Rent a Home in Bijlmer, Amsterdam Zuidoost

A rental home in Bijlmer means a rental home in the most multicultural district of Amsterdam. More than 150 nationalities, its own cultural scene, festivals like Kwakoe and Keti Koti, and Surinamese and African toko's on every corner. Zuidoost has approximately 92,400 residents (2024) and faces the city's largest construction task: almost 30,000 new homes will be added by 2040. Those who now rent an apartment or home in Zuidoost are stepping in at a time when the district is transforming.

The Honeycomb Flats and What Remains

The Bijlmer was built in the late 1960s as a city of the future. Ten-story honeycomb flats, walkways on the first floor, cars and pedestrians separated. It was the largest post-war housing project in the Netherlands. It didn't go as planned. Vacancy, social problems, and the 1992 plane crash led to a radical renewal operation: approximately 7,000 apartments were demolished, 5,200 renovated, and 5,000 ground-level homes built.

A small part of the original honeycomb flats still stands. The most famous is Kleiburg in the K-buurt, with around 500 homes. The building was fully privately renovated by a DIY collective and won the EU Mies van der Rohe Award in 2017. Renting an apartment in Kleiburg means living in architectural history.

Bijlmer-Centrum: The D-, F-, and H-Neighborhoods

Bijlmer-Centrum (approximately 25,800 residents) is the core area. The H-buurt, around Amsterdamse Poort and Bijlmerplein, is the shopping and public transport hub. The Amsterdamse Poort is a large indoor shopping center with supermarkets, fashion, and services. Metros 53 and 54 stop here.

The D-buurt (Daalwijk) and the F-buurt (Florijn) are located south of Amsterdamse Poort. Here, the renewal is furthest advanced: terraced houses and townhouses have replaced the demolished flats. The streetscape is lower, greener, and quieter than in the original Bijlmer. The Venserpolder, also known as the A-buurt, borders to the west and offers a mixed range of renovated flats and new constructions.

Bijlmer-Oost: K-buurt, Holendrecht, and Bullewijk

Bijlmer-Oost (approximately 30,100 residents) is located east of the Gooiseweg. The K-buurt around metro station Kraaiennest is the neighborhood of Kleiburg and the other remaining honeycomb flats. The E-buurt and G-buurt (Geerdinkhof) have a mix of low-rise and flats.

Holendrecht, in the south, is next to Amsterdam UMC (AMC), one of the largest hospitals in the Netherlands. The neighborhood has its own metro station and a quieter character. Bullewijk borders the ArenA area and benefits from its amenities.

The ArenA Area: Entertainment within Walking Distance

The area around the Johan Cruijff ArenA has grown into the largest entertainment and event center in the Netherlands. The ArenA itself, the Ziggo Dome, AFAS Live, and Pathé ArenA are located on the Johan Cruijff Boulevard. Bijlmer ArenA station offers metro and intercity connections.

For tenants in the surrounding neighborhoods, this means: concerts, soccer matches, and events within walking distance. It also brings crowds on match days. But outside of events, the area is business-oriented and quiet, with offices and hotels along Hullenbergweg and Holterbergweg.

Nelson Mandela Park and the Gaasperplas

The Nelson Mandela Park (six hectares, until 2014 the Bijlmerpark) is the green lung of Bijlmer-Centrum. Sports facilities, an arboretum with national trees from residents' countries of origin, and the Mandela monument from 2021. The Gaasperplas, created in the 1980s, offers swimming water, a small beach, and water sports. In summer, it is also a festival site.

The Bijlmerweide, between the buildings and the Gaasperplas, is an open green expanse. Zuidoost has more outdoor space than most districts within the ring road. This is one of the strongest arguments for tenants seeking space.

More Square Meters, Lower Rents

The housing supply in Zuidoost is more varied than its image suggests. Renovated flat apartments, new constructions, ground-level homes, townhouses, and terraced houses. The homes are, on average, larger than in the city center, De Pijp, or Oud-West. And rental prices are lower.

New construction projects like SPOT in the Hondsrugpark (823 homes) and the Bijlmer Kwartier add free-sector rentals. The transformation task until 2040 means that the supply will only grow in the coming years. For starters and young professionals looking for their first larger home, Zuidoost is one of the most logical choices in Amsterdam.

Metro to Central Station in Fifteen Minutes

The accessibility of Zuidoost is better than many people think. Metros 53 and 54 run frequently. Bijlmer ArenA to Central Station takes fifteen minutes. The Zuidas is one stop further. Bijlmer ArenA station has intercity trains to Schiphol, Utrecht, and Eindhoven.

The A2 (towards Utrecht) and A9 (towards Schiphol and Almere) are directly next to the district. The F1 bicycle highway connects Zuidoost with the city center. By bike, the center takes about 25 minutes.

Kwakoe, Keti Koti, and the Amsterdamse Poort

Daily life in Zuidoost has its own rhythm. The Amsterdamse Poort is the shopping heart: everything you need is there. In the neighborhoods, you'll find Surinamese toko's, Ghanaian shops, and African restaurants that you won't find anywhere else in Amsterdam. The Kwakoe Festival (summer sports and culture festival) and Keti Koti (commemoration of the abolition of slavery) are annual highlights.

The Bijlmer Parktheater programs theater and music with a strong connection to the local community. Ganzenhoef, around the metro station of the same name, is a lively neighborhood center. The district has its own identity, and residents are proud of it.

Amsterdam Zuidoost is the district that is changing the fastest. Rental prices are the lowest in the city, homes are larger than average, and the metro takes you to the city center in fifteen minutes. In the next fifteen years, the number of homes will double. Are you looking for an apartment, studio, or family home in Bijlmer? View the current listings.