10x The most popular neighborhoods in Eindhoven

First of all, Eindhoven is a great city to live in. If you're reading this, you've hopefully already had the brilliant idea to move to Eindhoven. Maybe you found your dream job or met your great love. Or maybe you've been living here for a while but are looking for a new crib in a hot spot (or just a new house in a nice place). Either way, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve listed the most popular neighborhoods to live in for you.

In the Netherlands, we have stadsdelen (city areas), wijken (districts), and buurten (neighbourhoods). Since these terms can have different meanings, depending on where you're from, we'll explain them a little further. Eindhoven has seven city areas: Centrum, Stratum, Tongelre, Woensel-Zuid, Woensel-Noord, Strijp, and Gestel. These areas are divided into nineteen districts. And those consist of 109 neighborhoods. In the city area Strijp, you have the district Meerhoven, where you can find the neighborhood Waterrijk. (One of our tips, coincidentally!) The complete list of districts and neighborhoods can be found on Wikipedia. Now fast forward to our top 10, in no particular order. 

Tongelre - De Laak - Lakerlopen

Just inside the beltway on the east side of Eindhoven, you will find Lakerlopen. The neighborhood is named after the Lakerloop, a small river that used to flow from the village of Riel to the river Dommel. Lakerlopen was built in the 1920s but underwent a major makeover at the beginning of this century. As a result, you'll find a mix of new buildings and renovated homes. Lakerlopen was designed as a ‘tuindorp,’ which translates to ‘garden village.’ This specific form of urban planning was very popular in the Netherlands in the 1920s. The concept is a village atmosphere in the city. Lots of green, liveliness, and a social character. That's still the vibe in Lakerlopen today. The neighborhood is diverse, with many internationals. Check Funda to see if there is something nice to buy or rent! 

Center - Center - Bergen

In the Netherlands, we are quickly impressed by a small elevation change, which is why downtown's hippest neighborhood is called 'Bergen,' or 'De Bergen,' colloquially. This neighborhood is built on the sand ridge between the rivers Dommel and Gender. Such a sand ridge is a large flat slab of land that is just slightly higher than the surrounding area. In the case of De Bergen, about one meter higher. De Bergen is one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city. You will find beautiful characteristic houses mixed with stylish new buildings. The quaint streets with restaurants, trendy bars, brown cafes, and luxury boutiques make you feel like you are abroad. It isn't cheap to get a house here, but how wonderful is it to live in such a lively neighborhood? See what is for sale and for rent! 

Stratum -  Oud Stratum - Tuindorp (Witte Dorp)

Eindhoven's OG tuindorp or garden village (see Lakerlopen for an explanation) is officially called Tuindorp, but almost everyone calls this neighborhood 'het Witte Dorp,' or the White Village. You probably have an inkling why, but just to be sure: Tuindorp is full of white houses. Tuindorp was designed by architect Willem Dudok. That name may not mean much to you, but he was a man of revolutionary designs at the time. Eindhoveners were a tad apprehensive when the municipality announced in 1937 that about eight acres of land would be filled with ultramodern housing. It has since become one of the city's most iconic neighborhoods. In 2001, the entire Witte Dorp was officially declared a national monument. The neighborhood is wildly popular because it truly feels like a village in the city. For example, the Witte Dorp has a very lively neighborhood association. Just take a look at their website (it's in Dutch!). And of course, we also have a Fundalink of Tuindorp for you! 

Stratum - Oud Stratum - Den Elzent 

Two for the price of one. Den Elzent (or De Elzent) consists of Elzent-Noord and Elzent-Zuid (Elzent North and South). Den Elzent owes its name to the many alders (elzen is Dutch for alders) that used to grow in the area. A little lesson in biology in between all the history: alders are those trees that grow yellow worms full of pollen. Den Elzent is a villa neighborhood, so you will mainly find stately detached houses and spacious semi-detached houses here. Some are brand new and ultramodern, and others have been there for almost a century. With parks such as Dommelplantsoen and Stadswandelpark (although that park is officially in Looiakkers), Den Elzent is a very green neighborhood. You're within a 10-minute walk of the city center and can practically roll to Parktheater. No money for a giant villa? At the edge of the neighborhood, you'll find a number of apartment complexes, like the one at Bomanshof. Fundalink! 

