Small city, big heart - my hometown: Amsterdam

saarisweg
Aug 6, 1987
5 min read

If people are a reflection of their surroundings, I wonder what 26 years of living here shows on me. The place I grew up, where the people I love are, it's beautiful canals and little streets, green parks for barbeques and small dark cafe's for late night catching up, the antique zoo, our beloved museums, the sound of trams racing tourists around, riding my bike home in the early morning after a party. Amsterdam, where I can still get lost but meet people from my past everywhere, so many memories all packed up in this little city, my hometown :)

Because I don't want to overwhelm you with all these memories and stories of adventures in my past but think that you should go to Amsterdam yourself and make your own, here are some lists of my favourite things in the city as inspiration.

Bars

de Balie - Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10 This one is actually a bit unfair, because the biggest reason that I spend so much time here is the people who work here. It all started when one of my best friends started working behind the bar and got a little bit out of hand, but they have decent food, ocasional parties, a nice terrace, show good movies, host political debates and serve just the right amount of beer and vodka.
Noorderlicht - NDSM Plein 102 North of the water by central station lies a beautiful old industrial harbour that has been host to various creative companies that have settled here over the last ten years. One of them is this bar in a greenhouse by the water, that serves great biological food and drinks with a splendid waterside view.
de Biertuin - Linnaeusstraat 29 Opened only a couple of years ago and already a neighborhood favorite. This cosy cafe and restaurant with a huge (heated in winter, sunny in summer) patio has more than 15 different kinds of beer on tap and another 40 by the bottle. Some local, some Belgian, all special. Also famous for their grilled chicken with fries!
Hannekes Boom - Dijksgracht 4 A five minute walk from central station you can find Hanneke's Boom, a bohemian beach bar built and decorated with second hand items and with a great view on the centre from a unique side.

Shops

Things I Like Things I Love - Jan Evertsenstraat 106 If I ever open a shop (and I really hope so), it will probably look a lot like this (but with coffee and cookies). Cool lifestyle store with 2 shops in Amsterdam, 1 in Arnhem and a webshop. Vintage clothes, home decorations, accessoires, this place makes you want to just buy all of it.
The Otherist - Leliegracht 6 This shop is a bit like my house (before it all went into a storage unit): full of odd things. A real cabinet of curiosities filled with handmade, one-of-a-kind and difficult to find merchandise from all over the world. They seek for the exceptional, memorable and unconventional, and in my humble opinion definitely succeed.
The Book Exchange - Kloveniersburgwal 58 Best second hand bookstore ever! In this old canal-house filled with ceiling-high bookcases you can broaden your library which they think should be 'a prompt for those places to which your intellect and imagination want to roam'.

Places to eat

het Stuivertje - Hazenstraat 58 Cute little place, delicious food, brilliant service. Just go, you won't regret it!
Cafe de Curtis - Tweede Anjeliersdwarsstraat 6 Just an authentic Italian restaurant with a minimalistic interior and delicious food. It's cozy and unpretentious, long and narrow built around an open kitchen, menu written on a chalk-board and run by two flirty Italians.

Things to check out

Artis Zoo - Plantage Kerklaan 38-40 Artis is a mixture of a large zoo and well appointed gardens. Many of the older sections of the zoo have been updated and more work to improve the facilities is being undertaken. Growing up I used to have a year-pass so my parents would take my brother and me there all the time, running around to see our favourite animals being fed. Also a good place for a date :) Oh and their mascotte "Artisdepartis" is awesome!
Magere brug - Kerkstraat This "Skinny Bridge" is over the river Amstel and connects the banks of at Kerkstraat between Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. Famous for it's lights. I recommend sitting on it with your feet dangling above the water, looking at all the boats passing underneath> Bring something to drink.
Entrepotdok - The entrance-gate is already worth a visit, built by Napeleon’s brother who governed The Netherlands for a few years. Behind the gate the large trade sail ships were docking and the products were stored for a while in large tall warehouses, which are now mostly appartments and small businesses. The nice old houseboats and view of the zoo make this a nice place for a stroll or picknick.

Parks

Vondelpark Undeniably Amsterdam's favorite park. With its proximity to the center of the city, it is a favorite spot for locals and tourists to go when the weather is decent. Bring a frisbee, bottle of wine and barbecue!
Amsterdamse Bos - Bosbaanweg 5 Three times larger than New York's Central Park, this 'forest' covers 1,000 hectares, was conceived and designed in the 1920s in the English landscape style and offers heaps of nice activities like music festivals, theater, boats for rent, playgrounds and a goat farm.
Westerpark Used to be the property of the coal-fired gas power plant, in the 1990s squatters and artists moved in, followed by the city of Amsterdam who decided to clean up the pollution and make a lovely park on the property, and they did an amazing job!

Markets

Noordermarkt - Noordermarkt Every Saturday, this corner at the foot of the Noorderkerk along the Prinsengracht turns into a little party. Normal groceries, vintage clothing and antiques, a colorful and lively place with something for everyone.
Albert Kuyp - Albert Cuypstraat With 260 stands the biggest market of the country: fresh fish, cheese, veggies, cheap clothes, syrup waffles, fabric, flowers and typical Amsterdam atmosphere. Most locals come here at least once a week but it's also a big tourist attraction.
IJ-hallen fleamarket - T.T. Neveritaweg 15 One of my favourite things to do, ever since I was a little kid, is stroll around this monthly indoor market, which is by the way the biggest of Europe! You can find basically anything: antiques, shoes, toys, kitchen supplies, used clothing, hidden treasure and tons of random junk.
Pure Markt - various parks around the city Delicious food and drinks at this weekend market that promotes tasty and sustainable edibles, including a variety of international dishes. A relaxed foodie festival with homemade goodies to picknick with or take home for later.

Museums

Tropenmuseum - Linnaeusstraat 2 Fascinating ethnological museum with an extensive collection and lots of video, interaction and artefacts. Travel the world from inside this beautiful building.
Nemo - Oosterdok 2 An awesome 'science centre' that's actually for kids but will entertain all ages with interactive installations on scientific and technological topics. This architectural masterpiece was designed by Renzo Piano and also has a great roof terrace.
FOAM - Keizersgracht 609 This small photography-gallery hosts regularly rotating exhibitions by world-famous and up and coming photography, video- and multimedia artists.