Orientation
AMSTERDAM
The first step to getting a handle on Amsterdam’s geography is to understand its canals. The Singel wraps around the heart of the Centrum, which is made up from east to west of the Oude Zijd, Red Light District, and Nieuwe Zijd. Barely 1km in diameter, the Centrum’s skinny streets overflow with bars, brothels, clubs, and tourists—many of whom won’t leave this area during their whole stay in Amsterdam.
The next set of canals, running in concentric circles, are Herengracht, Keizergracht, and Prinsengracht (hint:“gracht” means “canal”, so if you’re looking for a “gracht” street and you don’t see water, you’re lost). These enclose a somewhat classier area filled with locals, tasty restaurants, and plenty of museums (some very worthwhile, others completely ridiculous). Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein, the twin hearts of Amsterdam’s and party scene, are also nestled here.
To the east of the canal ring are Jodenbuurt and Plantage, the city’s old Jewish quarter. Moving southwest you get to De Pijp, an artsy neighborhood filled with immigrants and hipsters, then Museumplein and Vondelpark, home to the city’s largest park and most important museums. Working back north to the west of the center you’ll find Oud-West and Westerpark,two largely residential neighborhoods that are experiencing a boom in popularity and culture. In between Westerpark and the canal ring is the reliably chic Jordaan. Finally, to the north, in between Jordaan and Centraal Station, lies Scheepvaartbuurt, the city’s old shipping quarter.
OUDE ZIJD
Many will delight in telling you that the Oude Zijd (“Old Side”) is in fact newer than the Nieuwe Zijd (“New Side”). That doesn’t really say much about the character of the neighborhood, which is sandwiched between the wild Red Light District and the more relaxed, local-dominated Jodenbuurt and feels like a balance between the two. A mini-kinda-Chinatown stretches along the northern part of Zeedijk, which spills into Nieuwmarkt, a lovely square dominated by a medieval ex-fortress. The bars and cafes lining Nieuwmarkt’s perimeter are popular places for tourists and locals to rub elbows over a beer. Farther south is Kloveniersburgwal, a canal lined with genteel 17th-century buildings (many now occupied by the University of Amsterdam). Fancier hotels and cafes start to replace the tourist-traps and faux-British pubs where the canal hits the Amstel.
RED LIGHT DISTRICT
Once defined by the sailors who frequented Amsterdam’s port, the Red Light District dates back to the 13th century, when business-savvy ladies began to capitalize on the crowds of sex-starved seamen. Today, the only sailors you’ll find are the fake ones in the gay porn and costume shops, but the sex industry still flourishes here. The neighborhood is remarkably well regulated and policed, but this is definitely no Disneyland (though the number of families sightseeing here might surprise you). The Oudezijds Achterburgwal, with its live sex shows and porn palaces, is the Red Light’s major artery. The streets perpendicular to this main thoroughfare are lined with girl-filled windows, stretching to Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Warmoesstraat. Some sex stores and theaters have set up camp on these western streets, but for the most part they provide bars for male tourists to get liquored up before venturing through one of the neon-lit doors.Those not looking for prostitution can still carouse in the Red Light District’s endless sea of bars and coffeeshops. You’ll also find an immense army of the infamous Dutch public urinals, as well as the type of traveler who feels comfortable using them. To see the hedonism at its peak, come ona Friday or Saturday night; for a less overwhelming visit, try strolling through on a weekday afternoon.
NIEUWE ZIJD
Older than the Oude Zijd (but home to a church that’s younger than the Oude Kerk, thus explaining the neighborhoods’ confusing name swap), the Nieuwe Zijd offers a mix of history, culture, and a whole lot of tourists. Damrak, its eastern edge, stretches from Centraal Station to Dam Square and then turns into Rokin. These are some of the busieststreets in the city, full of souvenir shops and shawarma stands; they’re best tackled on foot, as this is the one part of Amsterdam where bikes don’t rule the road. As you head west to Spuistraat, the streets become less crowded and more hip. Kalverstraat, one of the city’s prime shopping streets for centuries, is now home to department stores and international chains. The Nieuwe Zijd is tourist central, full of huge hostels and coffeeshops, and you’re much more likely to run into drug-ready backpackers and elderly tourists taking pictures than any locals.
