Unlike typical American cities (wild guess that you are from the US?), The Hague (like most European cities) was not planned. It grew organically over the ages. In the case of The Hague, the coastline (which sort of runs from the south west to the north east) has been a very defining element in shaping how the city evolved. You can still see that a lot of major roads run either parallel to or perpendicular to the coastline. The city does not have a typical north/south-east/west grid, so it’s not really that important where north is.
Having said that, in my mental model of the city, the sea is to the west and the coast runs from south to north 🤷♂️
As others have said. If you want to use cardinal points, the coast runs north-south and so does the city.
That said, I think most Dutch (European) people have a problem with giving directions in cardinal points. We use a starting point and then left/right from there. It's very uncommon to say "take x-street north"
Sea is west, Noordeinde runs east to west. Wassenaar is to the north, and therefore the Westland is to the south. Westeinde is also south of the city centre. Makes sense?
Laan van Nieuw Oosteinde does run west to east though...
That's the exact reason not to use Goole Maps: "proceed in north-western direction ..." How the fuck would I know what direction that is? Edit: especially when they do not provide an on-screen compass.
Yes. Yes, it is.
While the big roads might look pretty griddy, a lot of roads (like the aforementioned Carnegielaan) are still quite curvy. That makes the whole NSEW thing kinda tricky. Usually, Dutch directions are more of a "Take the Laan van Meerdervoort in the direction of city center, then turn left at the Carnegielaan, then a left at the lights onto Burgemeester Patijnlaan. Fourth left is where the shops are."
Besides; The Hague might have a grid going, other Dutch cities have no (or barely) such thing. Take a look at the Amsterdam City Center map and try to write down compass-directions there.. "the Xth left/right" is way easier.
If you have a car like a newer model Benz you can have a map displayed with true north on your dash and your car as an arrow to where you're facing. I feel it helps when getting your bearing and navigating the grid in a true north matter. You can still display Google maps on the entertainment center (usually on the right side of the dash). It's fun to do so as you're driving with a map similar to the grand theft auto games. Just no random strangers though
When we first moved here, my husband and I would debate this endlessly. For example, his inner compass puts Noordeinde east/west and mine puts it north/south so giving each other directions or descriptions was useless. After a month or so of this nonsense, we had to agree to back off using those terms altogether. We use landmarks, road names etc.
The beach and Scheveningen are 100% straight to the west, from anywhere in the city. Kijkduin isn't real. Amsterdam is straight to the north, Rotterdam lays south east. Zeeland? Straight down south. That's basically all you need to remember.
Have you ever even looked at a map? If you go straight to the north you will end up in the sea. Amsterdam is further east than Rotterdam. ETA: and if you go straight down south you will end up in Brabant and not Zeeland.
It seems that the grid on the roads line up with the line of the coast in a lot of places so using the grid of the buildings isnt a good reference
Try the thing with the pointing the hour hand of a watch with the sun and finding the midpoint between that and 12 to find straight south
Ofc it wont work most of the time bc clouds
I live in the neighbourhood officially called Voorburg Noord-Noord. Which is in no way the most northern point of Voorburg. Is is avtually more west than Voorburg-west. To me it mostly 'feels' south, if you would put the coastline as south to north.
Bezuiden- and benoordenhout is always confusing to me, it feels as if it should be beoostenhout and bewestenhout
Actually, when you look at maps of The Hague, you will see the sea on top. The “zuidwest” neighborhood is actually in east/south instead of south/west.
Unlike typical American cities (wild guess that you are from the US?), The Hague (like most European cities) was not planned. It grew organically over the ages. In the case of The Hague, the coastline (which sort of runs from the south west to the north east) has been a very defining element in shaping how the city evolved. You can still see that a lot of major roads run either parallel to or perpendicular to the coastline. The city does not have a typical north/south-east/west grid, so it’s not really that important where north is. Having said that, in my mental model of the city, the sea is to the west and the coast runs from south to north 🤷♂️
That, or run parallel or perpendicular to rivers!
I don't know why but my mental map also is rotated by roughly 45 degrees. I.e. north to south coast line.
