Pleasantly hooked on Antwerp: HOC Coliving, community and the city as a daily adventure

My cycle rides usually serve a practical purpose, but that’s really just an excuse. I like to engage all my senses whilst out and about. I look at building façades I’ve seen a hundred times before, yet suddenly discover something new in them. I pick up snippets of conversation, bump into people I know, see new things taking shape and feel how the city is constantly changing without letting go of its history.

Coffee is part of that daily ritual. I love popping into Koffie Dealers and Steamy, as well as Phil and Caffènation Zuid. The latter is a particularly lovely spot: the building alone tells a story, and as far as I’m concerned, their cortado is currently one of the best in Antwerp.

I’ve also recently discovered Habibis Coffee Club. It’s exactly the sort of place that reminds me why I love this city. Things can always be different: simpler, more surprising and sometimes even more authentic. New places don’t just change the streetscape; they also make you look at the city through different eyes for a moment.

After that, I often head to The Barn. I love its simplicity, its philosophy, the fantastic team and, of course, the taste of their products. They know every producer personally, visit them and even lend a hand wherever possible. You can really taste that commitment. Nothing feels anonymous or thoughtless: behind every product there is a person, a place and a story.

My love for Antwerp doesn’t end when I return home. At The King Square Mansion, I currently share the house with Aromal, Sruthi, Michaël, Julia, Yannick and Micha. I consider it a blessing to be able to live in our city in this way, alongside people of different ages, sexual orientations, backgrounds and professional fields.

For me, HOC Coliving is a unique and highly effective living arrangement. By sharing a home, we can afford a wonderful place in the heart of Antwerp — something that would be virtually impossible for a single person financially and, moreover, difficult to reconcile with the tight housing market. On top of that, there’s the open community, the reassuring ‘no extra bills’ principle and the inspiration that comes from sharing daily life with people from all over the world.

Perhaps that’s what I’m addicted to about Antwerp: the feeling that there’s always something new to discover. A new little coffee bar, a hidden façade, an unexpected encounter or a flatmate who gives you a different perspective on the world.

And then I hop back on my bike, right in the heart of the city and right in the middle of the HOC community — curious to see what Antwerp will show me again today.

How do you see Antwerp? Have you already met the baristas at my favourite little bars and experienced the atmosphere at The Barn, undoubtedly the most unique supermarket in our city? Let us know!

Patrick, a delighted tenant at HOC Living