Renting a home in De Pijp, Amsterdam

De Pijp is often called the Latin Quarter of Amsterdam. That comparison is flawed (no university, no Seine), but the atmosphere is spot on: living close together in a neighborhood where the street is an extension of your living room. Those looking for an apartment in De Pijp choose a life amidst the market, coffee shops, and restaurants. And for a rental market that is at least as competitive as that of the Jordaan.

De Pijp was built in two phases between 1870 and 1930. The Oude Pijp (Old Pipe), north of the Ceintuurbaan, dates from 1870 to 1900. It was fast, cheap workers' housing: narrow streets, closed building blocks, four to five stories high. The houses were already cramp upon completion. The Nieuwe Pijp (New Pipe), south of the Ceintuurbaan, was designed by H.P. Berlage as part of Plan Zuid and built between 1921 and 1929. Wider streets, more light, better sewage. The southern tip (the Diamantbuurt) was built in Amsterdam School style. Together, they house about 40,000 residents (2024), the vast majority of whom are between 25 and 40 years old.

What can you rent in De Pijp?

The housing supply in De Pijp consists almost entirely of apartments. Single-family homes do not exist here. The typical rental home is an upper floor apartment of 40 to 80 square meters in a brick building with steep stairs and wrought-iron balconies. Studios and two-room apartments make up the bulk of the offering. Three-room homes do exist, especially in the Nieuwe Pijp where floor plans are slightly more spacious, but they attract dozens of responses.

In the Oude Pijp, the homes are the smallest and most characterful. High ceilings (2.80 to 3.20 meters), original details like cast-iron stairs and ornaments, facades five to six meters wide. No elevator. No balcony. Little storage space. The Nieuwe Pijp offers a little more: wider streets, sometimes a bay window or balcony, and floor plans that are five to twenty square meters larger than in the older part.

Those looking for a room in De Pijp will find it mainly in the Oude Pijp. The homes are well-suited for shared living: two or three rooms shared among housemates is a common arrangement, especially among students and young professionals. Room rental in Amsterdam is subject to permits. Always check if the situation is legal.

More than three-quarters of all homes in De Pijp are rental properties. But just like in the Jordaan: a large part of these has been occupied by the same tenants for years. What appears on the market goes quickly.

The Albert Cuyp market and the surrounding streets

The Albert Cuyp market is the longest daily market in the Netherlands. About 260 stalls, six days a week, offering everything from fresh vegetables and Surinamese roti to vintage clothing and phone cases. The market dictates the rhythm of the neighborhood. In the morning, the stalls arrive. In the afternoon, the hustle and bustle. In the evening, tranquility. An apartment on Albert Cuypstraat itself means living above the theater. Lively, noisy, never boring. If that's not what you want, look for a side street.

The Ferdinand Bolstraat runs as a north-south axis through the district, from Stadhouderskade to Daniël Willinkplein. It is the shopping street where chains and independent businesses coexist. Gerard Doustraat, one block to the west, is narrower and more personal: coffee shops, specialty stores, the shops where local residents do their daily errands.

The Van Woustraat runs through the Nieuwe Pijp and has a different character. Less trendy, more functional: supermarkets, a drugstore, eateries. It's the street for your daily life, not for your Instagram. Frans Halsstraat and Govert Flinckstraat are quieter residential streets, popular with families and starters who want to avoid the market's hustle but retain proximity.

The Sarphatipark: De Pijp's backyard

The Sarphatipark is the only real park in the district. About 4.4 hectares of green space in the midst of Amsterdam's most dense urban development. It has a playground, a dog walking area, outdoor exercise equipment, and a fountain from 1886. For residents of De Pijp, Sarphatipark is the backyard their apartment doesn't have. It's packed on summer days. On weekday mornings, it's quiet enough for a run.

The streets around the park (Eerste and Tweede Sweelinckstraat, Lutmastraat) are popular with tenants. An apartment with park views is in the most expensive segment of the neighborhood, but even an upper-floor apartment two streets away benefits from its proximity.

Painters' Names Neighborhood

Almost all streets in De Pijp are named after Dutch Golden Age painters: Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Gerard Dou, Govert Flinck, Ruysdael, Pieter de Hooch. The city council deliberately chose this in the nineteenth century to give status to the new working-class neighborhood. The result is a district where you cycle through the Rijksmuseum on your way to the supermarket. Well, through its street names, at least.

The Ruysdaelstraat, on the northwest edge, borders the Museumplein and has a different character than the rest of De Pijp. Wider streets, more expensive apartments, a quieter atmosphere. The Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Stedelijk Museum are a five-minute walk away. This makes Ruysdaelstraat an intermediary area: De Pijp on paper, Oud-Zuid in practice.

Accessibility: the Noord/Zuidlijn as a game-changer

The opening of 'De Pijp' metro station on the Noord/Zuidlijn has fundamentally changed the neighborhood's accessibility. Amsterdam Centraal is eight minutes by metro. Station Zuid (and thus the Zuidas, Schiphol, and the national rail network) is four minutes. This connection makes De Pijp attractive not only for those working in the city center but also for commuters with jobs outside the city.

In addition, tram lines 3, 4, 12, and 24 run through the district, with stops on Ceintuurbaan and Ferdinand Bolstraat. Amstel Station is a fifteen-minute bike ride away. And cycling is what most residents do: De Pijp is central enough to reach almost everything in Amsterdam by bike. Vondelpark is ten minutes. The canal belt eight minutes. Museumplein five minutes.

Parking is expensive and limited. The entire neighborhood is subject to paid parking. Most tenants in De Pijp do not own a car.

Daily life in De Pijp

De Pijp is a neighborhood where you live outdoors. Homes are small, streets are narrow, and life takes place in the market, cafes, and on terraces. There are multiple supermarkets spread throughout the district, including Albert Heijn, Jumbo, and Dirk. Van Woustraat and Ferdinand Bolstraat have everything you need daily.

De Pijp's international cuisine is one of the district's strongest assets. Surinamese roti, Turkish baklava, Indonesian rijsttafel, Japanese ramen: all within walking distance. The Heineken Experience on Stadhouderskade is a tourist attraction, but the cafe culture in the side streets is for the residents. The traditional 'brown cafes' still exist. Coffee shops have been added.

The rental market in De Pijp is tight. Popular homes are taken on the same day. Always respond immediately with a complete dossier: proof of income, employer's statement, copy of ID. Be flexible in square meters and floor. And also look at the Nieuwe Pijp if you automatically gravitate towards the Oude Pijp. The homes are slightly more spacious, the streets quieter, and the rental prices often a little lower.