Every year Elsevier magazine produces a list of the top 50 places to live in the Netherlands, based on the local council’s performance, the facilities it offers, jobs, recreational opportunities, the ‘harmonious living climate’, tranquility, accessibility and nature.
Here is the 2013 top 10
Kasteel Rosendael in the best place in the Netherlands to live, so they say at Elsevier
1 Rozendaal, Gelderland
2 Naarden, Noord-Holland
3 Haren, Groningen (despite the Project X riots, we presume)
4 Blaricum, Nood-Holland
5 Heemstede, Noord-Holland
6 Laren, Noord-Holland
7 Bloemendaal, Noord Holland
8 Hattem, Gelderland
9 Voorschoten, Zuid-Holland
10 Muiden, Noord Holland
The complete list is a great geography lesson in places we’ve never heard of. Tynaarlo in Drenthe or Nederwetten in Noord-Brabant anyone?
Those of us who live in the big cities might like to know that Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague, Eindhoven and Maastricht do not feature in the top 50 at all but the expat’s favourite Amstelveen comes in in 13th place.
The Netherlands by numbers 
Yeah – that’s where the wealthiest people live – among them: the money grabbers, banksters etc ..
I live in one of those places, and I can assure one that it is NOT full of well-healed types! (I, for one, have a below-average income. BUT there is a lot of community spirit there and many events are organised throughout the year; maybe that is WHY my town got into the top 10! 🙂
Yah bloemendaal, nice place to live by
Velp. Just down the road from Rozendaal.
Utrecht not in top 50? I has a sad now 😦