P.C. Hooftstraat

The P.C. Hooftstraat is a shopping street in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 1876 it was named after Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft (1581–1647), a Dutch historian, poet and playwright. The street is located in the stadsdeel Amsterdam Oud-Zuid and runs from the Stadhouderskade to the Vondelpark. It is crossed by the Hobbemastraat and the Van Baerlestraat.

P.C. Hooftstraat
P.C. Hooftstraat in 2009
NamesakePieter Corneliszoon Hooft
LocationAmsterdam, Netherlands
Coordinates52°21′34″N 4°52′41″E
FromStadhouderskade
Major
junctions		Hobbemastraat
Van Baerlestraat
ToVondelpark
Portrait of Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft

In 1883 a horsecar-service started in this street to connect the Dam with the Willemsparkweg, one of the new upper-class neighbourhoods in Amsterdam-Zuid. In 1903 this horsecar was replaced by the new electric tramway line 2. A year later another tramway, line 3, also had the street in its route. This tramway was in existence until tracks were added on the Vondelbrug and both lines were switched to use the shorter route.

In the last decade the P.C. Hooftstraat has developed to become one of the most expensive shopping streets in the Netherlands. Several Dutch and international and exclusive brands have stores here. The following stores are in the street:

Apartments here are among the most expensive in the city.

Trivia
  • A derogatory term for Sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in Dutch is "PC-Hoofttractor" because these can often be found in the street.
  • On 9 March 2006 the first Glamour Stiletto run was held in the P.C. Hooftstraat, which is a 75m run on stiletto heels (which must be at least 7 cm (3 in) high). The prize, a 10,000 euro shopping spree in the P.C. Hooftstraat, was won by Nancy Karels.
  • In 2008 the P.C. Catwalk Event was held in the P.C. Hooftstraat, with a spectacular 320m long runway.
  • There used to be a KRO TV show about the Oud-Zuid area of Amsterdam, in particular the P.C. Hooftstraat. The show was called "Bij ons in de PC" ("In our P.C.") and was presented by Jort Kelder.
  • Though the name "P.C. Hooftstraat" is often associated with the P.C. Hooftstraat in Amsterdam, many other places in the Netherlands have a P.C. Hooftstraat, including: Utrecht, Breda, Oss, Nijverdal, Putten, Heemskerk, Hof van Twente, Hengelo, Gemert, Haarlem, Sliedrecht, Papendrecht, Tilburg, Zwijndrecht, Zwolle, Leeuwarden en Vlissingen. Most of these streets are more residential than the one in Amsterdam.

References
  1. (in Dutch) Bregje Lampe, "'Met Dior in de PC Hooft heeft Amsterdam er een stukje Parijs bij'", de Volkskrant, 2014. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
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