Stratum - Putten - Riel

Not a fan of the hustle and bustle of the city? Then we have the ideal neighborhood for you: Riel. Many people think this is a village south of Eindhoven. It once was, but since 1972, it is part of the city. You'll still feel like you're in the countryside, even though it's only a fifteen-minute bike ride from the center. If the neighborhood itself isn't green enough for you, you can walk straight into Stratumse Heide (fields of heather). Cute farmhouses and row houses predominate in Riel. The downside is that there are only a handful of houses. So you just have to be lucky if something becomes available. Otherwise, try nearby Putten or Tivoli! 

Strijp - Oud-Strijp - Philipsdorp

One of the most famous neighborhoods in Eindhoven is Philipsdorp. Philips wanted to take care of its employees from cradle to grave. Naturally, that starts with a home. The neighborhood was set up to create a sense of belonging. As such, you'll find many cozy little squares. The typical houses have no front gardens but backyards large enough to grow your own vegetables. Philips built Philipsdorp in 1910, but between 2012 and 2018, most of the (rental) houses in the neighborhood were thoroughly renovated. Wherever you are in Philipsdorp, you almost always have a view of the imposing Philips Stadium. The location is ideal. Both trendy Strijp-S and the city center are a stone's throw away. Here, you will find mostly social housing, which you can rent through Wooniezie.nl. 

Strijp - Oud-Strijp - Vonderkwartier

In Oud-Strijp you will find the Vonderkwartier. This neighborhood calls itself 'The nicest neighborhood of Eindhoven'. The Vonderkwartier was built in the 1920s and 1930s in the stream valley of the Gender. A former bridge over the Gender, 'het Vonderke,' gave the neighborhood its name. In this yuppie neighborhood, you almost stumble over the electric cargo bikes. You'll find mostly double-income families with children here. Vonderkwartier has a hyperactive neighborhood association with various working groups, such as the safety working group and the energy working group. The working group on square activities regularly organizes fun events on the Lodewijk Napoleonplein in the heart of the neighborhood, such as the annual farmers & farmers' wives volleyball tournament. Want to buy a house in Vonderkwartier? Fundalink! 

Strijp - Meerhoven - Waterrijk

With 2,888 hectares, Strijp is by far the largest city district in Eindhoven, but they cheated a little. In 1997, the municipality started building the Meerhoven district, a gigantic new housing area. With that project, Strijp suddenly doubled in size. In Meerhoven, you will find the neighborhoods Bosrijk, Grasrijk, Meerrijk, Waterrijk, and Zandrijk. They are all quite similar and popular, but we had to choose one. We chose Waterrijk. Waterrijk lives up to its name with lots of water. It is located next to the award-winning park Meerland. Here, you will find both terraced houses and luxury villas. Like the other neighborhoods of Meerhoven, Waterrijk is very popular with expats. After all, you're right on the highway to ASML. Yet there are still homes for sale regularly. Take a look! 

Gestel - Rozenknopje - Schrijverbuurt

We return to the city center, to Schrijverbuurt (Writer's Neighborhood in English) to be exact. This neighborhood is just inside the beltway, west of Dommelplantsoen. The neighborhood was built between 1925 and 1935. You will find a remarkable number of three-story houses that are split in two. This means you share the second floor with your upstairs or downstairs neighbors. The streets are named after Dutch and Flemish poets and writers, hence the name. The Schrijversbuurt is nice and green and has some cozy streets with old-fashioned cobblestones, which gives the neighborhood a special appearance. Fundalink. 

Honorable mentions

Drents Dorp - A lovely working-class neighborhood built by Philips. The houses have extra large backyards, so workers from the countryside of Drenthe (a province in the Netherlands) would feel at home. Strijp-R with Piet Hein Eek's design imperium is just around the corner! 

Oude Spoorbaan - Characteristic neighborhood in the Rozenknopje district, named after the railroad connection between Eindhoven and Hasselt. You're in the center of town in no time, and the Genneper parks are also within walking distance. 

Groenewoud - Better known as Woensel-West, one of the most colorful neighborhoods in Eindhoven! The Edisonsstraat is the beating heart of the neighborhood, with plenty of great restaurants and stores. 

Het Ven - A 20s neighborhood just outside the beltway. Here, you'll find the super-popular Zeelsterstraat, but the surrounding streets are also great. You're close to the highway, convenient if you work outside Eindhoven. 

Karpen - Villa neighborhood right next to Eindhoven University of Technology, but surrounded by greenery. In the heart of the Karpen, you will find the Karpendonks plas (a large pond), surrounded by a huge park.