The Amsterdam of the 'Amsterdammers'

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eambulating through the Jordaan (1) neighborhood and the western part of the canal ring, it seems impossible to be in the very center of a great European capital. With a bicycle and bell soundtrack and a backdrop of houses reflected in the water, no one would say that, less than a kilometer away, floods of tourists wander through the Red Light District while trams, cars, and pedestrians frantically intermingle in Dam Square. Here, the pace is calm: Amsterdammers shop in the design boutiques of the 9 straatjes (9 streets) (2) and, with their conquests already in hand, sit down to sip tea, coffee, or beer on one of the small corner terraces. On Saturday and Monday mornings, life concentrates in the Noordermarkt (3): a street market where you can buy organic zero-kilometer vegetables as easily as a vintage coat straight out of a spy movie.

A little further south, on Utrechtsestraat (4), musical treasure hunters spend hours at Concerto (5), a historic five-story record store where hours melt away rummaging through boxes of new and out-of-print CDs and vinyl.

For everything else, Amsterdam's place-to-be is the De Pijp (6) neighborhood. There, mornings are made for wandering through the Albert Cuyp Markt (7) market among stalls of flowers, cheeses, fresh food, and trinkets. The sweetest among them buy bags of stroopwafels –artisan caramel-filled waffles– and, around 12, queues begin to form around the fish stalls. Everyone wants to eat haring –raw herring served with onion and pickles on a frankfurter bun– or kibbeling –battered and fried fish pieces– and continue strolling. Browsing the accessory shops on Gerard Doustraat (8) or having coffee at trendy spots like Coffee & Coconuts (9) are always a good afternoon plan.

UNUSUAL PLACES FOR ORDINARY LIFE

There are cinemas in Amsterdam where the mere act of entering is already a cinematic experience. The Tuschinski (10) is the most extraordinary of them all: an art-deco madness built in 1921 where cinema is not only seen, it is breathed. The impressive lobby lined with tapestries and frescoes is just a taste of the sensory pleasure of sitting in its auditorium. In addition, every spring, its screen speaks Spanish during the Amsterdam Spanish Film Festival. The EYE (11) is the other side of the coin. Home to the film library and the national film archive, this cinema-museum emerges over the waters of the IJ river with its imposing architectural profile, white and dynamic, delighting both cinephiles and lovers of contemporary architecture.

In Amsterdam, the old tram depot is now the city's largest gastronomic market, the Foodhallen (12), with more than 20 street-food, wine and beer stalls. The old De Gooyer windmill also changed its function and stopped producing flour to become home to the craft brewery Brouwerij't IJ (13), a classic amsterdammer. At night, it's easy to end up at the Melkweg (14), an old milk factory converted into a cultural venue where you can also party until dawn. Another nocturnal icon is Paradiso (15): a concert hall that was first a church and, in its 40-year history, has heard greats like David Bowie, The Rolling Stones or Nirvana play.

Sunday mornings are for going to the park and the favorite destination is always Westerpark (16). This formerly contaminated land that was a gas factory for almost 100 years is now the preferred green space for walking or playing sports without having to dodge tourists. In one of its old factory buildings is the emblematic Pacific Parc (17), a cozy place where you can have breakfast or dance (it is open continuously from 11 am to 4 am). Here, abandoned factories always give a lot of themselves.

GEZELLIGHEID BY THE WATER

In Holland, pleasant situations are gezellig. The Dutch are enjoyers and, in Amsterdam, gezelligheid (the feeling of being at ease) can often be felt –especially when the weather is good– near the water. After all, the city has the soul of a port: water flows through its streets as naturally as bicycles. Although any bank is good for sitting and dangling your legs over a canal, there are places where the pleasure of its presence increases. On the terrace of Café de Jaren (18), for example, boats glide placidly over the Amstel and appear and disappear from behind the coffee cup. Further north, very close to the central train station, the canals outline the profile of the large terrace of Hannekes Boom (19) and amplify the euphoria of its visitors on sunny days.

But it is Pllek (20) that best fuses water and gezelligheid. Looking face to face at the city from the other side of the IJ river, Pllek is a castle of shipping containers converted into a bar-restaurant. To get there you have to get on the ferry, cross the river zigzagging between cargo ships and go around the old abandoned shipyards. On a sunny day, its fine sand terrace is a hive of life and, when it rains, its huge windows filter the leaden light creating an atmosphere like a nineties music video. Nobody said that a gray sky had to be at odds with gezelligheid and, much less, in Amsterdam.

Shopping areas for strollers

1. Jordaan Quarter and "the 9 streets" 2. 9 Straatjes 3. Noordermarkt 4. Utrechtsestraat 5. Concerto 6. De Pijp Quarter 7. Albert Cuyp Markt 8. Gerard Doustraat 9. Coffee & Coconuts

Unusual places for ordinary life

Cinemas 10. Tuschinski 11. EYE

Eat and drink 12. Foodhallen 13. Brouwerij't IJ

Party 14. Melkweg 15. Paradiso

Park 16. Westerpark 17. Pacific Parc

Enjoying on the water 18. Cafè de Jaren 19. Hannekes Boom 20. Pllek