as the polder, looks out over open horizons, and has its own identity as the principal town of Haarlemmermeer.

— Read on

Next chapters

Chapter 04

Districts

Each district by character and era.

Chapter 06

Transport

Station, motorways and cycling routes.

Chapter 07

Practical info

Municipality, healthcare and basics.