Built alongside the construction of nearby Vondel Park, it was named after Pieter Corneliszoon Hooft (1581–1647), a Dutch historian, poet and playwright, in 1876.

The street is located in stadsdeel Amsterdam Oud-Zuid and runs from Stadhouderskade to Vondel Park.

In 1883, a horsecar service started in this street to connect Dam square with Willemsparkweg, one of the then-new neighbourhoods for the well-heeled in Amsterdam-Zuid.

This tramway existed until tracks were added on Vondel Bridge and both lines switched to use the shorter route.

The number of luxury brands has seen an accelerated growth, and to such an extent, that Amsterdam has surpassed the retail arenas of Antwerp and Brussels, which have longtime been the leading luxury shopping destinations in the Benelux region.