SCHEEPVAARTBUURT
Scheepvaartbuurt, which would create quite a round on Wheel of Fortune, is Amsterdam’s old shipping quarter. It was traditionally a working-class neighborhood with a lot of immigrants and had a reputation as one of the rougher parts of the city. Nowadays, despite looking difficult to pronounce (it’s actually not that bad... it’s like “shape-fart-burt”), Scheepvaartbuurt is a pleasant area full of young people and largely devoid of tourists. Remnants of the neighborhood’s salty seadog past—like bronze propellers, anchors, and steering wheels—dot the sidewalks, and you can almost detect a faint whiff of the sea breeze that once blew ships to this shore. There aren’t any real sights, but it’s worth a visit for the local shops that line Haarlemmerplein, which becomes Haarlemmerdijk as you move east toward residential Westerpark.
CANAL RING WEST
The Canal Ring West lies around—spoiler alert—a ring of three canals: the Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht (helpful hint: they go in alphabetical order from the center of the city toward the west). It extends from Brouwersgracht in the north down to the Leidseplein. Chock-full of grand canal houses and quaint houseboats, the neighborhood provides a nice escape from the more crowded Nieuwe Zijd next door. Three major sights draw visitors: the Anne Frank House, Westerkerk, and the Homomonument. The Nine Streets, small lanes running from the Prinsengracht to the Singel, south of Raadhuisstraat, are packed withmore unique stores and vibrant cafes than we can fit in this guidebook.
CENTRAL CANAL RING
The Central Canal Ring tends to get overshadowed by its neighbors: Museumplein outshines its sights, Rembrandtplein and Leidseplein outdo its nightlife, and De Pijp offers a more exciting culinary scene. However, this neighborhood—the area from Leidsestraat to the Amstel, bordered on the north by the Singel and on the south by Weteringschans—enjoys the best parts of its surrounds without suffering their crowds, high prices, and soul- and cash-sucking tourist traps. Utrechtsestraat in particular offers lively cafes, restaurants, and stores, all frequented by a mix of locals and tourists, while the Golden Bend boasts some of Amsterdam’s most impressive architecture. Along the Southern border, Weteringplantsoen and Frederiksplein provide some small but pretty green spaces to stop and rest your feet.
LEIDSEPLEIN
The Leidseplein, an almost exclusively commercial rectangle south of the Central Canal Ring, has a polarizing effect on those who pass through it, inspiring either devotion or disapproval. It’s a busy, toristy part of town that lies in the area between the Nassaukade, Spiegelgracht, Prinsengracht, and Leidsegracht. During the day, the square is packed with street performers and promoters for pub crawls and other assorted evening entertainments. At night, the revelry continues in a bath of neon light and cheap beer. The few streets running through the Leidseplein’s interior are packed with ethnic restaurants, theaters, bars, and clubs. Among the sushi and salsa, there are also a number of very Dutch establishments to be found. Numerous transport connections, including the elusive night bus, make this neighborhood a convenient as well as fun part of town. There are no sights to speak of, though look out for the enigmatic inscription “Homo sapiens non urinat in ventum” (“A wise man does not piss into the wind”) on the pillars above Max Euweplein Square. While many Dutch will frown in pity if you spend much of your trip here, the best part about Leidseplein is that some of those frown-bearers will secretly be living it up here all weekend, too.
