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Living in Laeken
Expats living in Laeken - how do you like it? How easy it is to commute to the EU quarter? We (family of four with two kids who could attend the European School there) are ready for a change of scenery and we have seen nice houses in what looks like a nice area (Pagodes - Tour Japonaise). Thanks in advance for your feedback and insights!
use the STIB travel planner to find out how to to get to work.
http://www.stib.be/reisweg-itineraire.html?l=fr
Hello, I live in Laeken (in the Pagodes-Tour Japonaise area) and I love it . The other side of Laeken is another story! Lately, I have noticed that since the European School opened its doors, more and more expats are moving on this side. There is good tram transportation (3 and 7) to/from De Wand station (check their routes). Bus 53 goes direct to/from the school and many students use it to get off at De Wand to continue their route. You may want also to check the Strombeek Bever area which is very near this part of Laeken. It is however Flemish and you will receive all legal papers in Flemish. There is of course the town of Grimbergen (Flemish again) which is a fantastic and safe place to live, but there is a driving distance to/from the school which in my opinion is more than bearable. If you are planning for your children to take the school bus, you might want to check if these areas are included in their transport map. I am however sure that will be
no problem. If you need more help, I can give you my e-mail address.
I live in this area and I love it. The other side of Laeken is another story. I have noticed that since the European School opened its doors, more and more expats are moving on this side of the city. We have trams 3 and 7 (excellent routes) and bus 53 which stops in front of the school. There are of course other buses. Our tram station is De Wand. You may also want to check the Strombeek Bever area which is not far away from Laeken. It is Flemish and it has a very nice pool. The town of Grimbergen which is a little bit further, is a fantastic and safe place to live. It is also Flemish and it has a nice open air pool and of course a famous SPA. In both of these areas you can find very nice housing. If you need more information, let me know and I can send you my e-mail address.
sorry for the double posting, but I thought I had lost the first one and I re-wrote it ;-))) Please read both as I have added more information in my second post
The place to live in Laeken is the Pagodes/Japanese Tower area. Good transport links, shops, parks and lots of nice houses. The 53 goes by the European School and the 7 and 3 tram go into town. You can also get the train to Schumann from Boekstael (takes 10 minutes to get to Schumann). You can get to Boekstael on the 53 bus.
Another option is Wemmel/Meise, but you will have to drive into town (no public transport). I wouldn't live in the other side of Laeken due to the overcrowding and social problems.
You might want to use openstreetmap as it shows the divisions of municipalities, east of Laeken park and Royal Domain.
Some streets are Laeken post code 1020, bus 53 in this area.
Some streets are Neder-over-Hembeek post code 1120, bus 53 in this area.
Some streets are a suburb of Vilvoorde called Koningslo post code 1800.
Some streets are a suburb of Grimbergen called Strombeek Bever post code 1853 - lovely swimming pool and swim club there, also de Lijn buses 230, 231 and 232 stop outside EEB4 and continue to Bockstael and Gare du Nord train stations.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/
Plus on google maps, you can see where the bus stops are for 53,230,231,232 and trams 3,7.
According to the public transport map, buses 240,241,242,243 go into Brussels from Wemmel, again to Gare du Nord, but they stop also at metro line 6 stations including Bockstael, so accessible for work in the EU district, with a bus/train journey - all on the MTB version of a STIB season ticket.
According to the public transport map, buses 240,241,242,243 go into Brussels from Wemmel, again to Gare du Nord, but they stop also at metro line 6 stations including Bockstael, so accessible for work in the EU district, with a bus/train journey - all on the MTB version of a STIB season ticket.
Wemmel is great, it has an advantage over Grimbergen/Strombeek etc in having French-speaking facilities. I commute by public transport to Louise/Bois area by public transport, takes a little under an hour. Another advantage is that it is within the travel, area of the MTB add-on to the STIB monthly abonnement, which you can use on the De Lijn buses into town. It's on the edge of the countryside with great cycling and walking. You can buy my house there next Summer!