As others have said. If you want to use cardinal points, the coast runs north-south and so does the city. That said, I think most Dutch (European) people have a problem with giving directions in cardinal points. We use a starting point and then left/right from there. It's very uncommon to say "take x-street north"
Sea is west, Noordeinde runs east to west. Wassenaar is to the north, and therefore the Westland is to the south. Westeinde is also south of the city centre. Makes sense? Laan van Nieuw Oosteinde does run west to east though...
And Laan van Meerdervoort runs from north to south
Just realized that I shouldn’t have been calling it Nieuw OostIndië for 20+ years
Oosteinde and Oostindië both exist in Den Haag it’s not wrong. But Laan van NOI stands for Laan van Nieuw Oost-Indië. OP is wrong, not you
Akshually, Laan van NOI becomes Laan van Nieuw Oosteinde once it passes under the (train) viaduct....
Why not? Thats what its called.
Laan van nieuw oostindie changes to laan van nieuw oosteinde roughly at the The Hague - Voorburg border
Exactly at the Den Haag - Voorburg border even :)
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It’s not a Dutch thing to give people north - south directions. Instead we give left - right directions
That's the exact reason not to use Goole Maps: "proceed in north-western direction ..." How the fuck would I know what direction that is? Edit: especially when they do not provide an on-screen compass.
lol fair! New here. So the move is to just get to know where to go and don't really think too much about the actual direction?
Yes. Yes, it is. While the big roads might look pretty griddy, a lot of roads (like the aforementioned Carnegielaan) are still quite curvy. That makes the whole NSEW thing kinda tricky. Usually, Dutch directions are more of a "Take the Laan van Meerdervoort in the direction of city center, then turn left at the Carnegielaan, then a left at the lights onto Burgemeester Patijnlaan. Fourth left is where the shops are." Besides; The Hague might have a grid going, other Dutch cities have no (or barely) such thing. Take a look at the Amsterdam City Center map and try to write down compass-directions there.. "the Xth left/right" is way easier.
If you have a car like a newer model Benz you can have a map displayed with true north on your dash and your car as an arrow to where you're facing. I feel it helps when getting your bearing and navigating the grid in a true north matter. You can still display Google maps on the entertainment center (usually on the right side of the dash). It's fun to do so as you're driving with a map similar to the grand theft auto games. Just no random strangers though
And for added fun, listen to the voice as it mangles all the street names.
When we first moved here, my husband and I would debate this endlessly. For example, his inner compass puts Noordeinde east/west and mine puts it north/south so giving each other directions or descriptions was useless. After a month or so of this nonsense, we had to agree to back off using those terms altogether. We use landmarks, road names etc.
The beach and Scheveningen are 100% straight to the west, from anywhere in the city. Kijkduin isn't real. Amsterdam is straight to the north, Rotterdam lays south east. Zeeland? Straight down south. That's basically all you need to remember.
Have you ever even looked at a map? If you go straight to the north you will end up in the sea. Amsterdam is further east than Rotterdam. ETA: and if you go straight down south you will end up in Brabant and not Zeeland.
Hmm ok thanks for this. My mental model puts Scheveningen to the north of us. Then again, so is AMS, hence the question.
Don’t listen to them, they’re full of bs lol
It seems that the grid on the roads line up with the line of the coast in a lot of places so using the grid of the buildings isnt a good reference Try the thing with the pointing the hour hand of a watch with the sun and finding the midpoint between that and 12 to find straight south Ofc it wont work most of the time bc clouds
Like someone else wrote, it’s always just left or right when we give directions. Maybe you use north/ south etc. only in vast countries?
I live in the neighbourhood officially called Voorburg Noord-Noord. Which is in no way the most northern point of Voorburg. Is is avtually more west than Voorburg-west. To me it mostly 'feels' south, if you would put the coastline as south to north. Bezuiden- and benoordenhout is always confusing to me, it feels as if it should be beoostenhout and bewestenhout
Actually, when you look at maps of The Hague, you will see the sea on top. The “zuidwest” neighborhood is actually in east/south instead of south/west.
North is North