P.C. Hooftstraat

P.C. Hooftstraat is a high-end shopping street in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Built alongside the construction of nearby Vondel Park, it was named after Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft (1581–1647), a Dutch historian, poet and playwright, in 1876. The street is located in stadsdeel Amsterdam Oud-Zuid and runs from Stadhouderskade to Vondel Park. It is intersected by Hobbemastraat and Van Baerlestraat.

P.C. Hooftstraat

P.C. Hooftstraat in 2009
Namesake	Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft
Location	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Coordinates	52°21′34″N 4°52′41″E / 52.35944°N 4.87806°E / 52.35944; 4.87806
From	Stadhouderskade
Major junctions	Hobbemastraat Van Baerlestraat
To	Vondelpark

In 1883, a horsecar service started in this street to connect Dam square with Willemsparkweg, one of the then-new neighbourhoods for the well-heeled in Amsterdam-Zuid. In 1903 the horsecar service was replaced by new electric tramway line 2. One year later, another tramway, line 3, also included the street in its route. This tramway existed until tracks were added on Vondel Bridge and both lines switched to use the shorter route.

In the past two decades, P.C. Hooftstraat has transformed into the leading upscale shopping street in the Netherlands, putting the Dutch capital firmly on the map as a luxury shopping destination along the way. The number of luxury brands has seen an accelerated growth, and to such an extent, that Amsterdam has surpassed the retail arenas of Antwerp and Brussels, which have longtime been the leading luxury shopping destinations in the Benelux region.