Guide to The Hague’s top 7 neighbourhoods and districts

Explore The Hague’s top 7 neighborhoods and districts and pick the right place to live in The Hague based on the objectives of your stay.

Francesca

6 minute read

·

Updated on 23 Aug 2024

·

Living

If you decided to explore rental homes in The Hague for study or work, you’ve chosen wisely! The Hague is a very international city that maintains typical Dutch features. It’s a surprising mix of modern skyscrapers, quaint canals, beautiful gardens, world-class museums, fine restaurants, and even beach culture.

The Hague is not only one of the best cities in the Netherlands to live but also the administrative capital of the country. It’s home to all the governmental institutions, embassies, and consulates, and is also the seat of over 200 international organizations, among which the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and Europol.

The Greater The Hague urban area is spread over 200 square kilometers, so it's important to pick the right place to live based on the objectives of your stay, to avoid wasting precious time commuting within the city. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best areas to live in across The Hague as an expat or international student. We’re taking the quality of life, internationality, and safety into consideration.

Quality of life

Archipelbuurt is an elegant area with towering apartment buildings and spacious houses dating from the 19th century. The streets are wide and some of the villas are home to embassies or offices. Regarding rent, you should expect to pay around €1,300 per month for a 1-bedroom apartment in this area.

Location

Archipelbuurt is located in the northern part of the Centrum district. It sits between Statenkwartier and Benoordenhout, two of the most stately and elegant neighborhoods in The Hague. Its position is fantastic because you’ll be able to reach the Central station in around 10 minutes by bike while being less than a 15-minute bike ride away from Scheveningen beach. Also, it sits right next to the lovely Scheveningse Bos. This area is particularly convenient for students of the Hotelschool The Hague, which has its main campus only 8 minutes away by bike.

Public transport

Archipelbuurt is very well served by several bus and tram lines to the Central Station and other areas of the city.

Internationality

Archipelbuurt is popular among expats and young professionals. In 2019, it welcomed around 1000 newcomers. Though it's a relatively Dutch neighborhood, with 41.8% of the population being born abroad.

Safety

Archipelbuurt scores as generally safe in the most recent reports.

Quality of life

Zeeheldenkwartier is an charming area with lovely Art Nouveau buildings, bustling squares, and a maze of lively streets. Prins Hendrikstraat will be your go-to area for eating and drinking, while you’ll unwind in one of the lovely cafés in Anna Paulownaplein. The rent may expect to pay around €1,100 per month for a 1-bedroom apartment in this area.

Location

Zeeheldenkwartier is located in the western part of the Centrum district. You’ll even be able to see the King at work in the Noordeinde Palace nearby. You’ll be able to reach Central Station in around 13 minutes by bike.

Public transport

Zeeheldenkwartier is very well served by several bus and tram lines to the Central Station and other areas of the city.

Internationality

Zeeheldenkwartier is popular among expats and young professionals. In 2019, it welcomed around 2,912 newcomers. It's a well-balanced neighborhood, with 51.5% of the population being born abroad.

Safety

Zeeheldenkwartier scores as slightly unsafe in the most recent reports. The main reported offenses are theft of bikes and mopeds, so make sure to lock yours safely if you park them in the street at night.

Quality of life

Kortenbos is amongst the oldest neighbourhoods in The Hague and has undergone several reorganizations along the years. In the 70s, many old houses and industrial complexes were demolished and replaced with new buildings, intended for the working class. This means that in this area you’ll find smaller, modest units at more reasonable prices, while still being actually in the heart of the city. As to the relative rent expenses, you ought to expect paying around €900 per month for a 1-bedroom apartment in this area.

Location

Kortenbos is located in the western part of the Centrum district. You’ll be able to reach Central Station in around 13 minutes by bike, and the other main station, Den Haag HS, in only 7 minutes by bike. This area is convenient for students of The Hague University of Applied Sciences.

Public transport

Kortenbos is very well served by several bus and tram lines that lead to the Central Station and other areas of the city.

Internationality

Kortenbos is popular among students and young professionals. In 2019, it welcomed around 1,764 newcomers. It's a diverse neighborhood, with 57.2% of the population coming from abroad.

Safety

Kortenbos scores as slightly unsafe in the most recent reports. The main reported offenses are theft of bikes and mopeds, so make sure to lock yours safely if you park them in the street at night.

