Aagje Dekenstraat 39

Beautiful walking area along the river the Wantij on the Maasstraat. Supermarket and primary school within walking distance. The community centre with the adjacent playground looks shabby, especially because of the old pole with satellite dishes, and there is also a very outdated asphalt square next to the community centre, which gives a desolate impression when you first enter the neighbourhood. That is a shame and gives a wrong impression of the cosy and beautiful neighbourhood. The renovated houses in the adjacent Noorderkwartier are of a beautiful architectural style from the 1920s and 1930s. Most people still say hello to each other here, as if you live in a village, especially the older residents who like to chat create a cosy and friendly atmosphere.

Centre so very accessible for young and old

My neighbourhood is often dismissed by outsiders as a deprived area. That word alone conjures up images of problems, statistics and stigma. But those who actually live here know that the story is much more layered than that. The flats and terraced houses are not new, sometimes even a bit worn. Stairwells bear the marks of years of use and in some places maintenance leaves something to be desired. Yet people live here who do their best every day to make something of it. Families who have lived on the same street for generations, young people playing football on the square until it gets dark, and elderly people watching everything from their balcony, missing nothing. You hear multiple languages mixed together here. Not because people live alongside each other, but because the neighbourhood is a mix of cultures, backgrounds and stories. Sometimes it clashes, sometimes it rubs, but often a form of togetherness emerges that you see less in 'nicer' neighbourhoods. Everyone knows who lives on the street, who needs help and who you'd better avoid. There are problems too. That cannot be denied. Unemployment, money worries and occasional nuisance are part of daily life. Police and enforcement patrol the area more often than in other neighbourhoods. But that doesn't mean there are no norms or values here. Calling each other out on behaviour doesn't always happen by the book.

I don't know everyone in my neighbourhood but most are friendly. The neighbourhood is close to the central station and close to the city centre, there is also a park and a dog park nearby. There is a special primary school at the end of the street. They organise something fun every year for Halloween. It is safe, almost nothing ever happens.