REMBRANDTPLEIN
For our purposes, the Rembrandtplein neighborhood comprises the square itself, plus the area stretching from Herengracht to the Amstel, and the part of Reguliersdwarstraat between Vijzelstraat and the Bloemenmarkt. Once upon a time (a.k.a. the late 17th century), the area now known as Rembrandtplein was home to Amsterdam’s butter market (Botermarkt). The construction of a few hotels in the 20th century brought tourists, and with the tourists came booze (and euro-trance). With a few noteworthy exceptions, food and accommodations in Rembrandtplein often cost more than they’re worth. The real reason to come here is the nightlife. Rembrandtplein’s bars and clubs are as popular and numerous as in the Leidseplein, but tend to be larger and more exclusive, with more locals and GLBT establishments. Europe’s largest LCD TV screen, located above Amsterdam’s largest club, Escape, lights up the square at night.From the middle of the square, a statue of Rembrandt van Rijn looks benevolently down at the madness. When you get tired of bar-hopping, take a rest in nearby Thorbeckeplein, a grassy stretch of trees, named for Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (1798-1872), known colloquially as the first prime minister ofthe Netherlands. “Thorbeckeplein” is also the name of a song written by the popular Dutch singer Robert Long about a bittersweet gay love affair.
JORDAAN
Once a staunchly working-class neighborhood, the Jordaan has been transformed into one of Amsterdam’s prettiest and most fashionable areas. It provides a nice escape from the overwhelming hordes of tourists in the Red Light District to its east and has more energy than the more residential Westerpark to the (what do you think?) west. Streets are narrow, canals are leafy, and gabled houses are clumped together in colorful rows. You won’t find any of Amsterdam’s most famous sights here (well, except for Electric Ladyland), but the Jordaan’s restaurants and cafes are not to be missed. Establishments in the northern part of the neighborhood are more often filled with locals, while tourists tend to wander over from Westermarkt into the area near Rozengracht.
WESTERPARK AND OUD-WEST
Westerpark is a residential neighborhood northeast of the main city center; its eponymous park is a serene stretch of green that makes for a pleasant break from the urban jungle. It has a loyal and vocal community—just don’t expect to hear any English—and is becoming increasingly popular among young people and artists, bringing ever-exciting cultural projects and nightlife to its streets. South of Westerpark lies the Oud-West, still dominated by locals but with a few large streets (Kinkerstraat and Overtoom in particular) full of small ethnic cafes and cheap chain stores that keep the area busy. The northern part of Oud-West is a little grungy, but the area farther south—north of Vondelpark, close to the Leidseplein—is probably the most tourist-friendly part of the neighborhood.
MUSEUMPLEIN AND VONDELPARK
Museumplein and Vondelpark lie just south of the main canal ring, close to the city center yet somewhat removed from its hectic nature. Vondelpark is a gorgeous green space with some fine hostels not far from the excitement of Leidseplein and the ethnic eateries of the Oud-West. Museumplein, meanwhile, feels distinctly different from the rest of the city, attracting older and more affluent tourists than the backpacker-swarmed areas to the north. P. C. Hooftstraat is lined with designer stores like Prada and Tiffany. But just because you’re young and on a budget doesn’t mean you should shy away. Museumplein is a large, grassy field lined with some of the best museums in the world—no visit to Amsterdam is complete without a trip to the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum. Most of the tourist-friendly action is sandwiched between Stadhouderskade to the north and Van Baerlestraat (which contains the Museumplein tram stop) to the south. Come here to get some space, culture, and class—three things that feel far away when you’re downing Heinekens with the masses in a hostel bar on Warmoesstraat.
DE PIJP
De Pijp (“duh pipe”) may lack history and sights, but it more than makes up for that with modern culture. A mix of immigrants, students, and artists creates a haven of excellent ethnic restaurants, fun cafes, and relatively inexpensive housing. Albert Cuypstraat hosts the city’s largest open-air market, along with a cluster of cafes, clothing stores, and cheap eats. Intersecting Albert Cuypstraat to the west is Ferdinard Bolstraat, which is home to a high concentration of restaurants and leads to the avoidable Heineken Experience. Still a little bit rough around the edges, De Pijp has all the charm of the Jordaan in a much younger and more urban environment.
JODENBUURT AND PLANTAGE
A high concentration of sights and museums is the real draw here, but don’t overlook the few excellent restaurants and small bars. The open space in these neighborhoods is a great antidote to the over-crowded city center. Jodenbuurt, centered around Waterlooplein, was historically the home of Amsterdam’s Jewish population. Plantage, home to wide streets and numerousparks, stretches around Jodenbuurt to the east. Most commercial establishments can be found on the streets near the Artis Zoo or near the Rembrandt House.