Where
to live in Eindhoven
By EXPATICA.COM
Mon 21 May 2012
PHILIPS and Eindhoven go
hand-in-hand, but the city, dubbed the smartest in the world in 2011,
has a lot more to offer - as many expats have already discovered.
In 2011, Eindhoven was dubbed the
smartest city in the world by the Intelligent Community Forum ICF in
New York. This doesn't mean that the citizens have the world's
highest IQs but rather that the region makes best use of ICT and
broadband internet. It's not surprising that 40 percent of all Dutch
spending on research & development takes place in this region and
Eindhoven and the surrounding region is officially referred to as
‘Brainport', a public-private partnership whose projects include
broadband deployment and applications, workforce development, digital
inclusion, marketing and advocacy for the region - and especially
innovation.
Until the arrival of Philips in 1891,
Eindhoven was not much more than a collection of villages. Because of
19th century urban planning decisions, there are no longer canals and
pre-1940 architecture was destroyed by war-time bombing. But over the
years, things have changed immensely and for the better. Thanks to
hi-tech multinational employers, there’s a large community of
expats. Eindhoven railway station is close to the centre, and the
airport is about three kilometres away.
Although, In 1997, Philips decided to
move the headquarters from Eindhoven to Amsterdam, a move which they
completed in 2001, Philips Lighting, Philips Research, Philips
Semiconductors (spun off as NXP in September 2006) and Philips
Design, are still based in Eindhoven.
Most expats live in the villages that
surround this industrial city, although the centre of Eindhoven is
popular with those looking for apartments. Eindhoven railway station
is close to the centre of the city, and its airport is about 3km
away.
Central Eindhoven
Accommodation is mainly in new and
rather pricey apartments— plus hotel-apartments for short stays —
popular with single expats and couples without children. People
living in the centre have plenty of facilities, including a shopping
mall and scores of international restaurants.The central district
includes the international schools--attended by children from Den
Bosch and Tilburg--and PSV football stadium.
North (Woensel)
North of the centre is divided by wide,
treelined boulevards. Housing is mostly newbuild with apartments and
terraced houses for all budgets. Woensel south is cheaper and the
market is great for ethnic shopping.
East
Situated around the Karpendonkse Lake
and Eckart Forest, the area has a range of
housing including some exclusive
detached properties.
South
The Philips High-Tech Campus is
situated at Gestel along with the International Primary School, the
Open-air Museum and the Tongelreep International Swimming Complex.
The villages surrounding Eindhoven’s
centre are popular with expats. International schools are still
within cycling distance and the sense of community is greater.
Nuenen
Van Gogh's birthplace has become a
popular expat location. This characteristic Dutch village about
three kilometres north-east of Eindhoven has many detached houses on
1,000 sq metre plots.
The village is popular with expat
families, and children are able to cycle to the international schools
in Eindhoven. A car-pooling system for the school run is also in
operation.
This compact village has restaurants
and a shopping centre, plus a nearby golf course. There is a good
road connection with Eindhoven and further afield.
Veldhoven
Veldhoven is virtually a south-west
suburb (the other side of the A2 from Eindhoven). Bigger than Nuenen,
Veldhoven is stocked with houses mostly built in the past 20-30
years. These detached properties are slightly smaller than those in
Nuenen.
Well situated for the international
schools, Veldhoven has a large, new shopping centre and plenty of
restaurants. The Philips campus is right here.
Waalre
There are some gorgeous — but more
expensive — villas to be had in parts of Waalre, in the forest that
surrounds the area. These larger houses sometimes have swimming pools
and two bathrooms, and sit in up to 3,000 sq metres of land.Popular
with top executives and their families, this old village has plenty
of shops and restaurants. It's also next door to the Philips campus.
Son en Breugel
Philips Tower: the company that put
Eindhoven on the map
Son has excellent transport facilities
thanks to the A50 towards Nijmegen — indeed, there are several
villages close to the highway that are popular with expats. The
village itself has detached houses popular with families. It is 3km
from the city centre.
Click here for an overview of new
building projects in Eindhoven.
Eindhoven city facts:
Population: 216,068 (www.eindhoven.nl)
(The region has around 725,000 inhabitants)
International residents: 29 percent
International schools: Regional
International School (4-12) and the
International Secondary School
Eindhoven: www.isecampus.nl
Links:
www.eindhoven.nl
www.eindhoven.eu
No comments:
Post a Comment