When Jelle (35) suffered a severe concussion two years ago and couldn&rsquo;t work, he asked himself: &ldquo;What truly makes me happy?&rdquo; Six months later, he started Kilo Kilo Vintage &ndash; a creative platform all about vintage fashion &ndash; with his business partner, Mustafa. They are now living their dream. &ldquo;Utrecht is a city full of creative people. You can feel it in the air and its addictive&rdquo;, says Jelle. 
The pandemic forced Jelle and Mustafa to focus, use their initiative and turn their situations around. During lockdown, a lot of vintage clothing became available &ndash; the core of the business.&nbsp;Jelle explains: &ldquo;Vintage clothes are for everyone irrespective of their scene, style or background. We didn&rsquo;t hesitate for a moment and tested the concept with some friends.&rdquo;&nbsp;Kilo Kilo was thus born with its unique formula: festival-style shopping. &ldquo;Both of us are avid festival goers where the focus is very much on the &lsquo;experience&rsquo;. Our starting point, therefore, was to create an original and inspiring space for shoppers that has the same festival vibe where anything&rsquo;s possible and nothing&rsquo;s ever too crazy.&rdquo;
<h3>Creativity</h3>
Utrecht inspires creativity. The city centre in particular is a great springboard for talent. In this spirit, Jelle and Mustafa handed over their shop window on Steenweg to Isabela Verhagen, a student from the University of the Arts Utrecht (HKU), whose display highlights the impact of fast fashion. &ldquo;We like to support up-and-coming artists by providing a place to showcase their work in the heart of the city.&rdquo;
<blockquote>&ldquo;Skateboarding is in our blood. And the clothes on those rails there &ndash; all profits will go to 30 Afghan families.&rdquo;</blockquote>
<h3>Charity projects</h3>
From doing no harm to doing some good &ndash; Kilo Kilo is also involved in charitable projects abroad. It works with the Concrete Jungle Foundation, which builds skate parks in developing countries. &ldquo;Skateboarding is in our blood. And the clothes on those rails there &ndash; all profits will go to 30 Afghan families&rdquo;, says Jelle. Kilo Kilo not only offers their shop window for young artists to display their work, but it is also a window into a better world. At the end of November 2022, Jelle collaborated with +confetti and organised an upcycling event at Kilo Kilo for visitors to make new products from old clothes. Jelle proudly says, &ldquo;All types of people got involved from mums and kids to creative talents!&rdquo; On January 20 Jelle and Mustafa opened their new Kilo Kilo Vintage Store on the Bakkerstraat in Utrecht. They hope to see you there!

Kilo Kilo Vintage

Jelle | Kilo Kilo Vintage

A bit of mischief eventually turned into an art form. Robert-Jan started doing graffiti when he was just 11 and is now behind the enterprise De Verfdokter (The Paint Doctor). His artwork has become part of Utrecht&rsquo;s cityscape.&nbsp;When still a child, Robert-Jan secretly experimented with spray paint in an alleyway behind his house in Overvecht, where he grew up. He explains: &ldquo;I was crazy about graffiti, but back then there were no mobiles to search for pieces. It felt a bit like a treasure hunt.&rdquo;
He cycled around the city with an analogue camera, hoping to spot some new graffiti. When he was a bit older, his elder brother let him tag along &ndash; the impulse to start creating his own murals.&nbsp;At first, Robert-Jan felt like he was being a bit rebellious and causing mischief in the neighbourhood. As he got older, however, he began to regard his art as a serious career option. The end result is De Verfdokter, something that&rsquo;s now quite a phenomenon in Utrecht.&nbsp;These days, Robert-Jan travels the length and breadth of the country creating commissioned murals and other artworks. But how did he come up with the name? &ldquo;Every parent wants their child to become a doctor. And funnily enough, that&rsquo;s exactly what I&rsquo;ve become!&rdquo;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-42676 size-articleImage" src="https://backend.ontdek-utrecht.nl/app/uploads/2021/08/IMG_2301-scaled-e1628776597396-770x452.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="452">
But it was not easy becoming a paint doctor. Robert-Jan worked part-time in a supermarket for 18 years and dedicated all his free time to his passion. His ultimate dream was to be able to make a living from his art. He says, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a privilege and a dream come true &ndash; amazing!&rdquo;&nbsp;Robert-Jan has been working as a full-time artist for four years and is now able to focus 100% on his profession.
Robert-Jan&rsquo;s local highlights
<blockquote>&ldquo;As street art is really booming in Utrecht, why not take the street art tour? It&rsquo;s not only fun, but it also shows what an important difference these wall paintings can make to a city. The murals created for the project &lsquo;De Strakke Hand&rsquo; are a must-see. They are all painted by hand &ndash; no spray paint in sight!&rdquo;</blockquote>
Robert-Jan also likes visiting the old fort, Fort Blauw Kapel, in Overvecht and enjoying the local countryside. You can check out all his tips below.

