"It was difficult to find something; we were very lucky to get this apartment."

Leah (21) and her sister Ruby (23) recently moved into their first rental apartment in De Smaragd in Almere. The siblings, who were still living at home, had been looking for an apartment in Amsterdam or Almere. "Living in Amsterdam is so expensive nowadays. We had actually stopped searching for a while, but then this opportunity in De Smaragd came up. It was ours if we agreed to pick up the keys the week after. This chance was too good to let slide."

"we are so close to everything"

The apartment complex De Smaragd is located right in the centre of town. The building stands out in Almere's skyline because of its orange colour. "It's really ideal. We’re so close to everything. If you need something from one of the shops, you go downstairs, and there are also a lot of small restaurants." Do the girls regret that they are not living in Amsterdam? "Amsterdam is more exciting of course, but you can find everything you need in Almere. And we’re so close to the station, from where it only takes twenty minutes to Amsterdam by train."

Finding an apartment with two bedrooms was difficult for the sisters. "Every apartment we could afford only had one bedroom. But this apartment has three! We don’t know yet what we’ll do with the third bedroom. It’s a champagne problem. We even have a bath tub. There is plenty of space in this apartment."

“There is plenty of space in this apartment."

"The first time we got here, we were impressed by the unique view. We have a corner apartment with windows everywhere, so we have 360-degree views. On one side, you see the water. On the other side, you see the town. It’s great to spend time here if the weather is beautiful! We could not have wished for anything more. We’d be hard pressed to name a better place to live in Almere."

"It’s not that long ago that we moved in, but when the first pieces of furniture arrived, we thought: Yes, this is where we want to be! It is a nice, spacious place where we can have family and friends over and where you feel comfortable after a day's work."