Slotervaart is a district of the municipality Amsterdam and counts about 45.000 inhabitants covering a surface of 11.14 km². Originally it was called Slotervaart/Overtoomse Veld since 1990, but in October 2003 it was decided to modify the name into Slotervaart. On April 1st, 2004 the governing board of the central city agreed on the modification.

Areas in the Slotervaart district:

• Sloterparkwijk
• Nieuw Sloten
• Delflandkwartier
• Sloterpoort
• Staalmanplein

The Slotervaart district is named after the waterway, which connected Sloten with the Overtoomse sluis (Overtoom Lock) since the middle ages. Nowadays the water running along the Heemstedestraat/Plesmanlaan carries the name.

The main function of Slotervaart, just like its predecessor, is the water housekeeping. Currently the redundant water of the Western Horticulture Cities is deduced by the waterway to the Aker pumping station, built in 1952. From there on it is forwarded to the ring canal of the Haarlemmermeerpolder, the sewer of the Hoogheemraadschap of Rijnland. In 1991 the Sloten windmill was constructed, which was responsible for the grinding in the former Sloterpolder.

Slotervaart is a green district, which offers a great deal of recreation and entertainment possibilities. The parks and nature help to keep Amsterdam’s climate as pleasant as possible. The greenness is perfect for those, who like to make a picnic, take the dog for a walk or just feed the ducks.

Slotervaart has a large diversity of houses, occupants and shop supplies. It is also known for its easy accessibility and free parking.

History

The first turn of the sod for the horticulture city Slotervaart was made in 1954. In October 1955, the first houses and flats could be taken into use. In the district exists a mixture of low, medium and high-build constructions, finished in the 1960s.

The streets of Slotervaart have been named after historians, water construction engineers and actors. In the years ninety an extension was added at the North side, in form of the district Oostoever (East bank). The streets over here have been derived from museums of the Netherlands and foreign countries. Before, the sewer water purification institution West could be found at this place.

To the North Slotervaart is limited by the Jan Evertsenstraat, to the South by the Sloterweg, to the East by the Ringspoorbaan and to the West by the Sloterpark and the Christoffel Plantijngracht.

The first tram line crossing the district was tram line 17, running from Surinam Square as an express tram via the Cornelis Lelylaan to Osdorp. In 1971, tram line 1 took over the route to Osdorp. After the opening of station Lelylaan at the Ringspoorbaan in 1986, tram line 17 returned and took over its old route in 1988.

In 1975 tram line 2 became extended from the Hoofddorpplein to the Louwesweg. In 1991 the extension to Nieuw Sloten was completed.