Houtbaai 4

I think it's a very nice neighbourhood to live in. We ourselves don't have much contact with all the neighbours, so I can't say whether our area is good in that regard, but that of course also depends on the residents themselves. There are many schools nearby, so plenty of choice. There are also many public transport options, so you are well connected to other cities, which is nice for students like me. Public transport here is not flawless, but certainly not bad either. There is a meadow nearby and almost everywhere in Purmerend you have a canal with a cycling/walking path, which are nice places to walk dogs. A large part of the Afrika neighbourhood is connected by water, so you can also go boating and swimming. The neighbourhoods often look well-maintained. You usually find a can or a piece of paper here and there, but I think that's the case everywhere. As for facilities: there is a cinema, hospital, bowling alley, swimming pool, several parks and playgrounds. Supermarkets are abundant: Lidl, Dirk, Spar, several Vomar and Albert Heijn stores. There are also plenty of cafes and restaurants. In the centre, which is a 15-minute bike ride away, you also have shops like H&M, Only, Douglas, Ici Paris XL. There is also Weidevenne shopping centre, which is even closer, where you can find everything for your groceries. There is a market there every Thursday and in the centre every Tuesday.