Robert-Jan Brink

Robert-Jan Utrecht’s paint doctor

Robert-Jan | Utrecht’s paint doctor

The Louis Hartlooper Complex (LHC) is a vibrant film and cultural centre located right in the heart of the city on the Ledig Erf. If you want to watch a film that really moves you, this is the place to be. Roos, film programmer and co-owner, carefully selects the most inspiring arthouse films. It&rsquo;s in her DNA. Her father is Jos Stelling, a celebrated Dutch film director and founder of Utrecht&rsquo;s three most prominent cinemas. &ldquo;Our aim is to show films that make you think and view life from a different perspective. Our films connect people &ndash; it&rsquo;s great to see the conversation continue in the lobby afterwards&rdquo;, says Roos. 
The drive to connect and inspire runs through her veins. Her father opened Springhaver, his first arthouse cinema, 40 years ago on the Springweg in Utrecht. This was followed 25 years later by LHC. In April 2022, his third cinema in the city opened its doors. Roos explains: &ldquo;By bringing film and food under one roof, my father wanted to help people connect and escape the isolation often experienced in busy cities. Our arthouse cinema complexes have become cultural meeting places, and I&rsquo;m really proud of that.&rdquo;&nbsp;The largest of the three cinemas, LHC is housed in a former police station, an ideal setting. A few years ago, Roos took on the role of film programmer at all three venues: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy to be back in Utrecht and taking up the reins at LHC and our family business.&rdquo;
Roos moved to Antwerp when she was a young girl. Sharing her father&rsquo;s passion for film, she eventually attended the film academy in Brussels: &ldquo;Once I moved back to Utrecht after being away for so long, it felt very natural to slowly start taking over the family business with my sister. I feel privileged to be able to apply my skills as a film programmer and continue my father&rsquo;s hard work.&rdquo;&nbsp;Each employee is a valued member of the business, and Roos can often be found selling tickets or even doing the washing up &ndash; she goes where she&rsquo;s needed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a welcoming place for both staff and visitors and that is reflected in the finishing touches. For instance, one of the first things we learned from our father was: always put up fresh flowers.&rdquo; Also unique to the cinemas are the famous &lsquo;explainers&rsquo; for the evening programme. These are passionate volunteers who &lsquo;explain&rsquo; intriguing facts about the film before it starts. You are guaranteed to leave the cinema with new perspectives on life.&nbsp;Find a comfortable seat in the bar area after the film and continue the conversation with a glass of fine organic wine in one hand and a delicious local, seasonal treat in the other. The menu at all three cinema complexes offers locally produced food and drinks, including delicious vegan options. &ldquo;We are conscious of the impact we have on people, not only the films we select but also the food and drink we serve. That&rsquo;s just who we are as a brand&rdquo;, says Roos.
<blockquote>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s so beautiful and clean here &ndash; it&rsquo;s like living on the set of a Disney film. If I had the choice to live anywhere on earth, Utrecht would always be at the top of the list.&rdquo;</blockquote>
&ldquo;Utrecht is where I feel most at home. The historic city centre feels more like a village but with all the benefits of city life&rdquo;, explains Roos with a smile. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s so beautiful and clean here &ndash; it&rsquo;s like living on the set of a Disney film. If I had the choice to live anywhere on earth, Utrecht would always be at the top of the list.&rdquo;&nbsp;Thanks to her family&rsquo;s vision, LHC has become a true phenomenon, and the Ledig Erf is now one of Utrecht&rsquo;s most vibrant places. Roos notes: &ldquo;When we first opened our doors 15 years ago, the locals got 100% behind the business, and the whole area picked up.&rdquo; Roos enjoys working with other local organisations to form closer connections, and LHC has joined forces with Catharijneconvent Museum to offer this fantastic <a href="https://www.hartlooper.nl/gospel-catherijneconvent-x-lhc/">special deal</a>.
And of course, Roos&rsquo;s film recommendations:
&ldquo;Triangle of Sadness and The Eight Mountains, showing from mid-December. Close is also a must-see &ndash; a truly beautiful film.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Roos

