Amstelveen or Hilversum?

Old May 18th 2016, 2:30 pm
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Question Amstelveen or Hilversum?

Hello

My husband and I are planning to move from London to the Netherlands with our 2 years old, once we’ve found jobs.

We’d like to be outside of Amsterdam but still close enough and we’ve identified two towns – Amstelveen and Hilversum – which sound family and expat friendly Plus they both seem to have international nurseries/schools which would be our preference for the little one.

Which one would you recommend? Any additional info on either place would be greatly appreciated. I'd love to know about the safety levels too

Thank you!
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Old May 20th 2016, 9:39 am
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Default Re: Amstelveen or Hilversum?

I've no experience of either Amstelveen or Hilversum; a few comments:

Work - you've got the right idea of moving once you find work. Some advice, to get a job to support a family, you'll almost certainly need to speak Dutch and have recognisable qualifications.

Schools - unless you're moving to Holland for a short time and intending to return to the UK, I'd seriously consider sending your kids to the local school, rather than an international version - 2 reasons - international schools are very expensive and at the local school, your kids will learn Dutch and you'll meet Dutch mums to help you learn.

Best of luck
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Old May 20th 2016, 10:12 am
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Default Re: Amstelveen or Hilversum?

Visit them both. You won't know which one feels right for your family until you do Amstelveen is almost as big as Amsterdam and has many districts, some of which are more pleasant than others.

Of course, it will depend on your budget and you offer no clue as to your expected job roles/salary once you find work. Amstelveen is expensive, Hilversum less so.

International schools are very expensive (especially the ones in Amstelveen which are not government subsidised). If you require your daughter to attend a subsidised school (5k per year rather than 20k), the closest to Amstelveen would be AICS in Amsterdam Zuid, and you need your daughter's name on the waiting list for reception class Now, if not Yesterday. That being said, if your move is indefinite rather than short-stay, it makes far more sense to send her to a regular Dutch school. Amstelveen has a very good programme for getting immigrant children up-to-speed in the Dutch language, because it attracts so many higher-income foreign families (particularly Japanese and Indian on company transfers). My own daughter started school at age 5 without a word of Dutch, and is now in the highest stream in highschool, so attending a Dutch school will not hold her back if this is a longterm move: you should have worked out if this is for you by the time she leaves nursery.

Hilversum's international school is subsidised and has a good reputation. Hilversum is a 20 minute train ride to Amsterdam, and like all big towns has areas which are more pleasant than others. It lies half way between Amsterdam and Utrecht so it's a commuter town for both cities (and it's on a hill - a real rarity!), but as it's attached to neither, the rental prices tend to be cheaper. The international families there tend to be recruited for their experience in the media industry (many broadcasters operate from there).

In comparison to London, both of the areas you mention are incredibly safe. The major issue is pickpocketing and mobile theft, violent crime is almost unheard of. AD is a Dutch newspaper which publishes an annual crime metre: if you use a webpage translator, you should be able to follow this Cookies op AD.nl

Other towns you might wish to consider include:
* Haarlem (lots of Brit expats, tons of character, on the more expensive side for accomodation),
* Hoofddorp (cheapest commuter town to Amsterdam with lots of other-Europeans, great for inexpensive shopping!), and
* Almere (has an international school, cheap accommodation, beach, etc, but some say it lacks 'soul' as it was only built in the last 50 years or so - also has one district to avoid, but rest is perfect for families. Had lots of colleagues live there and like it. However, they have more than their share of Dutch right-wing nationalists voters).
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