High-level living, close to Amsterdam.

Figures from the CBS (Dutch bureau for statistics) show that one in five Dutch people suffers from insomnia. Insomnia can have many causes. One of them is poor air quality in the bedroom. Opening a window will surely help but also plants can provide a better night's rest. We already knew that plants provide oxygen, but a study by space agency NASA shows that certain, very ordinary, houseplants also remove toxic substances such as benzene and formaldehyde from the air. Some suggestions:

Aloe vera
Welknown from all sorts of creams for wounds, dry skin and sunburn. But studies show that this plant also contributes to the air purity of your bedroom. Additional advantage: when having a dry or burned spot somewhere, just cut off a small piece of leaf and rub it on the spot.

Anthurium
The Anthurium originally comes from tropical America and has up to 600 species. According to the NASA study, the Anthurium is one of the most air-purifying plants on earth. This is partly due to the fact that this plant remains in bloom for a long time. 

Sansevieria
The Sansevieria belongs to the Asparagus family. In Holland it had the image of ‘Grandpa and grandma plant’ for decades, but it has enjoyed a successful come-back in recent years. And rightly so, since during the night it converts carbon dioxide  to oxygen. 

Ivy
Maybe not a plant you consider having in your bedroom, but NASA also gives this plant high grades when it comes to air-purifying qualities. Besides that, Ivy also removes allergens such as fungi from the air. 

Draceana
NASA considers the Draceana to be one of the most efficient plants to purify the air of formaldehyde. There are many species of the popular Draceana so you will always find one that suits the your bedroom interior!

If you live in De Industrieel, you also live in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area (MRA). The MRA is a partnership between the provinces of Noord-Holland and Flevoland, 33 different municipalities and the Amsterdam Transport Region. The MRA stretches from IJmuiden to Lelystad and from Purmerend to the Haarlemmermeer and focuses on diversity.

Strong economic region
The MRA belongs to the top five of economically strong regions in Europe. Not surprising when you know that this region contains two airports, seaports, the financial center of the Netherlands (the Zuidas in Amsterdam), the flower auction in Aalsmeer (the largest in the world), the Mediapark in Hilversum, Tata Steel in IJmuiden and many innovative and creative companies.In addition, historic cities such as Zaandam, Haarlem and Amsterdam, the various seaside resorts and tulip fields attract many tens of millions of tourists from all over the world.

Future vision
In 2016, the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area set up an agenda for the future.
The main priorities on this agenda are: boosting the region’s economy, improving accessibility and building dwellings. Furthermore, the MRA wants to play a pioneering role in the knowledge and circular economies. And, last but not least, sustainability and the expansion of recreational opportunities and nature are having a prominent place on the agenda.

Living in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area
As mentioned, living in De Industrieel means living in the MRA. What does that actually mean? First of all, you’re living in an attractive region for (international) companies. This not only benefits employment but also ensures diversity. Moreover, there is a healthy debate structure in the MRA. Each municipality has control over matters that are important for its residents, important decisions are taken together.

Living in De Industrieel will offer you many advantages. You’ll live directly along the Zaan, near the cozy city center of Zaandam and just 15 minutes from the center of Amsterdam. But there is also a lot to do in and around Zaandam. How about spending your day off in a natural reserve, for example? The Natuurmonumenten association takes care of more than 100,000 hectares of Dutch nature. Existing natural areas are maintained, new areas are developed. The Wormer and Jisperveld is one of those existing nature reserves. And it’s close to De Industrieel!

Het Veld
The Wormer and Jisperveld, or 'Het Veld' (The Field) as it is locally called, comprises about 2000 hectares. Natuurmonumenten manage nearly 650 hectares of this vast area together with farmers who live and work there. The nature reserve is situated between Wormer, De Rijp, Purmerend and Wormerveer, just North of Zaandam. Originally, the area is a peat bog that was mined from the year 1000 AD.

