Lakes, parks and wildlife are in abundance in Hillegersberg—an affluent neighborhood in the north of Rotterdam, the second largest city in the Netherlands, that’s known for being the location of Europe’s largest container port.
This former village is an urban retreat where residents spend their free time on boating or cycling, walking, relaxing and picnicking in lush, wildlife-rich parks and green spaces.
"It’s a small village within a city," said Leslie de Ruiter, managing partner at Residence 365, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate.
In addition to its green setting, it has beautiful homes, many of which have direct access to the water. The chicest address in Hillegersberg is Straatweg, a thoroughfare with side streets located on a tract of land between the two lakes at the center of the neighborhood.
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A five-bedroom lakeside home sold here this year for the record-breaking price of €5.5 million (US$6,377,145), Mr. de Ruiter said, showing that there is a growing appetite for homes in this traditionally affluent neighborhood.
Boundaries
This wedge-shaped neighborhood is located northwest of the city. Molenlaan is on its eastern edge, Prinsemolepad forms its southern side and Straatweg is its northern border. The neighborhood is broad in east and tapers to a point in the west under the A20 motorway.
Price Range
Hillegersberg is a unique spot, with a highly competitive sales market and very little property available to rent, said Michele Heeren of Verra Real Estate in Rotterdam.
It’s one of the most desirable spots in Rotterdam, so it is no surprise that buyers pay significantly more than the city’s average property price to live here.
The average cost of a home in Hillegersberg is around €400,000 (US$463,792), according to Mr. de Ruiter, while the average price of a home in Rotterdam is €251,000 (US$290,999) according to the Dutch Association of Real Estate Brokers and Real Estate Experts.
Homes at the top end of the market in Hillegersberg start from €1.75 million (US$2,028,750), Mr. de Ruiter said. He added that the most expensive home on the market currently is a contemporary villa priced €8 million (US$9,274,288).
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Housing Stock
Once a popular summer haunt of wealthy Rotterdammers, the area has an abundance of detached houses, or villas.
The Straatweg is considered the best area and features some of the area’s most impressive and expensive homes—it lies on a long, thin piece of land between the two lakes and has views of the water on both sides.
About 75% of the houses are detached properties, Mr. de Ruiter said. The rest, meanwhile, are semi-detached and terraced houses and apartments.
About 80% of homes have gardens with direct access to the water and about 95% of residents own small boats, Mr. de Ruiter said, which they use to explore, relax and fish on the two lakes.
One-third of the homes were built between 1920s and 1930s and the rest were constructed between the 1970s and 1980s and between the 1990s and the present day, Mr. de Ruiter said.
Some of the older houses have a grand look, with Dutch and crow-stepped gables, decorative stone work and turrets. Interior details can include stained-glass windows and herringbone timber flooring.
Most homes have front and back gardens. Some front gardens have been converted into off-street parking and the average size of a rear garden is 1,076 square feet, Ms. Heeren said.
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What Makes It Unique
Once a sleepy village, with a few houses, it now has the trendy amenities of an urban neighborhood.
Nevertheless, it still retains the feel of a rural getaway. The area has attractive houses with direct access to the water, jetties and moorings and have wildlife-rich natural surroundings as their backdrop.
The lakes known as the Bergse Voorplas, and acres of open green spaces at Berg en Broelpark, Prinsenmolenpark and Bergse Bos, meanwhile, offer an abundance of outdoor pursuits. Sports and recreation centers are dotted around the neighborhood.
A traditional upper-class neighborhood with a very laid-back, family-friendly feel, it’s safe, and everyone knows each other, which gives it a cozy charm, Mr. de Ruiter said.
Open green spaces at Prinsenmolenpark
Google MapsLuxury Amenities
To the north of neighborhood there is a village area with streets featuring supermarkets, boutiques, coffee shops, bars and restaurants.
High-end Dutch clothing shop Pauw, whose clothing has been worn by Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Celine Dion, has an outlet in Hillegersberg, as does Van den Assem Schoenen, a shoe and accessories shop.
Cool, upmarket international designer brands such as Zadig & Voltaire, Citizens Of Humanity and Essentiel Antwerp can be found at the De Nimes clothing boutique.
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There’s also the Marqt, a grocery shop; the Simon Levelt koffie & thee, a coffee shop; Studioprikkels gym; the Slagerij B. Tol & Zn, a butcher’s shop; and Flow, an upmarket modern home furniture shop.
Hillegersberg has a number of nice neighborhood restaurants and bars, including Wine Bar Mendoza, Bistro De Buren, Abrazo Hillegersberg, a trendy restaurant-bar, and Restaurant Three, a contemporary Asian restaurant, but no fine dining spots. Michelin-starred restaurants and other posh eateries can be found in central Rotterdam.
Just north of the shopping area lies the American International School of Rotterdam, a highly-regarded private international school for students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.
A street view of Hillegersberg's village area
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Who Lives There
The typical Hillegersberg buyer will be wealthy, Dutch and work in the accountancy, legal and real estate sectors or own their own businesses. The commute to the city center via car, tram or bicycle takes less than 20 minutes.
The neighborhood is getting younger as more people under the age of 40 move into the area. Many people who move here plan to stay for the long term, Ms. Heeren said. "They have families and stay for 20 years or more. There are residents in their 80s still living here."
A quarter of buyers are from outside of the Netherlands and the rest are from the Netherlands, Mr. de Ruiter said. The number of overseas buyers purchasing homes in the area has been increasing each year as the city emerges as an artistic and affordable home hotspot.
Notable Residents
Raemon Shutter and Fatima Moreira de Melo—he a former professional tennis player-turned-coach and she a former Olympic field hockey player-turned-professional poker player—reportedly own a loft-style home, which was purchased in 2008.
Technology entrepreneur Michel Perridon, the founder of Trust, a manufacturer of computer accessories, is believed to own a property here as well.
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Outlook
The property market in Rotterdam is booming, agents say, with prices rising faster than the capital city of Amsterdam.
Less crowded and still around 40% cheaper than Amsterdam, despite increasing property prices, Rotterdam, with its flourishing art, culture and business sectors, has growing appeal.
The number of people making the move from Amsterdam to Rotterdam is increasing every year. About 982 people have made the city-to-city move this year, according to Mr. de Ruiter.
Hillegersberg, meanwhile, is one of the city’s best performing markets, with prices rising annually 8% over the past few years. Demand for every type of housing is strong, Mr. de Ruiter said.
As prices have been rising year on year, Mr. de Ruiter predicts values will increase between 8% and 10% over the next year.
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