Oud-West

Oud-West lies in the West district, directly west of the city centre. It is bounded by the Singelgracht (the border with Centrum), the Vondelpark (the border with Zuid), the Kostverlorenvaart (towards De Baarsjes) and the Hugo de Grootgracht (towards the Westerpark area). It covers about 1.7 km².

Oud-West was a separate city district from 1990 until 1 May 2010, when it became part of the new district of West. It is made up of the Kinkerbuurt and the Overtoombuurt, which in turn include smaller neighbourhoods such as the Bellamybuurt, Van Lennepbuurt, Cremerbuurt, Da Costabuurt, Helmersbuurt and Vondelparkbuurt.

The neighbourhood grew out of nineteenth-century extensions along two old routes, the Overtoom and the Kinkerstraat, which remain its main shopping and traffic streets. Side streets are lined with closely built apartment blocks of the period, many of them originally put up quickly and cheaply and now valued for their urban character.

Oud-West has long had an international population: residents of 177 nationalities were counted in 2007. The Vondelpark lies on its southern edge, and the centre of Amsterdam is a short walk or bike ride away across the Singelgracht.

Oud-West has no metro station but is crossed by several tram lines:

• Tram 1 along the Overtoom, to Leidseplein and Weesperplein in one direction and Surinameplein, Station Lelylaan and Osdorp in the other.
• Tram 7 along the Kinkerstraat, to Leidseplein, Weesperplein and the east, and west via Mercatorplein to Slotermeer.
• Tram 12 via the Bilderdijkstraat and the Eerste Constantijn Huygensstraat to the Van Baerlestraat, Museumplein, De Pijp and Amstelstation, and north to the Frederik Hendrikbuurt.
• Tram 17 towards Station Lelylaan and Osdorp, currently running via the Bilderdijkstraat, Overtoom and Leidseplein to Centraal Station because of roadworks.
• Tram 13 currently runs via the Overtoom to the Zeilstraat in Zuid during the same roadworks, and tram 19 is diverted via the Bilderdijkstraat area.

The Oranje Loper roadworks on the De Clercqstraat and Rozengracht last into 2027, and the tram network was reorganised on 29 March 2026, so check the GVB or 9292 planner for current routes. The nearest train and metro stations are Lelylaan and Sloterdijk to the west.

Homes are mostly flats in nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century apartment blocks, often compact and without outdoor space.

There is no official rent figure for Oud-West alone. According to I amsterdam, Amsterdam rents are among the highest in the Netherlands and social housing has waiting times of typically 8 to 18 years, so most newcomers rent privately. Check whether a rent falls under the points system before you sign (see our tenant rights guide).

The Vondelpark on the southern edge is the main green space; inside the neighbourhood, open space is limited to small squares and courtyards.

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.