After living in Rotterdam for 9 years, it was time for something new! For 2020 (despite the corona situation) I moved to Strijp-S in Eindhoven! Living In Eindhoven has been fun, making new memories and experiencing a new Dutch city that I never visited previously. Switching from busy city life in Rotterdam to a more local neighbourhood in Eindhoven has been a great experience and for sure a great city for expats!
Living In Eindhoven
Why Eindhoven After 9 Years In Rotterdam?
I moved to Eindhoven without much planning except for a longer goal (one to share another time). I have been lucky to work from home since March 2020, so it didn’t really matter from where. From first impressions, Eindhoven is cool. I ended up at a unique refurbished old school building for a temporary stay with Holland2Stay. The Philipsbedrijfschool location is great for the location, within only 15minutes from the central station and shopping area.
First Thoughts of Eindhoven
Eindhoven is cool, like I mentioned previously. The vibe is young, but everything feels local. I’m in the Strijp-S location most, where I have stayed and explored during walks. There are many young people, but also older and families too. Walking to the local Albert Heijn supermarket meant passing some local stores and cafes, all inviting and nice to visit.
P.s A top place I can recommend for lunch is at Bij De Greef restaurant!
Strijp-S itself is extremely cool and urban, with old Philips buildings and factories transformed into cafes, shops and cool places to relax. I believe during less corona times there are also lots of events happening here, such as a mini local market and music events.
Living In Eindhoven Compared To Rotterdam
Life has definitely been different to Rotterdam, due to such a big difference of cities. I totally miss those amazing tall buildings on the Wilhelminapier, the long shopping streets with no cars and the bigger parks surrounding the city. Rotterdam has such a modern vibe with everyone having a place to be or go to.
But Eindhoven definitely has it’s own uniqueness to it. There are a few local parks that totally got me finding red mushrooms for the first time ever. The shopping area is nice, I haven’t been much due to corona measures though. There is a local market on Tuesdays in the center, and a few at other locations too, which is great for picking up some fresh fruits and vegetables.
Other comparisons from Rotterdam to Eindhoven are;
- Trams vs Buses (bendy ones too!)
- The different dialect and words (Hoedoe – which means Take Care)
- Lots of tall skyline buildings vs mostly 3 story houses
- Different events (before corona) like Dakendagen in Rotterdam vs Glow in Eindhoven
P.S you can totally find all my Rotterdam posts here!
Top Tips Of Living In Eindhoven
Well I’m not sure if my tips will count much, since I moved during quarantine and many lockdown periods. But if you have more time, I can recommend the following;
- Explore your close location as much as possible! Whether thats with walking different routes to the supermarket, around the local parks and via local cafes for take away coffee/tea. There is also a free walking tour you can join!
- Check out some Expat Eindhoven facebook pages, many are super active sharing (safe) meet ups and activities with others
- Get a bike (even for a day from the NS train stations) and explore one of the many cycling routes
- Check out some local museums for the rainy days
- Take on the Dutch Work-Life balance by prioritising yourself with something fun through a class, workshop or something new!
Check Out My Other Posts!
Easy Mistakes Tourists Make In The Netherlands
National Parks In The Netherlands
Weekend Getaway Ideas In The Netherlands
Get Unique Photography Shots With Rent The View
Summary Of Living In Eindhoven
From my 4 months in Eindhoven, it seems like a really great city to live in. I have enjoyed my time exploring the areas such as Strijp-S. As this was just a temporary stay for me, the 4 months sure did fly by very quick. I did not get to experience much of other areas, but can definitely recommend others to consider living in or near Strijp-S. I would also definitely consider living again in Eindhoven again in the future.
Thanks for sharing my Living In Eindhoven post!
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