Rent a Home in Oud-West, Amsterdam

Oud-West is the neighborhood that has everything the Jordaan has, but slightly more spacious, a little less touristy, and with Vondelpark as its direct neighbor. Those looking for an apartment in Oud-West choose a life between the Foodhallen and the local market, between nineteenth-century facades and Amsterdam School architecture. The district borders the Jordaan to the north, Vondelpark to the south, and De Baarsjes to the west. This location makes Oud-West a hub: you live in one neighborhood but experience three.

Oud-West was built in the last decades of the nineteenth century when Amsterdam expanded beyond the canal belt. The neighborhood emerged on former polder land. The oldest parts date back to the 1880s: rapid, inexpensive workers' housing then called "revolution architecture." The younger parts, especially in the Frederik Hendrikbuurt on the north side, were built in the 1910s and 1920s in the Amsterdam School style. Oud-West has about 35,000 residents (2018) and is one of Amsterdam's most densely populated districts. The population is a mix of young professionals, expats, families, and long-term residents.

What Kind of Home Can You Rent in Oud-West?

The apartment offerings in Oud-West are more varied than those in the Jordaan or De Pijp. The nineteenth-century buildings feature narrow through-apartments with high ceilings (2.70 to 3.20 meters), large windows, and deep hallways. No elevator. Three or four floors accessible via a steep staircase. The Amsterdam School blocks in the Frederik Hendrikbuurt are slightly more spacious and architecturally striking: expressive brickwork, rounded corners, wrought-iron details. In the Borgerbuurt, on the southwest side, there are gallery-access flats from the 1980s. More functional, less character, but more square meters for your money.

The typical rental home in Oud-West is a one-bedroom apartment of 45 to 65 square meters. Studios (25 to 45 square meters) are common, especially around Kinkerstraat and Bilderdijkstraat. Two-bedroom apartments (65 to 90 square meters) are scarcer but do exist, particularly in the Amsterdam School blocks and the larger upper/lower dwellings on Nassaukade.

If you rent a room in Oud-West, you typically share an apartment with one or two housemates. This is common among students and young professionals.

Eerste Constantijn Huygensstraat, towards Vondelpark, has the most expensive apartments. The Bellamybuurt, on the original polder level, is slightly more affordable and diverse. The difference in rent between streets in Oud-West can be significant. The location within the neighborhood matters.

De Hallen and Ten Katemarkt

The most defining building in Oud-West is not a residential house but a former tram depot. De Hallen on Tollenstraat, in use since 1902, fell into disuse, and was reopened in 2015 as a cultural and culinary complex. The Foodhallen offers street food from dozens of kitchens. Het Ketelhuis screens arthouse films. There's a library, studios, and a hotel. The complex functions as the living room of the neighborhood. The place where Oud-West residents meet.

The Ten Katemarkt, on Kinkerstraat, is smaller and more local: a daily fresh market (every day except Sunday) where stallholders know their regular customers by name. Fish, vegetables, meat, street food. It's the counterpart to the Foodhallen. Less polished, more authentic neighborhood feel.

From Overtoom to Nassaukade

Overtoom is the long east-west connection that separates Oud-West from Vondelpark. Tram line 1 runs across it, with shops and restaurants on both sides. Vondelpark (47 hectares) is accessible via every side street. Upper-floor apartments on Overtoom are slightly more affordable than in the side streets towards Vondelpark, but the trade-off is traffic noise. At the western end, apartments become more spacious and quieter.

Kinkerstraat is the other main street: busier, more commercial, with trams 7 and 17. Here you'll find supermarkets, telecom shops, and kebab stands. It's the street that gives Oud-West its everyday character. Not every street has to be picturesque.

Jan Pieter Heijestraat is the local shopping street with the highest concentration of specialty shops and small eateries. The street where you'll pass a cheese shop, a coffee place, and a bike repair shop on a Saturday. Bilderdijkstraat runs straight through the heart of the neighborhood and has its own atmosphere: local cafes, small businesses, nineteenth-century facades. Nassaukade, on the northern border along the Singelgracht, features canal houses and directly borders the Jordaan. Quiet, popular, and pricey.

Vondelpark as Your Backyard

For residents of Oud-West, Vondelpark is not a destination but an extension of the neighborhood. It's where you run, walk your dog, or sit on the grass on a summer day. The Open Air Theatre hosts free performances in the summer. The park also functions as a fast cycling route towards Oud-Zuid and Museumplein.

Groceries can be bought at Albert Heijn (multiple branches), Lidl, Dirk, or Marqt on Overtoom. Jan Pieter Heijestraat and Kinkerstraat offer everything for daily life. There are eateries everywhere: from coffee shops and lunchrooms to Italian, Turkish, and Surinamese restaurants. The traditional 'brown cafes' still exist, alongside new specialty coffee bars.

Oud-West is one of the few Amsterdam neighborhoods that is family-friendly, international, and affordable enough to attract a broad mix of residents. Primary schools are spread throughout the neighborhood. Childcare is available. Vondelpark offers playgrounds. It's a neighborhood where you can live with children without feeling like you've left the city.

Tram, Bike, and Everything Within Five Minutes

Oud-West is one of Amsterdam's most accessible residential areas. Tram line 1 along Overtoom, lines 7 and 17 along Kinkerstraat, line 3 via Jan van Galenstraat, line 12 along Overtoom/Amstelveenseweg. Amsterdam Central Station is a fifteen-minute tram ride away. By bike, the city center is fifteen minutes, Vondelpark two to five minutes, Leidseplein ten minutes, the Jordaan ten minutes.

Lelylaan Station is a fifteen-minute bike ride away and offers intercity connections to Schiphol, Rotterdam, and The Hague. Sloterdijk Station is a twenty-minute bike ride away. Schiphol is half an hour away via Lelylaan.

Parking is limited and expensive. The entire neighborhood falls under paid parking. Most tenants in Oud-West do without a car. The tram and bicycle are faster and cheaper.

The rental market in Oud-West is tight, but less extreme than in the Jordaan. Supply is larger and more varied. Always respond the same day with a complete dossier. Also consider the Bellamybuurt and the western part of Overtoom if you're automatically drawn to the streets around De Hallen. The homes are comparable, while rental prices are sometimes slightly lower.