Hofgeest

Nestled between two bustling highways, lies the hamlet of Hofgeest. It’s a little pocket of tranquility, a world away from the Amsterdam you might know. Hofgeest whispers tales of a past life. A life before the highways, when sprawling farmlands defined the landscape. Hofgeest was once a much larger agricultural area. The expansion of Velserbroek, a new housing development, has gradually shrunk Hofgeest, squeezing it between the A208 and A22. The heart of Hofgeest is Hofgeesterweg, a road lined with farmhouses. Many of these farmhouses are not originals. They were rebuilt after World War II. The original farms were tragically blown up for the Velserlinie, a defensive line during the war. Hofgeest is a living community. Around 1,425 people call Hofgeest home. There are a few remaining farms still in operation. Many former farmhouses have been converted into residential homes. The spirit of sport is alive in Hofgeest. The local sports park, also named Hofgeest, is a hub of activity. Here, you’ll find VSV football club, RC the Smugglers rugby club, and LTC de Hofgeest tennis club playing their matches. Hofgeest has faced its share of challenges. There were once plans to convert the sports park into housing. This would have erased the last vestiges of Hofgeest’s rural landscape. Thankfully, in 2008, the Velsen city council recommended preserving the sports field. VSV was even allowed to expand with two additional fields. While this decision saved the sports park, it also meant the construction of 350 houses at Grote Buitendijk, leading to the disappearance of the last remaining polder landscape of Hofgeest. This decision, finally reached in 2019, reflects the ongoing tension between development and preservation that Hofgeest faces.