10 places in Amsterdam where Amsterdammers themselves go
We present to your attention a series of guides that will come in handy if you come to the city for the first time or, conversely, you know everything about it. In this issue - Amsterdam through the eyes of its inhabitants.
(Total 24 photos)
Squat OT301
1. 15 years ago, squatters took over the building of the local film academy. True, nothing good came of it: those who managed to get out of there and improve their lives recall with horror the years spent in OT301.
2. In 2007, the building was "legalized": now it houses public spaces where master classes, film screenings and restless parties with crazy music and cheap beer take place.
3. At night, guards are on duty at the gate, who ask you not to make noise while you follow through the courtyard to the cherished squat. On the way back, they will wish you good night and even help you call a taxi if necessary.
Albert Cuypstraat Market
4. This food market is located in Pipe, one of the few areas in Amsterdam where the Dutch would really like to live.
5. Albert Cuypstraat has existed for 100 years: during this time, from a random cluster of shopkeepers, he managed to turn into a civilized shopping street. Behind the stalls lined up in a row of cafes of Surinamese, Arabic, Indonesian and other national cuisines.
6. In the evening, hundreds of gulls and herons flock to the remains of unsold goods (primarily fish) to fight for a piece of salmon, soar with it over the block and, without any idea of decency, dump it on gaping passers-by.
Houseboats Ijburg
7. The quarter in the east of Amsterdam consists of six artificial islands connected by bridges. It is worth turning off Ijburglaan and passing through the Kadegebouw building stretching for 200 meters (from the outside it looks like a solid wall, but from the inside it resembles a cruise ship) - and you will find yourself on the shore of a small reservoir. From here you can see the piers and the main attraction of the area - the so-called floating houses.
8. On the largest island - Haveneiland - there is the city beach of Blijburg. If you don’t want to wallow in the sand, you can limit yourself to exploring the fishing village and the promenade along Bert Haanstrakade – for the convenience of visitors, there is a large red bench here. You can get to Ijburg from Amsterdam Central station in 15 minutes by tram number 26.
NDSM Art Cluster
9. This part was attached to the city only in 1981, you can get to it with the help of free ferries that depart from the opposite side of Amsterdam Central (by the way, a cinema museum was built right opposite the station, and free screenings of Dutch films are periodically held here).
10. Board one of the ferries and sail to Amsterdam's largest art cluster, NDSM. In the old workshops and hangars of bankrupt shipyards, there are workshops of artists and craftsmen, and in the surrounding areas there are small cafes and bars.
11. You can walk around the territory of NDSM all day, even better - get to some festival. For example, twice a month on weekends, Europe's largest flea market IJ-Hallen is held here.
Wine shop Wynand Fockink
12. Freemasons gathered in a small shop founded in the 17th century, Churchill and Chagall used to come here. And all in order to taste the famous Dutch liqueur - jenever. You can buy a clay bottle of a strong drink in different places, but you need to feel the traditions of Dutch roaming in Wynand Fockink.
13. To drink, you will have to contrive: in no case should you touch a glass of jenever with your hands. Drink in small sips, leaning over the bar, or hold the glass in a bent elbow and thus bring it to your lips.
Westerpark
14. At the end of the 19th century, a gas storage facility and several industrial facilities were built in the West Park of Amsterdam.
15. Many years later, this territory has changed its original meaning - now restaurants, bars, jazz cafes and gastronomic markets have settled here, and the main techno festival of the Netherlands is still held in the former gas storage.
16.
Bimhuis Jazz Hall
17. Almost every day, musicians from all over the world perform on the stage of Bimhuis, the oldest jazz hall in Amsterdam. A few decades ago, the institution was located in a different place, so the architects had to keep the old planning scheme in the new building - so as not to lose the spirit of tradition. On Wednesdays, admission to the concerts is free. Musical evenings usually continue in the city center, but the locals know that it is better to go down to the pier, which overlooks the Zouthaven restaurant, or go to the terrace of the Mövenpick hotel right there, near the Beamhuis.
Brewery Brouwerij't IJ
18. One of the famous Amsterdam breweries is located in an old mill, which during its long life managed to be both a fortress tower and a bathhouse.
19. Since there are few attractions in the area, tourists rarely wander here. In the evenings, all the tables are occupied by locals, and in the parking lot you can hardly even attach a bicycle. The beer brewed at Brouwerij 't IJ, whose name is rather difficult to pronounce (brouwerij 't IJ), can be recognized by the ostrich depicted on the label. It will be cheaper to buy in a separate window - take a couple of bottles at once.
20. If you are lucky, you will also be able to try special seasonal offers with unusual flavors.
Amsterdam Public Library
21. One floor of the public library is given over to children's literature, a special section houses a selection of fresh periodicals, the upper floors are for films and video games, fiction and scientific literature, music recordings and sheet music. The books in the library are presented not only in Dutch, but also in French and English.
22. If you don’t want to sit at the same table with someone, you can sit in separate chairs. On the top floor of the building there is a cafe, from the terrace of which you can see the historical center of the city.
23. The quarter in which the library building is located was rebuilt several years ago. On the site of the buildings that belonged to the postal department, the Stedelijk Museum of Contemporary Art once temporarily huddled, and the best nightclub in the city, Club 11, was also located - a replica of the famous Berlin Berghain / Panorama Bar. It is better to start the tour from the opposite bank, then go past the NEMO Science Museum and go to the water along a small bridge.
Van Ness Cupcake
24.
A patisserie specializing in cupcakes occupies a small space next door to the famous "graffiti houses" and the Frankrijk ("France") squat, which takes its name from the local informal club. Nearly every day, Vanessa, the founder of the candy store, stands behind the counter, whose dreams of New York came true in such an interesting way. Probably the best cupcake here is Red Velvet. If you arrive a few minutes before closing, you can get a second one for free.