Cross the IJ and walk along Buiksloterweg, and you’ll find a neighborhood richer in history than most realize: the Van der Pekbuurt. Designed by idealist Jan Ernst van der Pek and built from 1917 onward, the district offered workers modest but charming homes with touches of greenery. Together with his wife Louise Went, a socially engaged housing inspector, Van der Pek was inspired by the English garden city movement.
The neighborhood, named after him, featured red brick houses with yellow glazed bands, gables, and inviting bay windows. Not grand architecture, but a well-balanced ensemble. Yet after its heyday came decline: by the 1970s and 80s, the area faced poverty, drugs, and neglect. By the late 1990s, it was struggling.
In 2008, it was officially labeled a disadvantaged neighborhood. Housing corporation Ymere proposed radical redevelopment with demolition and expensive new homes. But residents fought back, attached to their community and its legacy. Eventually, a compromise was reached: the southern, most picturesque part was renovated, while elsewhere only light improvements were made.
Today, the Van der Pekbuurt is once again sought-after. Amid trendy cafes, refurbished homes, and local markets, history lives on in the facades and street names
Sources. Story: Ons Amsterdam Photos: Stadsarchief Amsterdam
