Historic townhouses, museums and upscale shops characterize Amsterdam’s leafy Oud-Zuid
Encompassing the famous Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s largest park, filled with picturesque ponds and meandering streams, an open-air theater and a manicured rose garden, Oud-Zuid is one of the city’s most elite neighborhoods.
Built at the beginning of the 20th century, Oud-Zuid, which means “Old South” in Dutch, is characterized by its remarkable brick townhouses with beautiful curved facades.
“Oud-Zuid is one of the most desirable residential areas, with chic shopping streets, world-class museums and a beautiful urban park,” said Peter Beerents, Senior Managing Partner of Baerz & Co Luxury Homes. “The grand mansion buildings stand along pristine tree-lined streets that exude a regal sense of grandeur.”
Located next to the Zuidas, the financial district of Amsterdam, the area attracts residents who work for large international companies, but it is also a cultural hub, containing the city’s famous museum district. Despite its tranquil atmosphere, it’s close to the city ring road and Schiphol Airport, making it particularly appealing to frequent travelers. With its wide, tree-lined streets and plentiful amenities, the thriving neighborhood has seen a steady rise in home prices over the past decade and is poised for continued growth.
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Borders
Oud-Zuid is bordered to the north by Stadhouderskade street and the northern edge of Vondelpark; to the east by the Amstel River; to the south by the Amstel Canal, the South Amstel Canal and the South Ring Road; and to the west by the junction De Nieuwe Meer and the Westlandgracht street.
Price scale
When it comes to price, “location is the most important thing,” said Tjerk van der Linden, marketing manager at Engel & Völkers Amsterdam, followed by the condition of the house, the quality of the renovations and the whether or not there is a balcony, roof terrace or garden. Prices in the most desirable areas of Oud-Zuid have risen sharply in recent years.
“Five years ago, €10,000 (US$11,300) per square meter was a new high,” he said, but now “if you have a nice house, apartment or townhouse in a good location that looks good and has recently been refurbished is the new normal starts at around €10,000… We have record sales of €15,000 to €20,000 per square meter in Oud-Zuid.
Apartments are generously proportioned by Dutch standards, offering up to 300 square meters of living space, while townhouses, which very rarely come up for sale, range from 500 to 1,000 square meters. Some buyers are offering up to €500,000 more than the asking price to get a townhouse, he said. Six-bedroom townhouses on Van Eeghenstraat, Amsterdam’s most exclusive street, are particularly sought after. They cost between 6 and 10 million euros and sometimes include gardens directly overlooking the Vondelpark. Most properties come with just one parking permit, so additional spaces can add significant value. “A well-located parking space is sometimes quoted between €150,000 and €200,000,” he said.
Fully renovated luxury apartments from 1.25 M€ up to 5 M€. The price of townhouses ranges from 2 to 6 million euros depending on the size and condition of the foundations, which were originally made of wood, he said. The area also contains a few detached villas with large gardens, which very rarely come up for sale as they often change hands privately. “For a large detached villa, prices can go up to 10 or 15 million euros,” he said.
Housing stock
The houses of Oud-Zuid were mostly built in the early 20th century in a distinctive local style.
“Although the Amsterdam School movement is considered part of international expressionist architecture, there are elements reminiscent of both Art Nouveau and Art Deco in their buildings,” Beerents said. “Buildings are mostly constructed from bricks – often different shapes, textures and colors of bricks are used. Windows are often eye-catching shapes. There is great attention to detail and ornamentation, including carvings, wrought iron decorations, and stained glass.
The most sought-after luxury properties are located in an area called Willemspark, south of Vondelpark, Mr van der Linden said. Apollobuurt and the famous museum district are also prime locations. Most of the neighborhood’s historic townhouses, which are typically three or four stories tall, have been vertically divided into apartments. Many have undergone extensive renovations. Some landlords have dug basements to increase the size of sought-after ground-floor apartments, incorporating wine cellars, bars, small spas or additional bedrooms, while top-floor apartments sometimes come with large and luxurious roof terraces with hot tubs or small pools.
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“We have very steep stairs, which international clients don’t usually like in homes here,” he said, but renovated properties in Oud-Zuid now almost always come with lifts. Most also have state-of-the-art fittings, including underfloor heating and air conditioning, and they are often sold with an option to purchase the contents, including art collections and bespoke interiors.
What makes it unique
Oud-Zuid is home to some of Amsterdam’s best cultural institutions.
“In Museumplein (the museum district), you will find all the best museums and art galleries close to each other: the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh museum, the Stedelijk museum, the Moco museum and the diamond museum”, a said Mr. Beerents. . The area is also home to the famous Royal Concertgebouw, one of the finest concert halls in the world, and the open-air concert square attracts crowds all year round who relax and picnic on the grass in the summer and go ice skating on the pond in winter.
Despite its plentiful amenities, Oud-Zuid is quieter and more peaceful than the crowded city center. “The streets are really wide compared to the rest of Amsterdam, so there’s plenty of space for trees but also to park your bike, and the sidewalks are really wide so it’s safe for children. They can easily play everywhere. There are small playgrounds, there is a lot of greenery,” said Mr. van der Linden.
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Luxury amenities
The area has impressive amenities, especially when it comes to high-end dining and shopping.
“There is more character in this area than in the city center, where most of the traditional Dutch shops are taken over by more international brands,” Mr van der Linden said. The best shops are on Hooftstraat, Van Baerlestraat, Beethovenstraat, Jacob Obrechstraat and Cornelis Schuytstraat, where local celebrities can often be spotted dining in one of the many low-key upscale restaurants.
Oud-Zuid also has excellent health and education infrastructure. “Most of the international private schools are in Oud-Zuid or the surrounding area, so there is the French international school, there is a new British international school,” Mr van der Linden said. “There is a very large international high school in Amstelveen which is in high demand due to its high reputation.”
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Who lives here
The area is quite diverse in terms of age and nationality, according to Mr Beerents, who estimated that the residents are around 75% Dutch and 25% expatriate.
“What we see a lot now are buyers who have made a lot of money in the IT and tech world, affluent 30-somethings who can easily buy an apartment or a house for 4 or 5 million euros,” van der said. said Linden. “It’s also sought after by high-income families… There’s a big international group, lots of expats who work in different sectors: media, IT, law firms and all the big banks have offices in Amsterdam, and of course we have some very large international headquarters here.
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Notable residents
Serbian football star Dusan Tadic bought a €2.2 million apartment in Oud-Zuid in July 2021, according to published reports.
Fellow Ajax player Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and former Dutch footballer and manager Frank Rijkaard also own property in the area, as do Dutch model and actress Doutzen Kroes and her husband DJ Sunnery James, according to published reports.
Outlook
“The Dutch real estate market is currently characterized by huge demand, both from Dutch and foreign buyers, and a very limited supply. As a result, good properties are sold in no time. They are often sold out before they even hit the market and if they are offered to the public they are usually sold out within weeks,” Mr Beerents said. “Prices have risen very strongly in recent years…I think Brexit has something to do with that too – a lot of English businesses have moved to Amsterdam.” After strong growth, “prices seem to be stabilizing somewhat,” he added, but “Oud-Zuid, like the historic city center, has always been very stable. I expect prices to continue to rise. ‘to augment.
The shortage of supply means the market is not expected to ease any time soon. “I think over the last three years we’ve seen price increases of around 20% in this area and the trend is likely to continue,” van der Linden said.
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