When did Tilburg become so hip?
For the past four years I've had the pleasure of calling the city of Tilburg my home. I consider Tilburg to be a bold city, a city rough around the edges. For the past decades its name has been preserved by the many students who attend one of its three universities and keep the city young and vibrant. But over the past few years, it seems that the city has gone from a student city to an ambitious hub. There is a prospect of infinite possibilities and growth in the air and on the streets. The city won't stop building, and companies won’t stop investing in it.
When I first moved to Tilburg in the summer of 2015, I was able to find a room just a short walk away from the Wilhelminapark. That part of town has beautiful houses and is filled with museums and students. Finding a room back then wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but it was very much possible.
Flashforward to this past summer and the story is rather tragic. Rumor has it that students who moved to Tilburg were forced to camp in parks in order to have a "roof" over the heads while they were searching for a house. Landlords were becoming more demanding and the prices were only going up.
A couple of weeks ago, I was having coffee with a friend and she mentioned that one of her acquaintances was asked to leave the house where she was going to rent a room because her boyfriend was helping her move in. According to the landlady, she didn't want girls having guys over. "I know your type." - the landlady said as she ordered to young Italian girl to hand back the keys of the room.
As if international students didn't have it hard enough, the ads for rooms have an infamous disclaimer most of the time: "No Internationals :)". Dutch students don't want to go out of their way to speak English and share a house with someone who doesn't understand the Dutch student culture. It’s a very closed-minded way of life, if you ask me. My best memories from living in a student house was sharing a home with locals and internationals alike. A fountain of possibilities and great fun arise when you come together and make things happen.
So, yes, finding a room in Tilburg has become nearly impossible. And if you're one of the lucky ones, you'd be paying a huge amount of money for a room that barely fits a single bed.
As I walked to my studio apartment in the heart of the city, I couldn't help but wonder: When did Tilburg become so... requested? Was there something everyone else was seeing that I wasn't?
To be quite honest, I am slowly falling out of love with the city. I feel like my heyday here is over and it's time to move on to something greater, and most importantly chicer. I haven't moved yet, because I'm finishing my degree and I'm not sure what the next step is going to be for me. Better said, I don't know where that next step is going to take me.
Will I be camping in another city next summer hoping to find a room? What a scary prospect for a stylish boy like me.
Hugs,
JC
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| "Paleis-Raadhuis in de schemering" by Camiel Donders (2018). |
When I first moved to Tilburg in the summer of 2015, I was able to find a room just a short walk away from the Wilhelminapark. That part of town has beautiful houses and is filled with museums and students. Finding a room back then wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but it was very much possible.
Flashforward to this past summer and the story is rather tragic. Rumor has it that students who moved to Tilburg were forced to camp in parks in order to have a "roof" over the heads while they were searching for a house. Landlords were becoming more demanding and the prices were only going up.
A couple of weeks ago, I was having coffee with a friend and she mentioned that one of her acquaintances was asked to leave the house where she was going to rent a room because her boyfriend was helping her move in. According to the landlady, she didn't want girls having guys over. "I know your type." - the landlady said as she ordered to young Italian girl to hand back the keys of the room.
As if international students didn't have it hard enough, the ads for rooms have an infamous disclaimer most of the time: "No Internationals :)". Dutch students don't want to go out of their way to speak English and share a house with someone who doesn't understand the Dutch student culture. It’s a very closed-minded way of life, if you ask me. My best memories from living in a student house was sharing a home with locals and internationals alike. A fountain of possibilities and great fun arise when you come together and make things happen.
 |
| "De Zwarte Madonna's in de schemering" by Camiel Donders (2018). |
As I walked to my studio apartment in the heart of the city, I couldn't help but wonder: When did Tilburg become so... requested? Was there something everyone else was seeing that I wasn't?
To be quite honest, I am slowly falling out of love with the city. I feel like my heyday here is over and it's time to move on to something greater, and most importantly chicer. I haven't moved yet, because I'm finishing my degree and I'm not sure what the next step is going to be for me. Better said, I don't know where that next step is going to take me.
Will I be camping in another city next summer hoping to find a room? What a scary prospect for a stylish boy like me.
Hugs,
JC
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