Van der Pekstraat - Amsterdam Noord

The Van der Pekbuurt is a multicultural neighbourhood in North Amsterdam, originally built for workers. The area used to have quite a bad rep due to high crime rates and drug-related problems. The past few years however have seen an influx of hipsters and young professionals due to renovation activities and promotion by the housing corporation and municipality, as well as the relatively decent housing prices up north in comparison with the centre of Amsterdam. This leads to an interesting mixture of cultures and heritages which appears to blend together relatively well, and despite some concerns that the housing prices will rise beyond what is affordable for the original inhabitants, they are quite happy with the changes in their neighbourhood.