Text and photos: Isa Kievit
Young Eyes on Our Old Neighbourhood
The Zeeheldenkwartier through the eyes of young people. The Zeeheldenkwartier is buzzing with young people. More and more young people are coming to live, work, or simply have coffee here. But what exactly makes the neighbourhood so attractive to the new generation, and what could be improved?
Djara (28) has lived in the Zeeheldenkwartier for six years and works at the busy bakery Bartine. She enjoys the neighbourhood but also sees room for improvement. “It’s a shame that there is still so much rubbish on the streets. Some people seem to live a bit in their own world and don’t clean it up. Still, the Zeeheldenkwartier really feels like a community. When you walk down the street, you always run into someone you know”.
That sense of connection is something many people share. The Zeeheldenkwartier is close to the city, yet it also has the calm of a local neighbourhood. The original shops, the local markets, and the lively mix of residents all contribute to the neighbourhood’s atmosphere. It is becoming increasingly popular, something that is reflected in the rising house prices. Several residents say they would like to live in a bigger home, but the house prices in the Zeeheldenkwartier make this difficult.
Still, people continue to move to the area. Some even call it The Hague’s “yuppie neighbourhood.” The Zeeheldenkwartier is hip and trendy. Those are the words most often mentioned when people think of the Zeeheldenkwartier. From recycling shops to speciality ice cream parlours and from coffee bars to local clothing stores, the Zeeheldenkwartier has a good mix of old and new, offering something for every age group.
A walk through the neighbourhood shows visitors coming from outside to soak up the atmosphere. They stroll through the streets, take photos, and grab coffee at the well-known spots. An increasing number of international residents are finding homes here. On the streets, you hear a potpourri of languages, English, Spanish, French, and that makes the area lively and diverse.
Yes, it is busy, sometimes a bit expensive, and not everything is perfect. But anyone who walks through the Zeeheldenkwartier on a sunny Sunday afternoon immediately understands why so many people want to be here. The Zeeheldenkwartier has a good balance of young and old. It manages to maintain a harmony between trendy coffee spots full of visitors from elsewhere and the familiar local shops where everyone knows each other. That is what makes the neighbourhood so special and unique.
