Spijkenisse's coat-of-arms is both old and new: old because it was born by the noble lords of Putten who ruled over the island in the Middle Ages, and new because it has only been Spijkenisse's municipal coat-of-arms since 1935.
Spijkenisse is frequently described as the educational centre of the region, mainly because of the town's many secondary schools, which offer a wide range of courses. Nevertheless, it is particularly in the field of health care that Spijkenisse may be described as the regional capital.
A terrace house in a convivial post-war neighborhood, a penthouse with breathtaking views over the river, a single-family dwelling on a peaceful estate or an old people's flat near the town centre: all these are to be found in Spijkenisse. The range of housing in the town has become more varied in recent years, and this trend is set to continue in the years to come.
There is a variance of entertainment facilities available in Spijkenisse. Next to the theatre and the cinema, various restaurants, cafés, bars, a large discotheque and a dance hall can be enjoyed. The range of entertainment facilities has been expanded considerably in recent years.
The subject of professional football has been raised in Spijkenisse, but the realization of such plans has proved to be an illusion. Nevertheless, the town has been attracting attention in different fields of sport for some years now. One of the town's four football clubs regularly plays in the top amateur league and there is a tennis club that has an excellent national reputation.
During the town's development phase, the main point was constructing large numbers of dwellings. Nowadays, the attention is focused on the quality of the residential and living environment. Maintaining and improving these items has a high priority for the municipality. These goals have to be reached particularly through radical renovation projects.
It is no coincidence that Spijkenisse is often described as a green town. Deliberate efforts were made to bring the countryside into the town, and these efforts have been successful. From the polders and parks around the town, 'fingers' of green run into the urban area and appear to hold the various parts of the town in their grasp. There has even been made room available for green in the densely populated town centre, in the form of the rustic Centre Park.
Lovers of art and culture are not likely to get bored quickly in Spijkenisse. Many shows are staged at the town's theatre 'De Stoep', ranging from cabaret to dance and from plays to music. Courses are also given at 'De Stoep', in dance, music, theatre, painting, drawing, design and audio-visual techniques.
Spijkenisse did not become a town in gradual stages; it was created over a short time span. After the Second World War, the village of barely 2,700 inhabitants experienced a rapid growth as a result of the expansion of Rotterdam's port into Spijkenisse's 'backyard'. Thousands of people who found work in the new dock areas were housed on the spacious new estates around the original village.