From busy Amsterdam to Almere
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Lots of green
and nice little restaurants
Born and raised in Amsterdam, but recently settled in Almere: together with her boyfriend, Carlijn van der Baan (30) bought her first home in Almere Poort in September 2024. She says: "You get a lot more house for your money here, you won't find that in Amsterdam, Weesp or Hilversum, for example. Almere has positively surprised us. There are good amenities, lots of greenery and nice restaurants."
Carlijn: "Flevoland is very logically structured. You also notice this in the neighbourhoods; the main facilities are all centrally located. In addition, there is diversity in housing construction and a lot of greenery between the houses. That gives tranquillity. The city is easily accessible by public transport; from Almere Poort you can be at Amsterdam Central Station within half an hour. The quality of life here is also good. The new-build houses are often sustainable and well insulated."
Positively surprised
When Carlijn and her boyfriend wanted to take the step to buying a house, they first investigated the possibilities in Amsterdam. Carlijn: "We spent over two years orientating, viewing and bidding, but in Amsterdam you can hardly get in. That was a tedious and gruelling process. That's why we decided to think out of the box and look further afield." Her boyfriend's great-uncle and aunt already lived in Almere and invited the young couple for dinner and a bike ride through the area. And that had an effect: "We actually went in that direction somewhat sceptically, but were positively surprised by the surroundings. It was very grand, wide and green. That visit made us decide to include Almere in the search as well."
Dream comes true
And then things moved fast. Through Funda, the two start-ups came across a house in Almere Poort. "We had two viewings in one day, one in Amsterdam and so one in Almere. The difference was typical: in Amsterdam there were 10 of us in the house at the same time, the viewers were already practically bidding against each other during the viewing. In Almere, we had the house to ourselves and could look around quietly. We made an offer and it was accepted within a week. It seemed like a dream."
To date, Carlijn and her boyfriend have no regrets about the move. The Almere mentality also contributes to this. "I don't know a lot of people yet, but when I'm walking the dog I soon have a conversation," says Carlijn. "I have also already regularly met other Randstad residents who have made the same choice and moved to Almere."
Central and more green
The biggest difference from the Randstad? Slightly fewer amenities around the corner. But that was to be expected: "We naturally chose a place with more greenery. When I walked out in Amsterdam, I had three hairdressers at the end of the street. In Almere, you might then have to cycle just a bit further." But Carlijn and her boyfriend did very consciously choose a central spot where many amenities are within cycling or walking distance. One of their favourite spots is restaurant Dunes in Almere DUIN: "We regularly walk the dog here and then have a bite to eat. The forest Pampushout is also one of our favourites, an ideal place for running, for example."
For now, the two are comfortable here. "We wanted to step outside our comfort zone and we succeeded. I also learned through this that I can live in another city just fine and not necessarily 'stuck' to Amsterdam. It feels familiar here. Maybe the view from our roof terrace also plays a part in that: we can see the skyline of Amsterdam East, in the evening you can see the Rembrandt tower lighting up."