Living in Strijp S, Eindhoven

Strijp-S is the most-photographed redevelopment in Eindhoven and the centre of the city's Dutch Design identity. Until the early 2000s the site was a closed Philips production complex - the "S" is simply the first letter of Strijp, part of the lettering Philips used for its industrial parks (the later redevelopments Strijp-T and Strijp-R spell out the rest of the name). As Philips production shifted to Asia, the site was sold to the city and to private developers, who began a long redevelopment project preserving the industrial buildings and converting them into lofts, design studios, cafés, restaurants, hotels and event venues. Today the buurt is a mix of converted factories (the Klokgebouw, the Veemgebouw, the Anton & Gerard building) and new-build apartment towers - and is the principal venue of the Dutch Design Week every October.

Who lives here

A young, creative, international population: TU/e and Design Academy graduates, designers, ASML and Philips knowledge workers, a substantial expatriate community drawn to the modern lofts and the international atmosphere, and a layer of young Dutch professionals. Few families with school-age children - the apartments tend to be studios and one-bedroom lofts - and few older long-time residents. The Strijp-S population is one of the most international in Eindhoven.

What it's like during the day

Active and visibly creative. The Klokgebouw - the central former production hall under its giant clock - hosts events, markets, exhibitions and pop-ups. The Veemgebouw (a former warehouse now housing a covered car park, offices, restaurants and a roof terrace) anchors the eastern edge. Designers, photographers and creative agencies work out of the converted blocks; cafés on the ground floor fill with laptop workers. The NRE Terrein to the east (a separate but adjacent redevelopment of the old gas plant) extends the creative footprint. Tours and design-school groups are constant.

What it's like in the evening

Lively, with a strong restaurant and bar scene. Restaurant Radio Royaal, Piet Hein Eek (the designer's restaurant and studio in his beautiful converted warehouse - technically just outside Strijp-S in the NRE Terrein), De Kasteel, the Klokgebouw bars, and a steady run of new openings on the Torenallee and the Strijpsestraat fill the buurt from 6 PM. The Veemgebouw's roof terrace is a summer fixture. Nightlife runs to about 1-2 AM during the week, later on weekends. During Dutch Design Week the streets fill until late every night.

Getting around

Bravo city buses serve the buurt with stops at Strijp-S and Philips Stadion. Walking to Eindhoven Centraal Station takes 15 minutes (or about 10 minutes via the underpass beneath the rail tracks); cycling is faster on protected lanes. From Centraal, the 407/408 express buses reach the High Tech Campus in the south. The bike network is dense and well-built into the redevelopment design. Eindhoven Airport is about 15-20 minutes from Centraal on the 400/401 airport bus.

Eating and shopping

A growing destination for food and drink. The Klokgebouw hosts food halls and rotating events; the Strijp Connection food court at the western edge runs a permanent food market with multiple vendors. Several mid-range and high-end restaurants - Radio Royaal, Restaurant De Karpendonkse Hoeve (nearby), Piet Hein Eek - anchor the destination dining. A few specialty grocers, the new Albert Heijn on the Torenallee, and a number of independent design shops, vintage stores and concept stores. The Strijpse Cultuurkwartier hosts pop-up markets and concept events. For weekly market shopping, the Wilhelminaplein on the central square is the closest established market.

When NOT to pick it

If you want a historic Dutch buurt with traditional brick row houses and a long-established neighbourhood feel, Strijp-S is the wrong fit - almost every building is either a converted factory or a new-build, and the buurt is still being completed. Rents are among the highest in Eindhoven, and most stock is targeted at young professionals on tech-sector salaries. The lofts can be loud (concrete floors, industrial acoustics) and some converted units have inherited industrial layout quirks. The bar scene around the Klokgebouw and on event nights can be noisy if you're in one of the lofts facing the central square. If you need quiet, want a family-sized apartment, or want a traditional neighbourhood, Strijp-S is at its best for young professionals, designers, creative workers and expatriates who value the modern industrial aesthetic and the international atmosphere - and who don't mind the construction noise on parts of the site that are still being redeveloped.