Indische Buurt (Amsterdam)
Encyclopedia
is a neighborhood in the eastern portion of the city of Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

, in the Dutch province of Noord-Holland. The name dates from the early 20th century, and is derived from the fact that the neighborhood's streets are named after islands and other geographical concepts in the former Dutch colony of the Dutch East Indies
Dutch East Indies
The Dutch East Indies was a Dutch colony that became modern Indonesia following World War II. It was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company, which came under the administration of the Netherlands government in 1800....

. The first street was named in 1902.

In 2003, there were around 23,357 inhabitants. The neighborhood is bounded on the west by the railroad Amsterdam - Hilversum (with the Muiderpoort Station
Amsterdam Muiderpoort railway station
Amsterdam Muiderpoort is a railway station in the east of Amsterdam. It was re-opened on 15 October 1939 after being first opened in 1896. It is located 4 km southeast of Amsterdam Centraal. At this station the Amsterdam–Arnhem railway and the Amsterdam–Zutphen railway split, with the two...

), on the east side by Flevopark
Flevopark
Flevopark is a park located in the Indische Buurt, in the eastern portion of the city of Amsterdam, in the Dutch province of Noord-Holland.This park was given concrete form in 1908. The naturalist Jac. P...

, on the north side by Zeeburgerdijk and on the south side by the Ringvaart Watergraafsmeer.

Indische Buurt is the oldest part of the Zeeburg
Zeeburg
Zeeburg is one of the boroughs of Amsterdam. It has 52,701 residents and is 19.31 km². The construction of new islands to the east called IJburg makes it the most rapidly growing borough of Amsterdam.-History:...

 district and is very ethnically diverse, and a high percentage of the population is of immigrant origin (for Zeeburg this is already high at 55%, but higher in the Indische Buurt) and there are an estimated 100 languages spoken.

History

The impetus was given to create a new district in the early 20th century, as Amsterdam had previously experienced large population growth. The construction of the district was well under way on the wave of economic growth that followed the completion of the North Sea Canal
North Sea Canal
The North Sea Canal is a Dutch ship canal from Amsterdam to the North Sea at IJmuiden, constructed between 1865 and 1876 to enable seafaring vessels to reach the port of Amsterdam...

 in 1876 and the commissioning of the Merwedekanaal in 1892. The growth continued for some time, with an interruption in the 1930s as a result of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...

. Indische Buurt was relatively isolated from the rest of the city by its position behind the railway line that runs through the area, and connects Amsterdam Centraal
Amsterdam Centraal
' is the central station of Amsterdam. It is one of the main railway hubs of the Netherlands and is used by 250,000 passengers a day, excluding transferring passengers. It is also the starting point of Amsterdam Metro lines 51, 53, and 54. The station building of Amsterdam Centraal was designed by...

 with Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...

, until 1939 when Muiderpoort Station was built. From the 1960s the Amsterdam port to the west was moved and the district became a pure residential area.

Redevelopment

At this moment the area is undergoing rapid gentrification, as formerly squatted buildings, as well as former student housing, are being renewed and placed for sale on the Dutch housing market. Timorplein is a particular area of focus for the area's urban gentrification, and the square's renewal is set for completion during the summer of 2010. Situated on the square is a new cultural institution which includes: Studio K a theater/gallery/cafe/restaurant, the new 'Stayokay' hostel and IIRE
International Institute for Research and Education
The International Institute for Research and Education is a research and educational centre based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It conducts training and publishes research for and by progressive activists around the world....

, which includes meeting and conference rooms. Also, nearby the Zeeburgerdijk tram stop is 'Pompstation', a restaurant and cafe located in a former industrial building. In addition, one of the district's major roads, the Javastraat, has been transformed into a new Mediterranean-style shopping boulevard, which included the repaving of streets and improved bicycle parking. During 2010 on the Javaplein, (building Borneohof) a large library, restaurant / terrace promenade is being constructed.

Public transport

GVB
Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf
The Gemeentelijk Vervoerbedrijf is the municipal transport company of Amsterdam. As of 2007, the GVB is an independent corporation wholly owned by the city of Amsterdam.-History:...

 tram lines 3, 7 and 14 have their terminus in Indische Buurt. Line 3 has its terminus at the Muiderpoort Station, and lines 7 and 14 at Flevopark.

Bus lines 15, 22, 37, 40 and 41 run through Indische Buurt.

Trains to Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht / Rhenen and Amersfoort stop at Muiderpoort Station, on the border with Watergraafsmeer.

Jewish Cemetery

To the east of Indische Buurt is the site of a Jewish cemetery
Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery is a cemetery where members of the Jewish faith are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition....

. It was in use since 1714 by the Jewish Church, and there are an estimated 200,000 people buried there. It is no longer in active use.

Flevopark

On the east side of Indische Buurt is Flevopark, which includes the outdoor Flevopark swimming pools. This park was given concrete form in 1908. The naturalist Jac. P. Thijsse
Jac. P. Thijsse
Jac. P. Thijsse was a Dutch conservationist and botanist. He is sometimes referred to as J.P. Thijssse. He created the "J.P. Thijssse Park" in Amstelveen. He placed on De Grootste Nederlander.- References :...

envisioned a park between the Jewish Cemetery and the Nieuwe Diep.

The expropriation procedure began in 1914, and from 1921 there was money available to obtain the land suitable for building the park. In 1928, the construction of the park began.
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