Film recommendations from film programmer Roos

Roos | Louis Hartlooper Complex

Born and bred in Utrecht, Viora and Joost met on Tinder in 2013. Since then, they have been inseparable and started the successful Instagram account Be More Unicorn together. They are a source of inspiration online and have written a bestselling travel book called Beter op Reis, and a sequel is in the pipeline.&nbsp;
Each month, they attract 100,000+ Dutch followers on Instagram, providing insights into daily life in Utrecht.&nbsp;You can read their inspiring story below and discover their favourite places in the city.&nbsp;Their positive vibe and enthusiasm inspire followers to log in each day and read a new story:&nbsp;&ldquo;Our followers are a spider on the wall of our lives.&rdquo;&nbsp;Viora and Joost emphasise that they aren&rsquo;t life coaches and have not written any self-help books. They just want to be as honest and open as possible about their everyday lives. And that includes the bad days too.
Viora started out with an online account promoting fitness and nutrition, which took on a new meaning when she became ill. She explains:&nbsp;&ldquo;I started sharing my experiences of being ill. My openness and honesty attracted interest, and the number of followers quickly increased.&rdquo;&nbsp;Once she had recovered in 2019, the couple packed their rucksacks and spent a year travelling the world.&nbsp;It was these stories that made their account Be More Unicorn grow exponentially.&nbsp;After returning home, people continued to follow this successful couple&rsquo;s &lsquo;journey through life&rsquo;.
<blockquote>&ldquo;Given everything we&rsquo;ve been through, we&rsquo;ve learned to take each day as it comes and try not to think too far ahead. We make the most of each day and are astounded that people are still raving about our work. That inspires us to carry on.&rdquo;</blockquote>
<h3>Viora and Joost&rsquo;s favourite places in Utrecht</h3>
&ldquo;After travelling to 16 countries, the pandemic forced us to rush back to the Netherlands. Now, we like to share all the wonderful things going on right here at home in Utrecht and the Netherlands. Corona gave us the opportunity to discover just how many exciting things there are to do locally. We&rsquo;re surprised each week by how much fun we have!&rdquo; And in September last year Viora and Joost welcomed their first child: Loa! They share their intimate moments with their daughter on Be More Unicorn.

Viora en Joost

Explore next door! 

