Renting a Home in Pathmos, Enschede

Pathmos is one of the most remarkable post-war districts in the Netherlands. Not because of the architecture itself, but because of the approach. Architect W.K. de Wijs and director A.H. op ten Noort designed the district between 1914 and 1928 based on the English garden city concept: a planned residential area with greenery, squares, shops, a school, a bathhouse, and a community center, all designed as a cohesive whole. The 1,209 homes built by De Volkswoning are based on nine basic types, but executed in 89 variations. At first glance, no block is identical. Renting a home in Pathmos means joining one of the best-preserved garden districts in the Netherlands.

The Garden City Concept in Practice

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the garden city model was a response to the poor living conditions in industrial cities like Enschede. The textile industry had rapidly transformed the city from a small town into an industrial hub of tens of thousands of people. The workers' houses built at the time were compact, dark, and poorly accessible. Pathmos was a deliberate counterpart.

The Pathmossingel encircles the district like a ring. On the inside are quiet residential streets that lead to small squares and to Thomas Ainsworth Park in the heart of the district. The park is named after an English textile entrepreneur who contributed to the development of Enschede in the early nineteenth century. The choice of this name fits the English inspiration for the district.

The enclosed structure of Pathmos gives the district its own atmosphere. Walking through it, one feels that the district was conceived as a whole. There are no separate streets that coincidentally came together but a design that functions as an urban planning unit.

Housing Supply

Pathmos has one of the highest rental market shares in Enschede: 86% of the homes are available for rent, 14% are owner-occupied. Almost all homes are ground-bound terraced houses. There are hardly any apartments. This makes Pathmos an exception in Enschede's housing supply: a historic district with a rental market consisting of single-family homes with front and back gardens for almost nine out of ten homes.

The homes are small by contemporary standards. The construction period demanded efficient floor plans. Two bedrooms is the standard; three is much scarcer. Those looking for space in absolute square meters will not find it here. Those who want a garden home in one of Enschede's most beautiful planned neighborhoods have few alternatives in Pathmos.

Residents

The 25 to 45 age group is strongly represented in Pathmos, making up about 35% of the population. The district attracts young families and two-person households. This fits the housing type: a terraced house with a small garden is less suitable for a student but ideal for a couple or a young family.

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Accessibility

Pathmos is located west of Enschede's city center, a five to ten-minute bike ride from the city center. Enschede Station is a ten-minute bike ride away. The district has no direct highway connection, but the A1 and A35 are accessible via the city's outskirts. Parking is easier in the district than in the center, although the streets are narrow and space is limited.