Indische Buurt

The Indische Buurt lies in the Oost district, between the Zeeburgerdijk to the north, the Flevopark to the east and the railway around Muiderpoort station. It covers about 177 hectares and had about 22,800 residents in 2015.

It was built in three main phases after the city annexed the area in 1896: a first group of streets from around 1900, an extension towards the Zeeburgerdijk from 1908 and a final phase from 1921 onwards. Its street names refer to islands and places in the former Dutch East Indies, today's Indonesia, a naming choice that reflects the colonial period in which the neighbourhood was built.

The Indische Buurt has an ethnically very diverse population.

• The Javastraat, redesigned in 2008 as a shopping street, and the Javaplein form the heart of the area, with shops, cafés and restaurants.
• The Borneohof building (2011) houses a public library and a restaurant.
• The Flevopark, on the eastern edge, is the neighbourhood's large park.

From the 1970s the area went through large-scale urban renewal. In 2007 it was among the Amsterdam neighbourhoods selected for extra national investment in housing and services, and much has been renovated or rebuilt since.

• Tram 7 runs via the Insulindeweg and Muiderpoortstation to the Oosterpark, Weesperplein, Leidseplein, the Kinkerstraat and Slotermeer; its terminus is at the Flevopark.
• Tram 14 runs from the Flevopark via the Javaplein, Mauritskade and the Plantage to Waterlooplein, the Dam and Centraal Station.
• Tram 19 currently runs from Muiderpoortstation via the Javaplein and Mauritskade to Weesperplein, Leidseplein and Station Sloterdijk.
• Tram 25 starts at Muiderpoortstation and runs via the Linnaeusstraat and Wibautstraat to De Pijp, Station Zuid, Amstelveen and Uithoorn.
• Train: Muiderpoortstation has rail connections towards Amsterdam Centraal and destinations such as Utrecht, Almere and Amersfoort.

Works on the Linnaeusstraat in 2026 divert lines 14 and 19 via the Javaplein, and the tram network was reorganised on 29 March 2026, so check the GVB or 9292 planner for current routes.

Most homes are flats in early twentieth-century and interwar buildings, many renovated or replaced during urban renewal. Three housing associations (Eigen Haard, De Alliantie and Ymere) own more than half of the housing stock, so social rental is common, alongside private rentals and owner-occupied flats.

There is no official rent figure for the Indische Buurt alone. According to I amsterdam, social housing in Amsterdam has waiting times of typically 8 to 18 years, so newcomers usually find a home in the private sector. Check whether a rent falls under the points system before you sign (see our tenant rights guide).

The Flevopark is the main green space for families, and the Oosterpark is a short tram ride away. The library in the Borneohof is a useful local resource.

Register in good time for primary school, as many schools keep waiting lists; I amsterdam recommends Scholen op de Kaart to compare schools near your address.