Viora and Joost | Be More Unicorn

From the moment Anita came to Utrecht as a tourist for a two-day city trip, she immediately felt: &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll be back here&rdquo;. She was right about that, she has been living in Utrecht for 4 years now. Anita is originally from Hungary. She ended up in Utrecht because of a classic love story: she met someone, spent one week together and she decided to move to Utrecht.
At the moment, Anita is busy learning the Dutch language and is working on her own communication and content company. Her passion is art, you will often find Anita at all kinds of museums in Utrecht. She also spends her free time as a volunteer at BAK (basis voor actuele kunst). What Anita likes most about Utrecht is that it is the perfect combination of a small, quiet city where everything is available.
Her absolute favorite neighborhood is the beginning of the Oudegracht with the Twijnstraat and the Louis Hartlooper Complex. &ldquo;There are so many hidden alleys, small shops and beautiful houses. I find it romantic and mysterious&rdquo;!
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-articleImage wp-image-6879" src="https://backend.ontdek-utrecht.nl/app/uploads/2020/11/Anita-Nanasi_International-Expat_Local-story_Via-Femke_3-770x452.jpg" alt="Anita N&aacute;n&aacute;si_International Expat_Local story" width="770" height="452" srcset="https://backend.ontdek-utrecht.nl/app/uploads/2020/11/Anita-Nanasi_International-Expat_Local-story_Via-Femke_3-770x452.jpg 770w, https://backend.ontdek-utrecht.nl/app/uploads/2020/11/Anita-Nanasi_International-Expat_Local-story_Via-Femke_3-850x500.jpg 850w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px" />
Anita also likes to walk along the Singel, especially on the inside, where you can see the old bastillon houses. When she just moved to Utrecht, she wanted to discover all the bits and pieces of the city. During one of her walks along the Singel, she suddenly got an idea. To find out if the beautiful houses were museums, she rang the doorbell of one of the bastillion houses. Or actually, she pulled on the bell cord because there was no electric bell. During the ringing sound of the bell, an old, well-dressed man opened the door and Anita asked her question: &ldquo;Hello, my name is Anita N&aacute;n&aacute;si. I was wondering if this house is open to the public as a museum or monument and if I can see it&rdquo;. The man replied that it is a private residence. But that she could come in and he would like to give her a tour.
So Anita got to see one of the houses on the former city wall. The house itself was built against the city wall and over time expanded into a full-fledged home. The owner had old maps of the city wall in his entrance and pictures of the old house. The multi-storey garden has grown into a jungle with beautiful trees. So although it wasn&rsquo;t a museum, Anita felt like she was getting a private tour!

Anita Nánási

The Utrecht story of the Hungarian Anita Nánási

Luc Stolk, a young sustainably responsible entrepreneur, recycles old bicycle frames into cheerful, high-quality city bikes. His company <a href="https://www.lust-for-rust.com/">Lust For Rust</a> is inspired for and by the city of Utrecht. In this item we will find out who Luc is, what he does and what places he likes to visit.
About 5 years ago, Luc moved from neighbouring Nieuwegein to the vibrant city of Utrecht. When asked why, he immediately has an answer available. &ldquo;I have been visiting Utrecht from an early age. The city is very cosy, the people are kind, and it feels like people really care and look after each other&rdquo;. Luc feels completely at home in Utrecht and he is pretty convinced he will be staying here the rest of his life. &ldquo;Apart from what I already have accomplished here, this city just shows so many similarities with my personal values: solidarity, conviviality and development on a social and business level. &rdquo;
Luc&rsquo;s hotspots 
Like many of us, Luc is always in for a delicious bite. &ldquo;One of my favourite spots in Utrecht is restaurant FICO. Next to its beautiful location in the Veilinghaven, this restaurant serves amazing food. It may be a bit more expensive than your average bistro, but it&rsquo;s still affordable and worth every penny. &rdquo;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-articleImage wp-image-7806" src="https://backend.ontdek-utrecht.nl/app/uploads/2020/11/IMG_5544-770x452.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="452" srcset="https://backend.ontdek-utrecht.nl/app/uploads/2020/11/IMG_5544-770x452.jpg 770w, https://backend.ontdek-utrecht.nl/app/uploads/2020/11/IMG_5544-850x500.jpg 850w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px" />
Luc is convinced that Utrecht has even more to offer to its residents and visitors. &ldquo;The slogan of Lust for Rust is: from the city, for the city. I think more people can be meaningful for the city when getting their input and inspiration from the city. Utrecht is a city with many&nbsp; intelligent and enterprising people. I think we should work together more. &ldquo;

