Rent a Home in the Old Districts, Groningen

The Old Districts form a semi-circle around Groningen's city center. Built between 1880 and 1940, when the city grew due to industry and railways. Korrewegwijk, Oosterparkwijk, Indische Buurt, De Hoogte. Each with its own history, but with a shared character: brick terraced houses, narrow streets, a mix of residents that is wider here than anywhere else in Groningen. Anyone considering renting a home in the Old Districts chooses affordable living ten minutes by bike from the Grote Markt.

The Korreweg: Backbone of Old North

The Korreweg is the street that connects everything. One and a half kilometers long, from the city center to the north. Supermarkets, specialty shops, restaurants, and cafes. Sixteen thousand cyclists pass through here daily (2024). The municipality is converting the street into a cycling street: a maximum of 30 kilometers per hour, more space for cyclists and pedestrians, more greenery.

Along the Korreweg and its side streets are the homes that give the neighborhood its character. Upper floors above shops, porch apartments (portieketagewoningen) and duplex homes from the interwar period. The rental market here is active. Rooms and studios for students, apartments for first-time renters, upper floors for those seeking more space. The Korrewegwijk attracts a young audience who find the city center too expensive but don't want to live too far away.

Indische Buurt: Amsterdam School in the North

The Indische Buurt has about 8,500 residents (2024) and is one of Groningen's most densely populated neighborhoods. The street names refer to the former Dutch East Indies: Sumatrastraat, Javastraat, Borneostraat. The architecture is striking. Closed building blocks in the style of the Amsterdam School: decorative brick facades, carved natural stone ornaments, porch apartments.

The neighborhood is multicultural. Long-term residents alongside newcomers, families alongside students. The Korreweg runs along the western edge, putting daily amenities within walking distance. The Boterdiep, the old waterway now partially filled in, crosses the neighborhood from north to south.

Rental homes come in various forms: duplex and triplex houses, upper floors, and porch apartments. The supply is greater than in the city center, and prices are lower. Renting a home in the Indische Buurt is a choice for character and affordability.

Oosterparkwijk: 75% Rental and in Motion

The Oosterparkwijk, with about 13,000 residents (2024), is the largest of the Old Districts. Nearly 7,800 homes, 75% of which are rental properties. This makes the Oosterparkwijk the neighborhood with the most rental offerings outside the city center.

The district was designed around 1900 by urban planner H.P. Berlage, the same architect who drew up Plan Zuid in Amsterdam. Workers' homes in neat rows, parks as green interruptions. The Oosterpark itself is the green heart: a city park with ponds, playgrounds, and walking paths.

Around 2000, the district underwent extensive renovation. Old residential blocks were demolished and replaced by new construction. Renovated terraced houses stand alongside new apartments. The district grew by over 270 residents in 2023-2024. First-time renters and young families are increasingly choosing the Oosterparkwijk as an alternative to the more expensive city center.

The neighborhoods within the Oosterparkwijk each have their own atmosphere. The Bloemenbuurt is quiet and green. The Damsterbuurt is more compact. The Florabuurt and Gorechtbuurt are on the eastern edge, towards the Eemskanaal. The Vogelbuurt has the narrowest streets and the most pre-war homes.

De Hoogte: Garden City Between Districts

De Hoogte is the smallest and quietest neighborhood of the Old Districts. Approximately 4,100 residents (2024). Built between 1917 and 1920 according to the garden city concept: two-story single-family homes, front gardens, wide streets. It was an initiative of a housing association that wanted to break away from the cramped workers' homes of that era.

The result is a neighborhood that feels like a village in the city. Low-rise buildings, lots of greenery, little traffic. De Hoogte has more owner-occupied homes than the rest of the Old Districts, making the rental supply smaller. But whoever finds a rental home here lives in one of Groningen's quieter corners, a fifteen-minute bike ride from the center.

Noorderplantsoen as a Shared Backyard

The Noorderplantsoen is located on the border of the Old Districts and the city center. Laid out on the former city wall, it is now Groningen's most popular park. Students picnic there, runners do laps, dogs are walked. In August, the Noorderzon Festival takes over the park: ten days of theater, music, and visual arts under the trees.

For residents of the Korrewegwijk and the Hortusbuurt, the Noorderplantsoen is the backyard their home lacks. The proximity of this park is one reason why the Korrewegwijk is so popular with renters who appreciate greenery but don't want to live outside the city.

What Renters Should Know

The Old Districts are where most of Groningen's rental housing supply outside the city center comes together. The Oosterparkwijk with 75% rental properties, the Indische Buurt with duplex and triplex homes, the Korrewegwijk with upper floors and studios above shops. Prices are lower than in the center. The homes are older and not always well-insulated. Ask for the energy label before signing.

The municipality has drawn up a District Agenda Old Districts 2024-2027. Investing in public space, greenery, and liveability. The Korreweg is becoming a cycling street. The Oosterparkwijk is growing. The neighborhood is slowly changing, but the foundation remains: a district of brick houses, short distances, and a mix of people unseen elsewhere in Groningen.

Finding a rental home in the Old Districts is fastest in the Oosterparkwijk and along the Korreweg. Make sure your documents are complete. Respond the same day. And walk through the neighborhood before deciding, because the difference between one street and another is greater here than it seems on paper.