An immigrant neighborhood on the rise, you'll find delicious food, family-owned businesses, and large, affordable homes here.
Osdorp has an above average violent crime rate and a below average property crime rate for Amsterdam.
In 2007 all Amsterdam neighborhoods west of the A10 circular ring road, together called Nieuw West, were labeled ‘probleemwijk’ (problem neighborhoods) by the Dutch government. Crime rates were high, as was unemployment, and the predominantly immigrant youth caused problems with the local population and authorities. This was very much the case in Osdorp in particular, leaving this leafy, spacious suburb with a nasty reputation.
In more recent years, social investments and financial aid have turned things for the better. Osdorp is improving rapidly, and new developments — often pricier than older real estate in the area — have triggered the interest of a new, pioneering crowd from the city center.
This in turn has had an impact on the heart of Osdorp, the shopping center Osdorpplein. New restaurants opened up, shopping chains revamped their local branches, and the local theater de Meervaart is putting on programming with a more highbrow crowd in mind.
All this has been done without compromising on what is very much still an immigrant neighborhood. The wide variety of restaurants still mostly serve Middle Eastern cuisine and supermarkets and shops are still mostly run by Moroccan or Turkish immigrants or their children.
But the clientele is a fun and relaxed mix of hip immigrants, Dutch locals, students, and young families, enjoying their meals or shopping from the exotic items on offer. People living here feel a sense of pride, love the space and greenery, and are usually very optimistic about Osdorp's future.
Osdorp is well connected with two trams to and from the city center and is also served by many buses. The circular metro line also services Osdorp, and nearby highways make for a fast commute to Schiphol, Haarlem, and other parts of town and country. There are several schools and kids have easy access to playgrounds, parks, and more.
Real estate is still very much cheaper than on the other end of the ring road. The wide stock available means that there is something here for everyone. Osdorp central and the area around the shopping center is made up of older flats, newer apartment buildings, and smaller, mostly rent-controlled family homes.
A bit further out are revamped areas with pleasant buildings with large, roomy apartments, large family homes and even some detached villas.
Just east of Osdorpplein is the green and lush Sloterpark bordering the large lake Sloterplas. The apartment buildings on the northeast shores often boast wonderful views and come in all shapes, sizes, and prices. Furthest west is the 1990s development De Aker which offers a good mix of family homes, townhomes, and apartments.
The Osdorperweg, the old road leading from the historical village of Osdorp to Amsterdam, is still in existence and leads out into a rural part of Amsterdam. Here the road is lined with farms, pleasant older homes, and magnificent villas owned by Osdorpers who did well.
Osdorp is bordered on the north by Geuzenveld-Slotermeer, on the east by Slotervaart, on the south by Nieuw Sloten and Badhoevedorp, and on the west by farmland and Schiphol airport.
Osdorp LOCAL schools
Osdorp Local Flavor 
A great restaurant located on the shores of Sloterplas lake, with a wonderful terrace for endless summer evenings of sun and great food. At the opening of their first restaurant in Amsterdam Oost, back in 1999, Meram was the first proper restaurant that didn’t serve alcohol. This obviously did not deter people as the Turkish owners have opened 5 more restaurants in Amsterdam, and two in Rotterdam, since then. Meram Osdorp is the newest member of the family. The menu is Turkish-inspired, but includes Western European dishes too. A great place for a family dinner!
Probably no one but local government employees know that the shopping center at Osdorpplein has a formal name. Everybody calls it Osdorpplein, but it's actually Centrum Nieuw West. The latter hints at its ambition to become the social and cultural heart of Amsterdam's Nieuw West. And it might be well on its way to succeeding: small boutiques, exotic shops, large chains, specialty stores, a theater, great restaurants, and more are on offer here. It's ample parking and access to public transport make this a convenient spot for both shopping and entertainment.
This massive garden center and home deco store is so much part of Osdorp, that their website URL is just that: Osdorp.nl. People from all over town and even further afield flock here to find things for their balconies, terrace, or garden. In winter, their mock-up ski resort is a big hit with kids who love to ride the gondola. Expect IKEA type crowds on weekends and find yourself lost and on your own, amidst a lush world of plants, décor and pet products on weekday mornings.
In old times, the area now called de Aker was a polder between the reclaimed Haarlemmermeer and Osdorperweg. Eventually they built windmills to drain the polder. The Akermolen was one of them and it now sits atop a dyke along a canal bordering Amsterdam and Badhoevedorp. The dyke is a great place for a leisurely stroll to admire some of de Aker’s more ambitious and daring architecture. The windmill is now a tea room that also has a small ‘borrelkaart’, to accompany late afternoon drinks. Great place for kids, too.
Photo Credits: Thanks to @resulhaciogluu, @gulcanalan, @fatma.bouaicha, @zero2nero, @mevrouwvanbeek, @mariteinsta, @gregorysumter_pt, @k.estephan, @tollwaves, @sondangtampubolon, @jbbouwmeester, @alxsn1, @b_e_c_o_o_t_j_e, @thegirl_withthedog, @wendy.hekman, @gina.9999, @alexandrakaplanidou, @kayceeremo, @cuisine020, @mischa1234 for your great photos of this neighborhood!
