Oude Noorden

The Oude Noorden has squares, singles and cozy pre-war streets. The old working-class district is full of diversity and contradictions. Young, old, rich, poor, students, actors, artists and shopkeepers live and work next to each other.

History:
In 1866 the first construction started in the area: the prison on the Noordsingel. Safe far outside the built-up area of what was then Rotterdam. Landowners were not allowed to build on the land until 1870 after buying off the wind from the Blommerdijk mill. Despite the urban street plan, erratic streets were created because the land belonged to many different landowners. They had their own land built and did not stick to the total picture of the street plan.

Residents of the Oude Noorden:
The Oude Noorden has about 17,000 inhabitants. This makes it the largest district in the North area. The residents together form a bonded community. Creatives, artists, entrepreneurs, students, rich, poor, young and old. There are relatively many single-person households and single-parent families. More and more families are moving to the head of the Old North. There are spacious, historic residences here. The North head has its own residents’ association. The residents on the Pijnackerplein have also united. The district has several united residents’ groups in which people manage communal gardens, play areas and courtyards.

What is there to do?
The neighborhood has several characteristic squares, such as the Noordplein with its Moroccan fountain, cafes and the cooking shop Het Kookpunt. The Bleiswijkplein and the Johan Idaplein provide space for sports and games. The Pijnackerplein with its classical music dome offers a beautiful stage for musicians and other performing arts. The Brancoplein is an oasis of peace. Shops, catering establishments and creative small businesses are present on the Noorderboulevard, Benthuizerstraat, Bergweg and the Zwaanshals. The Noordplein offers space for events such as the Rotterdam Eye Market, TREK food festival and Containerbar Noord. Het Zwaanhals is all about food, fashion and design with its fun, creative stores and restaurants. The historic Monastery building has been transformed into a community building for and by residents.