What is your favourite thing to do in Rotterdam? “In the weekends, we cycle a lot and almost always discover something new. De Kralingse Plas lake and the parks are my favourite spots. In the evening, we like to go have dinner in the city. It’s nice that restaurants here make me feel that I can simply take my child along with me. For example, the three of us ate at La Pizza last weekend, where I ate the tastiest pizzas in town. Yes, we really hope to be able to stay here for a while.”
Het Park (nearby the Euromast)
Still happy with your choice? “Yes, we love Rotterdam. The first time I visited the downtown area, I wasn’t all that impressed; I doubted if I wanted to move here. A day later, my son and I went for a walk through the city. Just like that, without a map at all. We spontaneously stumbled across all sorts of fun places and wandered through green parks. It changed my opinion. It’s nice that everyone here speaks English, too, even in the bus.”
Kralingse Plas lake
Why Rotterdam? “My husband worked for Unilever in Hamburg. When his work moved to Rotterdam, we decided to live in Rotterdam too. The Netherlands has lots of fun cities, but we wanted to be able to cycle to work.”
How did you end up in Hillegersberg? “My husband and I were looking for a child-friendly neighbourhood with lots of outdoor space and playgrounds. We found that in Hillegersberg: a lovely green neighbourhood with two large lakes, which I enjoy jogging around. It’s almost a village within the big city; that’s how quiet it is. Everything we need is close by, and I’m downtown in no time if I take the bicycle. Our son also goes to a very fun, good daycare centre here. Not an international one, a Dutch one. We’re expats, but we find it important to get to know Dutch people here, learn the language and life like the Dutch do.”
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Terrace at the Binnenrotte
German national Susanne Dous (35) works for Hajok Design BV in Rotterdam. She and her husband Philipp (45) - also an expat - and young son Henri (2) have been living in the Hillegersberg area of Rotterdam since 2013. This quiet, green district in the north of the city is known for its classical appearance, detached single-family dwellings and the Bergse Plassen lakes.
Market Hall
INTRODUCTION