Quality of life

Schilderswijk's streets named after famous painters. The neighbourhood has been undergoing rejuvantation projects and new larger homes are being built in the eastern part of the neighborhood. Renting a one-bedroom apartment in this area would cost you around €750 per month.

Location

Schilderswijk is located in the South-Western part of the Centrum district. The train station of Den Haag HS, in only 4 minutes by bike. This area is particularly convenient for students of The Hague University of Applied Sciences.

Public transport

Schilderswijk is well connected to Den Haag HS with two trams, and to the Central station with one tram.

Internationality

For its low prices, Schilderswijk is popular among students. The area is a real melting pot. 91.9% of the population here comes from outside The Netherlands. In 2019, it welcomed around 1,824 newcomers.

Safety

Schilderswijk scores as unsafe in the most recent reports. The main reported offenses are theft from residential properties and vandalism. Make sure you don’t walk around with expensive objects and avoid being around alone at night.

Quality of life

If you move to Regentessekwartier and Valkenboskwartier, you’ll probably live in one of the charming, remodeled 19th-century buildings. In terms of rent, you can expect to pay around €950 per month for a one-bedroom apartment in this area.

Location

Regentesekwartier and Valkenboskwartier are charming areas right on the outskirt of the city center. At the same time, it's only a 10-minute bike ride away from the beautiful Westduinpark and the beach.

Public transport

Regentesekwartier and Valkenboskwartier are well connected to the Central station by several tram lines, including the RandstadRail line 3.

Internationality

For their calm yet central location, Regentesekwartier and Valkenboskwartier are popular among foreigners and young professionals. They are quite diverse neighborhoods, with 55.2% of the population being born abroad. In 2019, it welcomed around 2,074 newcomers.

Safety

Regentesekwartier and Valkenboskwartier score as generally safe in the most recent reports. The main reported offenses are theft of bikes and mopeds, so make sure to lock yours safely if you park them in the street at night.

Quality of life

Laakhaven-Oost is a vibrant area, where you’ll find a mix of modern buildings and smaller, more modest houses. With respect to the housing in The Hague, you may expect to pay around €900 per month for a 1-bedroom apartment in this area.

Location

Laakhaven-Oost is located in the Laak district, south of the city center. Other neighborhoods of this district, such as Laakhaven-West and Molenwijk, are as interesting and very close to the station Den Haag HS. This area is convenient for students of The Hague University of Applied Sciences, which has its main campus here.

Public transport

Laakhaven-Oost sits right next to the station Den Haag HS and is well-connected to the Central station via several tram lines.

Internationality

For its very convenient location, Laakhaven-Oost is popular among students. It's a very diverse neighborhood, with 81.0% of the population being born abroad. In 2019, it welcomed around 1,461 newcomers.

Safety

Laakhaven-Oost scores as generally safe in the most recent reports. Cases of muggings have been reported, so make sure you don’t walk around with expensive objects and avoid being around alone at night.

Quality of life

If you choose to live in more suburban, residential areas, you’ll be able to find better deals in terms of housing while having a wider choice. Prices increase around the public transport stations but drop the further away you go. If you are willing to combine cycling to the closest station with public transportation to the city center, you’ll certainly get more bang for your buck. Depending on the area, you may expect the rent for a one-bedroom apartment to be around €850 per month.

Location

These suburban areas are located around the city center, from East to South. Leidschendam-Voorburg, Pijnacker-Nootdorp, and Rijswijk are separated municipalities, while others, such as Ypenburg, belong to the municipality of The Hague. These areas may even be as close to the city center as you can get. Voorburg borders the central neighborhood of Bezuidenhout and its North-West areas are right behind the Central station.

Public transport

All these districts have at least one train, tram, or metro line connecting them with the city center. There are even cross-city connections: for example, you can get from Nootdorp to Rijswijk in 15 minutes by bus.

Internationality

These residential areas are quite popular among students and expats that want to pay a bit less, but also among young Dutch families. These areas are less diverse than the city average: for example, in Ypenburg only 44.2% of the population was born outside the Netherlands.

Safety

All these suburban areas score as generally safe in the most recent reports.

Now that you have a better understanding of the best areas of The Hague, it's time to check out the cost of living in The Hague and start preparing for your move!