Old gasworks buildings converted into shops, eateries, bars, workshops, plus park & festivals.
Category Archives: Hip Guide to Amsterdam
Albert Cuyp Markt
Iconic street market since 1905 with lots of stands selling clothing, local foods, flowers & more.
This wonderful outdoor market stretches for about half a mile down the Albert Cuypstraat. Stalls sell everything from veggies, cheese and fish to cosmetics, clothes and bedding. Some of the best deals in Amsterdam can be found here. It can get very crowded on certain days and times.
The whole area including the Ferdinand Bolstraat and Ceintuurbaan has many interesting shops with good deals on furniture, computers, bagels, haircuts, and lots more!
Open Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday.
Beurs van Berlage
Formerly the Stock Exchange, now a performance hall and exhibition space of note for it’s Amsterdam School architecture, since it was designed by the style’s founder, Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856- 1934). Located right on the Damrak between Central Station and the Dam Square, you can’t miss it’s beautiful clock tower.
Waterlooplein Market
This big outdoor flea market is really a trip! Lots of clothes, crafts, art, electronics and miscellaneous junk. Some vendors are just cleaning out their attic, so there are bargains to be found.
The Flying Pig Hostels
The famous Flying Pig now has three hostels located downtown, near the Vondelpark and their newest beach hostel at Noordwijk aan Zee.
Hemp Hotel
This historic hippy hangout was an Amsterdam landmark, now permanently closed.
This groovy little hotel promotes hemp products with every conceiveable item made of hemp. Mila Jansen is well known for inventing the Pollinator which makes hashish out of leftover cannabis leaves. The Hotel has very reasonable rates which include a vegetarian breakfast. Prices range from 100-145 guilders per room. The Hemp Hotel is located in a quiet part of town.
The Hemple Temple Bar is located in the ground floor and has all sorts of hemp food and drinks for you to try. It’s open nights until early in the a.m.
Frederiksplein 15
Amsterdam
Phone: 625-4425
Manneken Pis Vlaamse Frites
This chain of Belgian Frites makes some good fresh “french fries”. There are many around town, usually on high traffic streets. There’s a good variety of sauces in addition to the standard mayonaise, ketchup and curry to accompany your potatoes. What all this has to do with a boy pissing is beyond me, but that is typical Dutch humor. Make sure you grab a little fork or you’ll get sticky fingers trying to pull those last frites out of the paper!
Oriental City
This very attractive multi-storied Chinese restaurant serves up some great Chinese and Indonesian food at reasonable prices. Good views over the Oudezides Voorburgwaal. Highly recommended is the Indonesian Rijstafel (Ricetable) with about a dozen dishes like curried beef, gado gado, chicken satay, fruit salad and a fabulous banana fritter for dessert. We’ve been coming here for years and the food is always consistent. Located only one block from the Dam Square.
Vakzuid
Permanently closed, a historical note.
In the former Olympic Stadium built circa 1928. Bar, restaurant and lounge are open afternoons and evenings. Cocktails and sushi with VJ’s in the bar Thursdays thru Sundays. Different scenes on other nights. Very relaxing place well worth the trip. Take the 6, 16 or 24 trams to the end of the line, and it’s a short walk from there.
Amsterdam
Phone: 020-570-8400
Bep
Once a hip little place on the club crawl, on the NZ Voorborgwal…long gone, historical note only.
Nieuwezijdes Voorburgwal 260
Amsterdam
Phone: 020-626-5649