 Meir shopping street | |
 | |
| Namesake | From "meer" (lake) |
|---|---|
| Length | 700 m (2,300 ft) |
| Location | Antwerp |
| Postal code | 2000 |
| Nearest metro station | Meir |
| Coordinates | 51°13′5″N4°24′31″E / 51.21806°N 4.40861°E |
| West end | Meirbrug |
| East end | Teniersplaats |
Meir is the main shopping street in Antwerp, Belgium. It is the most important shopping area in the country, both by number of shoppers and by rent prices. [1] The street has been mostly pedestrianised since 1993 and is said to be the Belgian equivalent to New York's 5th Avenue.
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In the centre of Antwerp, Meir connects the Antwerp City Hall with the trains at Antwerp Central Station.
Between 2002 and 2004, it was the most expensive shopping street in the Benelux. Since the opening of the historic Stadsfeestzaal shopping centre in 2007, Meir regained that position. It has the highest rents of any street in Belgium, at 1,700 €/square metre/year. [2]
The name comes from the old Dutch word "meere" (lake). Meir used to be a so-called "wood lake" (houtmeer), where wood destined for use in furniture would be kept wet for a time. [3]
