NH NieuwsHouses in the city center of Monnickendam
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NH News
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 13:02
One in three houses in the old town of Monnickendam has been purchased by Amsterdam residents in the past 25 years, according to research by the regional broadcaster NH. And that leads to joy among several born and bred Monnickendam residents, who are happy that the newcomers are renovating the homes in the city center.
Between 1999 and 2022, 25.8 percent of the entire housing stock of Monnickendam was purchased by Amsterdam residents, according to figures from data analysis company Matrixian. According to NH, that share is even higher in the historic city center: 33.5 percent.
Movers from before 1999 are not included in the data. The actual number of Monnickendam residents with Amsterdam roots may be higher.
Living outside the ring
One of the so-called ‘outsiders’, as people who were not born in Monnickendam are called by the residents, is Frans Beishuizen. He lived happily with his family in the Amsterdam Jordaan until 2017.
“I never wanted to live outside the ring. But I saw more and more friends who lived outside the city and were still very satisfied,” he told the regional broadcaster. “I thought: shouldn’t that also be possible in Amsterdam?”
In Monnickendam they found a house with three times the living space of their home in the Jordaan. A large-scale renovation of the national monument has now been initiated. “We handle the house with care. We want to restore historical details to their full glory.”
More and more Amsterdam residents in Monnickendam: ‘I’d rather see it bought up than see it become impoverished’
Several born and bred Monnickendam residents are happy with the new arrival. Because, according to NH, the outsiders are often relatively wealthy and completely renovate the often dilapidated buildings in the monumental city center. “When you see how beautiful it turned out, I am proud to be a Monnickendammer,” says one of them.
Retired contractor Klaas Roos can confirm this. In recent years he has renovated a large part of the city center.
“It used to look really bad in the city center. It was poverty-stricken,” he says. “I have renovated dozens of houses in the city center of Monnickendam with my construction company. I think 85 percent of the houses belonged to foreigners.”
Roos says she has no problem with some of the homes in the city center going to Amsterdam residents. “I would rather see a building renovated than let it become dilapidated.”
Expansions and newcomers
The first foreigners moved to the city north of Amsterdam in the 1950s. This happened because the fishing village was expanded after the Second World War. “The Oranjewijk was built from 1955 onwards, around 400 homes in eight years. Mainly Monnickendam residents came to live in the social housing,” explains former councilor Simon Verbeek.
Around the time that the first pile was driven into the ground in the Oranjewijk, a monumental house in the old city center on Kerkstraat was bought by an Amsterdam resident. He used his wealth to renovate the house, making it the first of many.
Homes in post-war neighborhoods, such as Markgouw and Poelwijk, also proved to be popular with Amsterdam residents. “Many companies in Amsterdam North, such as the NDSM and dredging machine manufacturer Verschuren, had homes built there,” says Verbeek.
Integration
Countless Amsterdam residents then made the ‘leap’ to Monnickendam, according to former contractor Klaas Roos. “Especially since the construction of the IJ tunnel. The real estate agents here already said: Monnickendam and Broek in Waterland will become the Gooi of the North. Well, that has proven to be true.”
The integration of the newcomers went smoothly from the start, says Simon Verbeek. “In Emmastraat, in the Oranjewijk, almost the entire street was Amsterdam. They were responsible for the founding of the handball club.”
Frans Beishuizen is also fully involved in his new city. “Our children participate in sports clubs and swimming lessons here.” He adds with a laugh: “For Amsterdam residents it is sometimes difficult to believe, but that is all very possible here.”
2024-01-29 12:02:47
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