Selling or buying a home in Bos en Lommer. We know these streets.
From farmstead to Kolenkit.
Bos en Lommer lies between the Haarlemmerweg to the north, the Jan van Galenstraat to the south and the Ringspoorbaan railway to the west. From 1990 to 2010 it was a district of its own, and since 2010 it has been part of West. If you only know the area from the A10 ring road, you are missing one of the most fascinating chapters of housing history in the city.
The character of Bos en Lommer
The area owes its name to a farm in the polder of Sloten. It already appears on a map from 1564, and the last farmstead of that name disappeared in 1940. In 1935 a plan was ready for some 10,000 homes, which made Bos en Lommer the first area where Amsterdam's General Expansion Plan (Algemeen Uitbreidingsplan) was actually carried out.
In Landlust, on the Juliana van Stolbergstraat, architects Merkelbach and Karsten built a complex of 208 homes in open rows in 1937, with flat roofs and large steel windows, so that every home got daylight. That was new in the Netherlands and was copied everywhere afterwards. After the war the neighbourhood's landmark arrived: the Opstandingskerk by Marius Duintjer from 1956, a national monument with a 48-metre tower that everyone calls the Kolenkit (the coal scuttle).
Foto: Choinowski, CC BY-SA 4.0 Living in Bos en Lommer: homes and price level
Bos en Lommer is made up of a handful of neighbourhoods, each from its own period. The Gibraltarbuurt and the Robert Scottbuurt, with streets named after naval battles and explorers, were completed in phases between the 1920s and the 1940s. The Kolenkitbuurt, between the A10 and the Ringspoorbaan, was built just after the war. Since 2000 it has been thoroughly renewed, with new buildings such as the New Kit residential tower from 2011. Another striking one is the GAK building by Ben Merkelbach and Piet Elling: once one of the largest office buildings in the country, now hundreds of studio flats and a hotel.
A single-family house is the exception here. You choose between a flat in a 1950s row block and a new-build home with a lift. Price-wise, Bos en Lommer is more affordable than Oud-West, but the area has become a lot more sought after in recent years.
Theatre, garden and coffee
The Bos en Lommerweg is the backbone of the neighbourhood, with shops, bakeries and coffee bars. On the corner with the Admiraal de Ruijterweg stands the white Pniëlkerk from 1954-1955, known locally as the Theelichtje (the tea light). Since 2005 it has been home to Podium Mozaïek, a theatre with a café-restaurant. For your groceries you go to the Bos en Lommerplein, which reopened fully renewed in 2021.
For a walk outside there is the Bos en Lommerplantsoen, laid out in 1964 to a design by Mien Ruys, with a pond, a pergola and sculptures by Carel Visser. Around 1960 the Erasmuspark on the south side was given straight paths at right angles to each other, inspired by the paintings of Mondriaan.
Foto: Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0 Getting around from Bos en Lommer
Tram 7, which runs between Slotermeer and the Flevopark, stops on the Bos en Lommerplein. From the same square you take bus 15 to Sloterdijk station or Zuid station, and bus 21 to Central Station or Geuzenveld. Connexxion bus 80 even runs from here all the way to Zandvoort.
On the edge of the area are the Jan van Galenstraat and De Vlugtlaan metro stations, both on lines 50 and 51. The A10 ring road cuts right through Bos en Lommer, so the motorway is never far away.
Foto: Ceescamel, CC BY-SA 4.0 Who is Bos en Lommer right for
Bos en Lommer attracts many people buying their first home: young couples, singles and creative first-time buyers who like the mix of cultures, the new coffee bars and a theatre around the corner. Long-time residents and newcomers live side by side, and the neighbourhood has kept its rough edges. Families who do not want to leave the city find a place here with parks close by, although large homes are scarce.
Looking for a quiet single-family home with a garden of your own? Then you are better off looking in Geuzenveld, a few minutes further west.
Sold on Bos en Lommer?
Choose your route, and we will know exactly where you need to be.
I want to sell
From an honest market valuation to the signature at the civil-law notary.
I want to buy
We search with you, look critically and negotiate sharply.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bos en Lommer an expensive area to buy in?
Bos en Lommer is more affordable than neighbourhoods closer to the centre, such as Oud-West. The renewal and the new shops, cafés and restaurants have pushed demand up considerably, though, so well-priced apartments go quickly here.
Is Bos en Lommer suitable for families?
Yes, if you want to stay living in the city. The Erasmuspark has a large play and sports field and the Bos en Lommerplantsoen is around the corner. A spacious home with three or four bedrooms is scarce here, though.
How do I get to Bos en Lommer by public transport?
Tram 7 and buses 15 and 21 stop on the Bos en Lommerplein. On the edge of the area are the Jan van Galenstraat and De Vlugtlaan metro stations on lines 50 and 51, and bus 80 runs from the square all the way to Zandvoort.
Do you also work in Bos en Lommer?
Yes, Bos en Lommer is one of the areas where we are regularly active. We know the streets, the types of homes and the market here well.
What does an estate agent cost with you?
When you sell, you pay a fixed fee of 1% of the sale price, including VAT, with no start-up costs. For purchase guidance you pay a fixed price of €3,500 including VAT. Those prices are simply listed on our selling and buying pages.
Do you also help with buying a home in Bos en Lommer?
Yes. We search with you, view homes critically, check the structural condition and negotiate sharply. That way you buy with knowledge of Bos en Lommer, without rushed decisions.
Can I also rent out my home in Bos en Lommer through you?
Yes. Besides selling and buying, we also rent out homes in Bos en Lommer, from finding a reliable tenant to the contract.
Another question about Bos en Lommer? Call or message us, we respond quickly.
The coffee is ready.
In a few months the deed is signed and the keys are handed over. The first step is a small one: a free introductory meeting, at your home in Bos en Lommer or at our office on the Singel.
Book an introductionOr call +31 20 845 5878 · info@makelaarinamsterdam.nl
Singel 374, 1016 AH Amsterdam