Luc Stolk

The Utrecht story of Luc Stolk

We all would like to spend the summer underneath the Greek sun. Great food, long and warm days, and a view on that beautiful blue coastline. Athina works as an information officer at the Utrecht Tourist Information Centre, located at Domplein. Therefore, it&rsquo;s safe to say she knows all the ins and outs of Utrecht.
Athina is originally from Greece and still misses her home country every day, despite finding Utrecht a fantastic place to live. Fortunately, it is possible to find a little bit of Greece authenticity back in the streets of Utrecht. In this story, she will illustrate the city&rsquo;s diversity.
Athina absolutely loves the buildings and architecture in Utrecht. You can even find some Greek architecture present in the streets of Utrecht. For example, at the Winkel van Sinkel, multiple caryatids (Greek female statues) can be admired in the facade. Furthermore, the City Hall on the City Hall Bridge has beautiful architectural features. And on the Springweg you can find a small Greek church, the Orthodox Parish of Utrecht.
End your Greek adventure at a real Greek restaurant. Utrecht has loads of Greek restaurants to choose from, such as restaurant Sirtaki. You can also find Dimitri Petit on the other side of the Servetstraat. Or visit restaurant Taverna with its beautiful location on the Oudegracht.

Athina Arampatzi

 Athina has Greek roots and loves Utrecht

Lia Reedijk founded the <a href="https://www.discover-utrecht.com/location/de-utrechtse-kinderboekwinkel/" data-type="location" data-uri="location/de-utrechtse-kinderboekwinkel" data-lang="en">Utrecht Children&rsquo;s Bookshop</a> on the Ganzenmarkt in 1981. In the meantime, she has sold the shop, but still enjoys working here as an employee. Furthermore, Lia is a volunteer in the <a href="http://www.domkerk.nl/en/welcome" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dom Church</a> and the accompanying Domshop. She lives near the Griftpark and therefore knows the city like the back of her hand.
&ldquo;We recently had dinner with the family at Op Roose on the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal. We sat outside so beautifully at the foot of the Prince Claus Bridge and watched the sun set,&rdquo; says Lia.
In addition to restaurants, cycling is one of Lia&rsquo;s favourite activities. &ldquo;Utrecht is situated perfectly, right in the middle of the country, surrounded by all kinds of beautiful routes. For example, the cycle path from Tienhoven to Hilversum is a lot of fun and we also cycle regularly via Rhijnauwen towards Zeist. Utrecht is in a top location in that respect &rdquo;, she says.
Finally, she can of course also recommend a visit to the Dom Church. &ldquo;The church has several volunteers walking around who can tell you the most beautiful stories. We also sell lovely items and books in the Domshop, such as children&rsquo;s Bibles.&rdquo; As you can see, &nbsp;there is no shortage of activities for Lia. She loves to live in Utrecht and enjoys it full heartedly.

Lia Reedijk

Lia Reedijk, founder of the Utrecht children's bookshop

When in Utrecht, do as Utrechters do! Let the inhabitants of this beautiful city inspire you with their tips and stories. Eat where they eat, explore the charming little streets where they shop or treat yourself to local specialities. Live like a native and make your Utrecht experience truly unique.

Zoeksuggesties

Discover the
city of the locals

Kilo Kilo Vintage

Robert-Jan Utrecht’s paint doctor

Film recommendations from film programmer Roos

Explore next door!

The Utrecht story of the Hungarian Anita Nánási

The Utrecht story of Luc Stolk

Dis­co­ver the ci­ty of the lo­cals

Kilo Kilo Vintage

Robert-Jan Utrecht’s paint doctor

Film recommendations from film programmer Roos

Explore next door!

The Utrecht story of the Hungarian Anita Nánási

The Utrecht story of Luc Stolk

Discover the
city of the locals