Katendrecht one of the most famous districts of Rotterdam.

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History

Katendrecht was a very prosperous

district mainly due to its perfect

beneficiary location which creates a

perfect port area.

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It was a normal district with mainly laboror housing.

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A striking phenomenon of Katendrecht was the

presence of a large number of Chinese. In 1911 The

Chinese came to Katendrecht. On Katendrecht, the

rents were very low, and soon there were many

boarding houses. More and more Chinese people

came to the peninsula and in 1925, Chong Kok Low

opened on the Delistraat, and was the first Chinese

restaurant in the Netherlands. In the '20s and '30s

Katendrecht was also called Chinatown. 00:29-00:34

The Chinese working class created the biggest China Town of Europe. 00:34-00:51 sec.

In today’s area of Katendrecht you can still see many traces and places left behind by this china boom. Not

many Chinese people are living there anymore but there are still some old generation families which also

run these stores and restaurants. 00:51-00:56 sec.

Mainly Deliplein, was known for its prostitution and its many sailor pubs which also created a negative

image for the district.

The deliplein now a days is a peaceful place for the creative class mainly due to its many galleries. 56:00-

01:02 sec.

In front of the “Deliplein” after the war they built many warehouses which made the district of katendrecht

the heart of the shipping industry. 01:02 – 01:24 sec.

Today these warehouses are still there but are mostly used for other occasions. Like for example the latest

exposition of the “ Raw art Fair” organization. This fair exhibits some paintings and other art works from

designers from all over the world. 01:24- 01:30 sec.

Katendrecht Today

In the current view of katendrecht you can find many places and activities which are the opposite of the

earlier mentioned

ones. Now days it is

a very architectural

and artistic area.

There are a lot of

tourist attractions.

There are also some

institutions were one

can follow some very

intellectual

workshops like

cooking and sewing.

A very busy visited restaurant is the “ Matroos en het meisje” The sailor and the girl. Every day of the week

they have a full reservation list. 01:30- 01:35 sec.

Another important attraction of the district but also of Rotterdam as a city is the Cruise ship The SS

Rotterdam. It is situated right at the end of the peninsula.

The Rotterdam is one of the most famous Dutch post-

war ships in the service of the Holland America Line. It

between 1959 and the end of 2000 it was a

transatlantic liner and very successful cruise. Since

August 4, 2008 the ship stays for several years at the

“Katendrechtsehoofd, the head point of katendrecht”

as a floating multipurpose center. 01:35-02:01 sec.

Another fantastic attraction is the “Splash” bus tour. First the bus will ride along al the famous tourist

attractions in Rotterdam like the “Erasmusbrug” and the “Euromast”. Then the bus drives to Katendrecht

were it makes an impressive splash into the water were the bus transforms into a boat. 02:01-02:18 sec.

2001: 3,8 2002: 4,9 2003: 5,5 2004: 6,0 2005: 6,3 2006: 5,7 2007: 7,1 2008: 7,1 2009: 7,6

Other information;

Due to the fact that Katendrecht was known for its many sailor pubs in the

past it also kept its negative image for the next couple of years after. Since

the last 5 years the town council invested a lot of money into the district which

also led to people wanting to live again in Katendrecht. The safety index score

rose from a 3,8 in 2001 to a 7 6 in 2009. Where Katendrecht was one of the

worst districts it now is one of the most save districts. 02:18- 02:35 sec.

In a particular part of the district people could buy a certain piece of the ground and were they could build

and create their architectural dreams. 02:35- 02:52 sec.

The latest project completed in the district is a new

made bridge which connects the district to the

neighboring peninsula the Wilhelminakade.

The slender shape is inspired by the cranes of the

former port. The 160 meter long bridge has a movable

part of 25 meters wide. The bridge is open for (motor)

cyclists and foot passengers. The widest point of the

bridge is 11 meters.

Officially called the bridge Rijnhavenbrug but

popularly now called the “Whore Walker”, named

after the former red light district in Katendrecht.

Katendrecht is now really a rising district. Many new

housing, the SS Rotterdam, new cafes and

restaurants and by the arrival of the Rijnhavenbrug

even more accessible. 02:52- 03:11 sec.