Dummies from my neighborhood, Haarlemmerstraat, Leiden, Netherlands
In the evening, on 7 December, attracted by rich -decorated store windows, I took the camera and recorded moments before Christmas and New Year’s Eve Holidays in Leiden’s central shopping area
The Haarlemmerstraat is the most important shopping street in Leiden with many large retail chains . The street is located in the center of Leiden in the De Camp and Maredorp neighborhoods and is more than 1 kilometer long.
The name refers to the old road that runs from the currently demolished Haarlemmerpoort (near the current Museum of Ethnology ) via the disappeared villages of Poel and Vijfhuizen (at the roundabout where Geversstraat now connects to Rhijngeesterstraatweg) over the dry beach wall via the old village of Oegstgeest (at the Groene Kerkje) and Sassenheim eventually walked to Haarlem . The Haarlemmerstraat was also part of the most important east-west connection over the northern, low dyke along the Rhine . In Leiden, the street follows downstream (east-west) after the Lage Rijndijk and the Haven. After the Haarlemmerstraat the Morsstraat , Morsweg and Hoge Morsweg follow. The Breestraat , the second shopping street, is its counterpart across the southern Hoge Rijndijk .
Until 1764, at the western end of the street there was the Blauwe Poort, the name giver of the current Blauwpoortsbrug , which forms the connection with the Morsstraat, which runs in line, and Steenstraat , which runs towards the station . At the ends of Morsstraat and Haarlemmerstraat are the two remaining city gates of Leiden: on the west side the Morspoort , on the east side the Zijlpoort .
From 1924 to 1961 the Yellow Tram (Leiden – Wassenaar – The Hague) ran through this street along its entire length and had its end point at Havenplein. Until the closure in 1934 the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Ascension Church (nicknamed “Mon Père”) stood on this street.
