The Northern Quarter is the central business district

Central business district

A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...

 of Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

, Belgium

Belgium

Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

. Similarly to the Zuidas

Zuidas

The Zuidas is a large, rapidly developing business district in the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The Zuidas is also known as the 'Financial Mile'. It lies between the Amstel river and the turnaround of the ringway A10. The greatest influences for the development of the Zuidas are La...

 in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

 or La Défense

La Défense

La Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...

 in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

, the Northern Quarter consists of a concentrated collection of high-rise buildings.

The Northern Quarter roughly covers the area between Willebroek Quay

Brussels-Scheldt Maritime Canal

The Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal, also named the Willebroek Canal, is a canal in Belgium linking Brussels with the river Scheldt. The canal was known as the Brussels-Rupel Maritime Canal, prior to the establishment of a direct link with the Scheldt in 1997.The canal is one of the oldest...

, railways along the Brussels-North railway station

Brussels-North railway station

Bruxelles-Nord / Brussel-Noord is one of the three major railway stations in Brussels; the other two are Brussels Central and Brussels South...

 and the north side of the small ring

Small ring (Brussels)

The Brussels small ring or inner ring road is a series of roadways in central Brussels, Belgium, surrounding the historic city centre. It was built on the site of the Second walls of Brussels, built in the 16th century, after they were torn down....

. The territory is thus split between the municipalities of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode

Saint-Josse-ten-Noode

Sint-Joost-ten-Node or Saint-Josse-ten-Noode is one of the nineteen municipalities located in the Brussels-Capital Region of Belgium....

, Schaerbeek and the City of Brussels.

The area is characterized by high-rise buildings, most around 100 meters tall. Over half of the 20 tallest buildings in Belgium are located in the Northern Quarter. The Northern Quarter has around 1,200,000 m² (13,000,000 sq ft) of office space occupied by 40,000 workers. It has an additional 8000 residents.

History

The creation of the business district was controversial. The demolition of a residential area to make room for a new business district was not universally appreciated. Over 15,000 residents were forced out. Shortly after the buildings were demolished, an economic crisis struck, leaving a gaping hole in the city. The area has since filled up with skyscrapers.

The first towers in the area date from the 1970s, including the World Trade Center

World Trade Center (Brussels)

The World Trade Center of Brussels, Belgium is a complex of skyscrapers at the corner of Albert II Boulevard and Simon Bolivar Boulevard in the Northern Quarter central business district of Brussels...

. Now that the area is an established business district, more and more companies in addition to federal and regional administrations have offices in the area.

After a lull in building in the nineties, projects began again in the 2000s. The 137 meter tall Dexia Tower

Dexia Tower

The Dexia Tower is a skyscraper located in the Northern Quarter central business district of Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Brussels, Belgium. It owes its name to its current tenant, the bank Dexia...

, finished in 2006, gave more character to the skyline. The Zenith Tower anchors the area on its northern end.

Brussels' red light district

Red Light District

Red Light District may refer to:* Red-light district - a neighborhood where prostitution is common* The Red Light District - the title of the 2004 album by rapper Ludacris* Red Light District Video - a pornography studio based in Los Angeles, California...

is just west of the financial district, and is also considered part of the Northern Quarter.