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Welcome to the ’burbs: Woluwe-Saint-Lambert

17:39 14/10/2013
In search of more greenery and open space, Laurence Couturier left the city behind and settled down in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert

Originally from Auderghem, 44-year-old Laurence Couturier moved to Saint-Gilles after she finished studying. She later found somewhere to live in Schaerbeek, but when she felt the itch to buy her own house, she wanted to move closer to her roots. “Via my grandmother’s hairdresser I got word of a house in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert,” she says. “I’ve been living there happily for the last eight years now, with my flat-coated retriever, Elmer.” Laurence works for a media sales company in the neighbouring commune of Woluwe-Saint-Etienne and can cycle to work. “That’s luxury,” she says. “I’m not a fan of cars and traffic.”

Woluwe-Saint-Lambert has quite a few hotspots. “Cook & Book (1 Place du Temps Libre) was recently voted by [New-York based global culture website] Flavorwire as one of the twenty most beautiful bookshops in the world,” Laurence says. The impressive shop has nine departments, ranging from children’s literature to cookery books. “Cook & Book has two restaurants inside as well, and a big sunny terrace. They often collaborate with cultural centre Wolubilis, which is just next door, for events.” The big Woluwe shopping mall is nearby, and has more than 130 shops, mainly chain stores such as Habitat, Zara and Esprit, all under one roof. Foodies will know that the neighbourhood
is also home to Rob’s Gourmet Market (28 Boulevard de la Woluwe), which definitely wins the title for the most upmarket food hall in Brussels. “I go there often but try to buy only those items I can’t find anywhere else, such as fresh exotic herbs or Japanese cooking ingredients,” Laurence says. “Loading up a full shopping trolley would simply be too expensive.” Another prestigious shop can be found near Roodebeek metro station. Car showroom Vanderveken (15-17 Chaussée de Roodebeek) sells, rents and repairs Aston Martins, Rolls-Royces and other classic cars.

While some of us can only dream of riding fancy cars through the leafy streets of Woluwe, there’s nothing stopping us from discovering the greenery from a bike or on foot. “I love the Promenade de la Woluwe, a walk through the countryside along the Woluwe, a side river of the river Senne,” Laurence explains. “Parc Malou is a pretty green patch too, with a castle in the middle, used for cultural activities.” There’s an old mill near the park as well, the stunning setting for French restaurant Le Moulin de Lindekemale (6 Avenue de Jef-François Debecker). “If my dog Elmer could choose, though, he’d spend his days with the other dogs playing at Parc du Woluwe, along Avenue de Tervuren,” Laurence says with a laugh. For more scenic views, try the Lenneke Mare chapel (37 Rue de la Chapelle). According to local legend, Lenneke Mare, a 13th-century farm girl, was buried alive after she declined the courtship of a nobleman.
There’s a yearly walk and mass to commemorate Lenneke, now a local saint. “If you like old churches, I recommend the church of Saint-Lambert (1 Place du Sacré Coeur),” Laurence says. “Parts of it date back to the twelfth century.”

From the square in front of the church, it’s only a short walk to another of Laurence’s favourite spots. “A Livre Ouvert (116 Rue Saint-Lambert) is a French bookstore where I can browse for hours,” she says. “The Square Saint-Lambert is quite nice too, with a market on Saturday morning and several nice bars. Les Brasseries du Sud (36 Rue Saint-Lambert) has a nice terrace and the food at L’Alliance Café (28 Rue Voot) is meant to be nice.” And if you’ve got a sweet tooth, pop in to Fancy Cake (16 Place Saint-Lambert) for cupcakes and lots of other treats. The shop also sells supplies and organises workshops to bake, decorate and ice like a pro. Work off your extra calories with a walk to sports complex Poseidon (4 Avenue des Vaillants), home to Brussels’ only permanent ice rink, or go for a swim in their pool.

Essential information

Houses

A mix of detached, semi-detached and terraced houses, mostly with gardens. The area
has a lot of new-builds as well. Buying property costs about €2,400 per square metre, while renting a two-bedroom apartment costs around €850 a month

Transport

Get off at Roodebeek on metro line 1, or on STIB bus 45. De Lijn buses 359 and 659 also serve the area

Meet the neighbours

A mix of Belgian families and EU workers with their children. These days, you will hear as
much English spoken in the streets as you will Portuguese, Spanish and Polish

In & around Chaussée de Roodebeek

Cook & Book

Recently named one of the world’s most beautiful bookshops. 1 Place du Temps Libre

Château Malou

Neo-classical 18th-century building within Parc Malou, currently used as a cultural centre

Vanderveken

Classic car showroom set over 1,500m². 15-17 Chaussée de Roodebeek

A Livre ouvert

Popular French-language bookstore with a selection of English books. 116 Rue Saint-
Lambert

Lenneke mare chapel

Home to a local legend. 37 Rue de la Chapelle

Laurence says: “Unlike in some of the other areas I’ve lived in, there isn’t much interaction with the neighbours in Woluwe. Luckily, I meet a lot of people when I take my dog for walks. Having a metro line in the area is definitely a big plus too, as it connects residents to the city centre in no time.”

Photos by Ottomura

Written by Katrien Lindemans