Do you have to leave the city or not when you have children?
I just stopped saying it, but for years I said that I had ‘just’ left Amsterdam for Haarlem. 'Just' is now over seven years ago, so now I just say it. That I live in Haarlem. Although you won't quickly hear me say 'Ich bin ein Haarlemmer', because somewhere it feels like you should live in Amsterdam. Ridiculous. I'm now going to make a case for why Amsterdam with children is hell and Haarlem with children is heaven. And then my voor Haarlem. ‘Net’ is inmiddels ruim zeven jaar, dus nu zeg ik het gewoon. Dat ik in Haarlem woon. Al zul je me niet snel ‘Ich bin ein Haarlemmer’ horen zeggen, want ergens voelt het alsof je in Amsterdam hoort te wonen. Belachelijk. Ik ga nu een pleidooi voeren waarom Amsterdam met kinderen de hel en Haarlem met kinderen de hemel is. En dan gaat mijn colleague Tessa will defend Amsterdam on Monday.
1. Parking
I can just park right in front of my door or in front of my neighbors'. On a bad day, I'm twenty meters from my house and when I curse, I think back to my Amsterdam days when I sometimes searched for a parking spot for twenty minutes, only to then have to walk another ten minutes home with two small, sleeping (because that happens when you sit in the car for twenty extra minutes) children children. Not to mention the parking costs and the costs your guests incur when they come to eat at your place.
2. Horizontal versus vertical
In Amsterdam, you don't often live on the ground floor. And if you live in the upscale area of Zuid, you also have to climb five steps (with your stroller) before you reach your little porch. I remember that when I moved to Haarlem, I lived in a real house where all the floors were ours and I could just walk in horizontally. With a stroller. And shopping bags. Heaven had never been so close.
3. The traffic
In Haarlem, you can just bike. No stupid tourists wobbling over the bike path. No hurried types radiating the look of 'look at me, I totally belong here' and ignoring all the traffic lights, no wild scooters with too young girls with Chanel bags. At most, another mother with a cargo bike or a dog. Nonsense. Tra-la-la.
4. Restaurants
In Amsterdam, you have to reserve about a month in advance if you want to eat somewhere nice, otherwise it's full. In Haarlem, you can always fit in somewhere.
By the way, these are the three nicest restaurants in Haarlem.
5. The ahem-nature
Amsterdam is the most beautiful city in the country, but Haarlem is also nice and what about nature? The forests of Bloemendaal and Aerdenhout, all the beautiful villages, and what about the beach within cycling distance?
6. The people
Haarlem is a bit like New York. Almost no one I know is actually from there. They are all migrants from Amsterdam, so you are surrounded by like-minded people. Friendly like-minded people, in short.
7. From A to B
Moving from A to B in Amsterdam is an obstacle course. There will always be some roadworks or detours. My beloved says: ‘Then you just always go by bike.’ But we have three children and a person also has to do groceries sometimes. And it also tends to rain in the Netherlands. So when my beloved gets the itch to live in the capital again, this is my answer. ‘We'll rent a house there for a month first. In that month, you do everything with the kids. Swimming lessons, horse riding lessons, dancing, the dentist... Everything. By bike. After that month, we'll talk again.’
And then he is quiet for a moment.
So Tess, now it's your turn, with your Amsterdam.
