Renting an apartment in Leiden is one of the best ideas you could have upon moving to The Netherlands! Perfectly located just a short 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam, Leiden Apartments benefit from having not only a quaint and picturesque town at their front door but one of the largest lights in Europe just a short hop away. Ant with Schiphol Airport on 15 minutes away as well, renting an apartment in Leiden means you have Europe on your doorstep. With prices in Amsterdam rising, many people are considering the move to the college town on Leiden, with culture and history everywhere you look, and a great rental market – it's easy to see why.
Apartments in Leiden by District
Leiden is a relatively small city with around 130,000 people living there, but it is jam packed with cultural activities and different districts begging to be discovered. The historical center of Leiden is something out of a fairy tale and many people would love to base themselves there, but with higher rents and even higher competition, it might be worth taking a look at some other up and coming areas of the city. The area of De Merenwijk is your typical 'suburb' style district - but yet it is only 15 minutes from the city center - why not save on money, increase your space and enjoy a short walk to the action?
Leiden City Centre
Leiden has been a major city ever since its famous university was founded in 1575 - since then the city has improved with age and is about as postcard worthy as any other city in the Netherlands. With its wonderful canals and picturesque buildings – why not take the leap and live in a slice of history. Most of the houses and apartments throughout the city center date from the 1920's and so have quaint little period features throughout. However, there is a catch – as you can imagine, everyone wants to live in this part of town and so rent and competition are higher than other places around town! As such, if you see a charming apartment in Leiden city centre you fall in love with at the right price – move in quick as it won't be on the market for too long.
Apartments in Stevenshof
When people typically hear about living in the suburbs – it can come hand in hand with that next phase of life, not in Leiden and not with renting an apartment in Stevenshof. Stevenshof is a district on the west side of the city and although its distance to the center means larger properties, often with a balcony or garden, the distance itself is only around 15 minutes. Leiden's college population keeps the areas all around the city almost eternally youthful as well and so the suburbs here are a very vable place to live. It has everything you need as well, with a central shopping high street being home to lots of good shopping, and good cafes.
Apartments in Houtkwartier
A little further out of the city lies Houtkwartier, the self-proclaimed greenest district of Leiden. As you can imagine, rental prices from an apartment in Houtkwartier are the cheapest so far – and yet it is still close enough to everything that the location becomes a relative non-issue. With a short bike ride you can be in the bar scene of the city or turn the other way and suddenly be surrounded by flower fields and iconic turning windmills everywhere you look. There is very much a community feel in the neighborhood and the locals have been very welcoming to new expat arrivals who love the proximity to the city but also appreciate that little bit more space as well as peace and quiet.
Student Accommodation Leiden
With the oldest and one of the best universities in the Netherlands being in Leiden, the city has become a college town with a friendly atmosphere that seems to permeate every part of the city! Other students also live here and commute to the nearby universities in The Hauge and Amsterdam itself. If you are looking for something state of the art and brand new – it might be worth looking 15 minutes away in the Hauge – but if you are ready to get involved then student accommodation in Leiden is fantastic. You can find yourself living in a centuries old place full of character and inspiration for your studies – either independently or by finding a housemate. It's always a good option to keep prices down and so house shares and rooms in Leiden are always a good option!
Public Transport Leiden
Leiden is a smaller town and thus although the public transport options are limited – there is really no need for a tram or a metro here! As well as the reliable bus services that run all over the city, almost everyone rides their bike everywhere (it's not just an Amsterdam thing!). Not only does this make things cheaper but you will also feel better for it. If you are looking to get further afield in The Netherlands – Leiden is situated perfectly and with three train stations – you can get most places in lightning speed!