Located in the heart of the Netherlands, Utrecht offers big city amenities and proximity to the Dutch countryside. The city and its environs remain one of the most attractive places to live in the country. Our guide will help you choose which area is right for you.

• Utrecht
• IJsselstein
• Leidsche Rijn
• Nieuwegein

The city centre of Utrecht is one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands - due primarily to the way canals, such as Oude and Kromme Nieuwgracht, are dropped and now lined with many wonderful "cellar" restaurants. Utrecht has a vibrant bar scene and has more terraces than Amsterdam.

Over 50,000 of its 288,732 inhabitants are students, making Utrecht more alive with students than tourists. Cultural activities are intimate and plentiful and there is always a lot to see and do. The Vredenburg Muziek centrum has a terrific annual line-up of international and national performances. Jazz and Blues festivals are organised annually and the largest convention centre, the Jaarbeurs, has monthly activities.

Finding a place to live in the centre of Utrecht is even harder than along the Amsterdam canals. Many locals are hooked on their places, so there's little on offer. And as this city is centrally located in the Netherlands, it demands higher rent.

Good neighbourhoods close to the city centre include Wittevrouwen, Oudwijk and Dichterswijk. Wilhelminapark is a popular inner city neighbourhood with dinkies living in well-maintained 1930s houses.

Utrecht centre has the largest train station in the Netherlands, which provides easy access to all major cities, as well as international trains heading for Germany. It also boasts the largest covered shopping centre, Hoog Catherijne, which many see as a visual blight on an otherwise gracious city.

Beware though, expect major construction on station, shopping mall, and roads over the next few years.

IJsselstein is a popular suburban choice for expats and their families working and living in Utrecht province. It is one of the few districts with a village mentality but the amenities of a larger city. Its car-free medieval city centre is beautiful and it's only 20 minutes by motorway from Utrecht.

The city offers a sneltram connection with Utrecht and Nieuwegein, a modern Albert Heijn supermarket, a new 100-seat movie theatre and a wide variety of art and cultural events. The city is one of the last located within the Randstad area but is also butted up against the beautiful green heart of Holland. There is easy access to bike trails that go on for miles through lovely countryside and along the river Lek.

IJsselstein has about 34,000 inhabitants and offers a sneltram connection with Utrecht and Nieuwegein, ample shopping and a wide variety of art and cultural events.

The newly built neighbourhood of Zenderpark offers new housing with a wide range of possibilites.

Officially part of the city of Utrecht, Leidsche Rijn consists of the two small villages of Vleuten and De Meern, which were recently annexed and includes the entire agricultural area between those villages and Utrecht itself.

Some 35,000 houses and new space for industry and companies are being built in Leidsche Rijn. In effect, this means that a medium-sized town, which will house 100,000 people, is being built out of nothing. Great effort is being made to create an environmentally friendly town with high quality housing. An underground motorway is the pride of the project.

The space saved in Leidsche Rijn by running the motorway underground is being used to build a multi million euro, 675ha large park in the middle of the district. To create less waste of clean water, two different water lines: one for the kitchen, one for the toilet, will be provided to every house.

Further, there will be a new hospital, schools, churches, shopping facilities, a train station and separate bus lanes throughout the area leading straight to the heart of Utrecht. Keep in mind that most of the facilities won't be built for another few years, so for now you'll have to do your shopping in either Vleuten or De Meern, which are very nice villages.

Nieuwegein, to the south of Utrecht, was developed in the 60s and offers a variety of housing styles from classic brick Dutch homes to modern high-rise flats in a suburban environment. The City Plaza is a terrific mall and there are wide roads with easy access to nearby motorways. It's a good place for those who have to drive regularly to work and prefer the feel of a "new town".

Nieuwegein has 63,000 inhabitants and came into being in 1971 when the two small villages of Jutphaas and Vreeswijk merged to become one of Utrecht's satellite cities.

Many houses are surrounded by parks, lakes and nature. Most people go to Utrecht for entertainment, making Nieuwegein residential and also ideal for those with young families.

Wide roads and easy access to nearby freeways makes this city ideal for those who have to drive regularly to work.

 New international companies continue to build in the newer industrial park where you can even rent storage space. Nieuwegein is now focusing on attracting more companies, hoping to turn the town into a vibrant place to work and live.

Updated 2006

[Copyright Expatica 2006]

Subject: Where to live in Utrecht