A bird paradise
The Wormer and Jisperveld is a patchwork of water and land and is therefore an ideal sanctuary for meadow birds. During spring the birds return from Africa. First the godwits will arrive, then the lapwings and the redshanks. Almost every specie of Dutch meadow bird finds rest, food, a partner and a safe breeding ground in this area. Follow the trail through the Schaalsmeerpolder and discover what a bird paradise the Wormer and Jisperveld really is.

Take a canoe
A wet nature reserve like this is best visited by canoe which you can rent in the marina. Paddle through the vast area and enjoy watching the meadow birds and breeding colonies with black-headed gulls, common terns and spoonbills. The length of the entire canoe route is 9.46 kilometers. If you prefer to stay on dry land, the Wormer and Jisperveld also offers several walking and cycling routes.

The Poelboerderij
The Poelboerderij is the visitor information center and natural access to the Wormer and Jisperveld. During summer, children can romp around in a water playground and adventure park with a small ferry and watchtowers. You’re welcome for a cup of coffee or tea and can visit exhibitions as well. 

De Industrieel will be built in a region with a very rich history. A history of entrepreneurship and business. Of innovators and visionaries.

First residents
The Zaan region has long been a wet and soggy place. Nevertheless, archaeological finds show that as far back as 500 BC people built huts on the banks of rivers and lakes and other dry places. Due to the rise of incoming seawater (there were no dikes yet) they had to leave the area in the first and second century AD. But since man is stubborn, they came back in the eleventh century and tried again. During this time, huge amounts of sand were flowing into the area. Due to this high dry ridges emerged on which permanent dwellings could be built. The bog now lay lower than these ridges and could be developed for agriculture. Around the year 1200 AD the first dikes were constructed on both sides of the Zaan river, the Oostzijde and the Westzijde, the future location of De Industrieel. At the end of the 13th century a dam was built that separated the Zaan waters from the IJ river. Zaandam owes its name to this dam.

City rights
The city of Zaandam only came into being in the Napoleontic era. On the Emperor’s orders, the towns of Oostzaandam and Westzaandam were merged in 1811 and the newly formed municipality received city rights. This meant, among other things, that the city could have a market, levy a toll and build city walls. Even more important was the fact that the city could have its own jurisdiction. This allowed citizens to argue in a fair way before a court.

Economic growth
Until the beginning of the Golden Age, the inhabitants of the Zaan region earned their meager wages with simple agriculture, fishing and bird hunting. This changed drastically at the beginning of the 17th century. Due to its location on the Zaan and the favorable connection with nearby Amsterdam via the IJ river, inland shipping developed. A lively trade with Amsterdam emerged where the first stock market in the world was founded and where many merchants earned treasures from trading with The East. From the Baltic Sea area a lot of wood was transported to the Zaan and processed on the spot. The many sawmills and the wood trade resulted in a great economic boost that made it possible to build shipyards. They were so well known and successful that in 1697 the later Czar Peter the Great came to Zaandam to learn the craft of ship carpenter. At the Krimp 23 in Zaandam you can still see the Czar Peter House, a wooden house from 1632 where Peter spent the night. In the wake of shipbuilding, all sorts of companies emerged that served as suppliers to the shipyards. Since the shipbuilders also started shipping companies, many more products other than wood came to the Zaan. Mills were needed for the processing of whale oil, grain and spices. So more than a thousand of them were built at a fast pace.

Industrialization
During the French period (1806 - 1813), international trade was no longer possible  and much of the Zaan industry came to a standstill. The entire region was confronted with high unemployment and poverty. Due to the industrialization in the late 1800s, these bad times came to an end. In the many factories which were built along and around the Zaan river, steam-driven machines processed enormous amounts of raw materials into foodstuffs and stimulants such as rice, biscuits, oil, cigars, coffee, tea and chocolate. Products like paint and varnish were also produced in large quantities. Well-known brands such as Duyvis, Wessanen, Honig, Lassie, Albert Heijn and Verkade have their origins in the Zaan region, the first real industrial area in Europe.