August 2, 2007
My Amsterdam city tips
Episode – second hand clothes – Waterlooplein 1 & Berenstraat 1 (9 straatjes). Hipster vintage stuff (leggings, 80’s frocks, etc.), middle price-range. They usually play fun music. Look here for opening hours.
Zipper – second hand clothes and ‘new’ brands– Nieuwe Hoogstraat 10 & Huidenstraat 7 (9 straatjes). Dresses, shoes, jeans (like Cheap Monday), middle price-range. Fun kitschy jewellery.
Hema – everything store – all over the city (for instance in the Kalverstraat). Everything and anything you might need, and cheap! Try the Hema-worst!! (smoked sausage) And look out for their Jip & Janneke stuff.
Latei – café & lunchroom – Zeedijk 143 (Centre). Nice small place near the Central Station for coffee, juice and apple-pie. And: you can buy almost everything you see, ranging from lamps to records to shoes.
Coffee Company – coffee and cakes – all over the city. This is the Dutch version of Starbucks, so pricey coffee. Try the one in the Doelenstraat (between Muntplein and Waterlooplein).
Bagels and Beans – coffee and bagels- all over the city. More low-key alternative to Coffee Company, and nice bagels! They have these bowls on every table with sugar but also pieces of candy and chocolate!.. Also, wireless internet in most places. Find more info here.
Febo – snackbar – all over the city (for instance, Leidsestraat or Nieuwedijk). Get patat met (fries with mayonaise) and kroket (battered and fried ragout) here. Or kaas soufflé (cheese soufflé) for the vegetarians. Cheap.
American Book Center – books and magazines – Spui 12 (just off the Kalverstraat). Just re-opened, American and English magazines and lots of good art and fashion books. (This is where I always get my Nylon and Jane, as it’s cheaper here than elsewhere.) Students get a 10% discount!
Wini – (mostly) second hand boutique – Haarlemmerstraat 29 (Centre). Nice little shop near the Central Station, reasonably-priced, nice dresses and shoes. The owner isn’t always in a good mood..
V&D - department store – Kalverstraat (among others). Their stuff is pretty boring usually, but they have a good café/restaurant (’La Place’)! (the one in the Kalvertoren, across from the main V&D, is smaller and less crowded). Try the yoghurt-shakes! (mmmmm).
Noordermarkt – market – end of Westerstraat, by the Prinsengracht (Centre). Really nice market, great cheap second hand clothes on Monday morning (until 13:00); biological market on Saturday. Part of the Noordermarkt-experience is having appeltaart (apple pie) and koffie verkeerd (caffe latte) at café Winkel on the corner (busy place!)
American Apparel – clothes – Westerstraat 59-61 (Centre). Only AA in Amsterdam, great place if you want to invest in some durable basics. Also great for guys!
The Movies – cinema – Haarlemmerdijk 161 (Centre, area of Central Station). Smaller, more ‘cozy’ alternative to the massive Pathe-cinemas, smaller films. And we (the Dutch) don’t dub-we subtitle, so also good for non-Dutch speakers. Nice art deco interior, also café/restaurant, program on http://www.themovies.nl
De taart van mijn tante – tea and pie/cakes – Ferdinand Bolstraat 10 (South-east of Leidseplein area). Not so cheap but nonetheless fun kitschy place to have something sweet.
De Slegte – bookshop – Kalverstraat 48-52. Big bookshop to browse, second hand and new books, both Dutch and English books, nice art books on first floor. You can sell your books here too, if you bring some I.D. (but you’ll get next to nothing in most cases..)
Foam – museum of photography – Keizersgracht 609 (near Muntplein/ Rembrandtplein). Not huge museum but worth the time nonetheless. Look for current exhibitions at http://www.foam.nl/
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