Rent a Home in Vogelwijk, The Hague

The Vogelwijk was developed between 1910 and 1960 in the former Segbroekpolder. The street plan was designed by W. van Boven, featuring wide, winding avenues that evoke a park landscape more than a city neighborhood. All streets bear bird names: Mezenlaan, Kwartellaan, Ooievaarslaan, Reigerstraat, Papegaaienlaan. With approximately 5,440 residents and 2,170 homes, it is one of The Hague's smaller neighborhoods. However, with an average WOZ value of 939,000 euros (2024), it is also one of the most expensive. Those who rent a home in the Vogelwijk live in a protected cityscape, with the dunes as their backyard.

Mezenlaan: The Green Backbone

The Mezenlaan is the main axis of the Vogelwijk. Wide, winding, with mature trees on both sides. The houses are set back behind front gardens and hedges. It is an avenue that resembles a Surrey suburb more than a Hague street. Detached villas, semi-detached houses, terraced houses with large gardens.

The architecture is expressive brick construction from the 1920s and 1930s. Architect Alexander Kropholler designed a cluster of 86 homes around the Kwartellaan in 1927-1928: robust, craft-oriented, with attention to detail. These are the houses that define the character of the Vogelwijk.

Mezenplein and Daily Amenities

Mezenplein is the neighborhood's shopping square. Small, clear, with a handful of shops for daily groceries. It is nothing more than that, and it doesn't need to be. The Vogelwijk is not a neighborhood you go to for shopping. It's a neighborhood where you live.

For a wider range of options, you can go to Goudsbloemlaan and Fahrenheitstraat in the neighboring Bomen- en Bloemenbuurt. Frederik Hendriklaan in the Statenkwartier is a ten-minute bike ride away. The beach pavilions and restaurants of Kijkduin are within walking distance. The Vogelwijk relies on its surroundings for amenities, and those surroundings are excellent.

Dunes, Kijkduin, and Westduinpark

The Vogelwijk borders the Westduinpark, a protected dune area that extends to the beach of Kijkduin. It is not Scheveningen beach with its boulevard and Kurhaus, but a quieter stretch of coast with beach pavilions and dune crossings. On Sunday, you can walk from your front door to the sand in ten minutes.

Sportpark Bosjes van Pex borders the neighborhood: hockey, football, athletics. The Scheveningse Bosjes and Westbroekpark are slightly further north. The Vogelwijk is surrounded by greenery and nature, more so than any other district at this distance from the coast.

Villas and Single-Family Homes: Limited Rentals

The housing supply in the Vogelwijk primarily consists of single-family homes: villas, semi-detached houses, and terraced houses with gardens. Ninety percent are owner-occupied homes. The rental segment, about ten percent, is small and exclusive. What appears on the rental market is rare: a detached house with a garden, an upper-floor apartment in a villa, or an apartment on Mezenlaan.

The homes are large by The Hague standards. Four, five rooms, sometimes more. With front and back gardens, a garage, a driveway. It's the kind of housing that doesn't exist in The Hague city center. For renters, it means: be patient and react quickly when something becomes available.

Tram and Bike Towards the Center

The Vogelwijk is less central than the Statenkwartier or the Archipelbuurt. Tram line 12 runs through the adjacent Bomen- en Bloemenbuurt. Bus lines serve the edges of the neighborhood. The center of The Hague is accessible by bike in twenty to twenty-five minutes.

Most residents own a car. Car ownership is high, the streets are wide enough for parking, and many homes have their own driveway or garage. The Vogelwijk is a neighborhood where a car is not a luxury but a logical part of daily life.

The Vogelwijk is not for everyone. Rental properties are scarce and expensive. Amenities are limited. Public transport requires supplementing with a bike or car. But for families seeking space, for expats desiring a garden, for people who consider the dunes their daily walking route, the Vogelwijk is the best choice in The Hague.