Rent a Home in Schalkwijk, Haarlem

In 1954, the State transferred 450 hectares of polder land to Haarlem. There were 450 inhabitants. Twenty years later, there were 35,000. Schalkwijk was built at a pace remarkable even for the 1960s. 3,500 single-family homes and 7,800 apartments rose in less than two decades. The shops, schools, and churches were temporary. The homes remained.

Schalkwijk is now Haarlem's largest district: 33,000 residents (2019) on a quarter of the city's total area. Anyone considering renting a home in Schalkwijk chooses a neighborhood that is sixty years old and simultaneously becoming new. The renewal has begun and is transforming the district block by block.

Four Neighborhoods from One Era

Schalkwijk is divided into sub-neighborhoods, all stemming from the same period but configured slightly differently. Europawijk, built first, features the strict linear construction of the early 1960s. Meerwijk, in the southeast, has the most apartments and the highest proportion of rental homes. Boerhaavewijk is located in the northwest. Molenwijk-Zuid is grouped around the Molenplas, a recreational area where people go sloepboating on warm days.

Most homes are high-rise: 9,500 of the 15,655 homes are apartments. Gallery flats, portal access flats – typical building forms of the 1960s. The remaining 3,500 are single-family terraced houses. Wide streets, space between blocks, more air than you'd find in the city center. The modernist urban plan is evident in the layout: straight lines, greenery in between, amenities within walking distance.

Schalkstad: The Renewal

The Master Plan for the renewal of Centrum Schalkwijk (Schalkwijk Center) was approved in May 2025. The core: the shopping center from 1971 will become a district center with 1,400 new homes. In the broader area, an additional 3,000 new homes will be added.

Construction has already begun. 23Stories is delivering 240 rental and 162 owner-occupied apartments in two buildings. HIGH5 is adding 569 homes in five buildings. Common Grounds will be a tower with 219 homes across various rental and ownership segments. The first five buildings, with around 700 homes plus a library and gym, are expected to open in 2027. Three more buildings with 500 homes will follow in 2028.

The California building is already complete: 156 homes above two supermarkets and shops. Ceylonpoort, with 162 homes, was completed at the end of 2024. A cinema has opened. A food hall is planned for Californiëplein.

Europaweg: 3,800 New Homes

Separate from the city center's renewal, a distinct project is underway along Europaweg. Vacant office buildings are being replaced by at least 3,800 homes, complemented by shops and catering facilities. This is Schalkwijk's largest expansion since its original construction in the 1960s.

For renters, this means: the housing supply in Schalkwijk will grow faster in the coming years than anywhere else in Haarlem. New-build free-sector housing will become a real alternative to the existing stock. This will change the character of the district. Schalkwijk has always been the affordable part of Haarlem. The new construction brings a different segment.

Accessibility

Schalkwijk is 4 to 5 kilometers from the city center. Bus line 3 runs to Haarlem Station, a fifteen-minute ride. The Zuidtangent, the express bus, connects Schalkwijk with Hoofddorp and Schiphol. The new public transport hub will have eight bus stops and an underground bicycle parking facility.

By bike, you can reach the city center in ten to fifteen minutes. The A9 and A200 motorways are close by for motorists. Schalkwijk was built in a polder: flat, wide, with little elevation difference. Cycling here is easier than anywhere else in Haarlem.

Renting a home in Schalkwijk is now a choice between two worlds. The existing stock from the 1960s: affordable, functional, with the patina of sixty years of habitation. And the new construction delivering in the coming years: more modern, more energy-efficient, in a different price segment. Set up a search and filter by year of construction if that difference matters to you. The supply in Schalkwijk is growing, but the competition for new builds is just as fierce as in the city center.