Homo Sapiens Non Urinat in Ventum
 

As the OP is going to Amsterdam and may like languages, try to find this location:

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/100...2680zDeAcHOaoF

A bit of a repeat of what I've posted in the past but...
Amsterdam is extremely walkable and has handy public transit. We loved just strolling the neighbourhoods and shopping avenues. It's kind of cool checking out alleyways and seeing what shops are there. I think a pretty typically walk would be down and back along Damrak and Kalverstraat & Nieuwendijk. After or before visiting the Anne Frank House, check out the Jordaan neighbourhood. Rick Steves has a nice Jordaan neighbourhood walk.

We passed by the Anne Frank House late in the day during our trip (Spring 2006) and the line up was non-existent (which seems to support a common tip to go late in the day to avoid line ups)

We're also partial to markets and the enjoyed the Albert Cyupmarkt and Waterlooplein Flea Market. The Flower Market is kind of a tourist trap but it's a good turnaround point if do the Damrak/Kalverstraat loop.

Getting food at one of the Febo's is kind of novel but obviously the food isn't spectacular. We love eating frites and frites sauce (mayo). Another snack we tried a few times was the pickled herring from street stands. It's kind of an acquired taste I think but if you eat sushi, it's probably not too big of a leap.
I'd recommend trying a rijsttafel but no worries if you don't. Find a good place. We had a mini-rijsttafel during a previous trip that was great. We just chose a place in the Leidseplein area. And we had a really bad full-rijsttafel at Indrapura during a subsequent trip. Nice variety (which it's supposed to be) but the food was lukewarm.

Most Amsterdamers would agree with me that Damrak, Kalverstraat and Nieuwendijk are low-quality, tacky tourist traps. There are a few nice shops in those streets, but there are so many better places to go in Amsterdam. Try Beethovenstraat, Haarlemmerdijk, De Negen Straatjes, Dappermarkt, or even the market in De Amsterdamse Poort (close to Bijlmer Arena Station).

I won't disagree that there are quite the number of tourist traps particularly along the stretch of Damrak closest to Centraal (the most blaring example to me being the Hooters restaurant knockoff; I forget the name.). But, I wasn't necessarily advocating doing a lot of shopping or eating down there (I think we only bought something from H&M and used the EasyInternet) but I think the stroll itself is interesting for a tourist.

When I first visited Amsterdam, I thought seeing all these shops down narrow alleyways was really neat as I hadn't really seen anything like it before. Also, while we have indoor malls in Vancouver, we don't have a long stretch of pedestrian only street like Kalverstraat. I also find the number of people quite lively down there. I guess one has to like this kind of urban spectacle to enjoy this loop. However, logistically, I think it's handy for a tourist because you'll walk by or be near an EasyInternet, various canal cruise options, de dam, tram hub, etc.

The HOOTERS restaurant knockoff you are referring to
is called TEASERS located on the Damrak just west of the GRASSHOPPER.
All the talk by visiting the museum quarter( Rijks, Van Gogh, etc.)?
If you like Steaks? Then Cafe Loetje is the place to be. It can get
quite loud in there but there steaks are pretty darn good.

Teasers! Thank you! I knew it was something that ended in "er"... "Lookers?" but that didn't sound right.

Greetings...my first post !!

I have been to Amsterdam many times, recently 3 weeks ago..

My take- Rijks is still under renovation..I never got to go before they started the 10 yr Asbestos removal project..I went last year, and it seemed that only about 25 % or less of the building is open to the public..

Van Gogh next door is very interesting, if you like VG, like I do

Jazztop- NYC based ?? The " Nine Streets " seems like NOLITA now.

Teasers recently reopened 2 weeks ago, after being " Closed down " by the local government.

Note- Amsterdam is undergoing radical changes especially over the last year.

If you are interested, see my next post under coffeeshops.

Thanks to all who post on this forum.

Best Regards

Smuler:)

Wow! What a wealth of information! This will be our first trip to Amsterdam (and Holland for that matter). We will be staying at a B&B just inside the A-10 near Twiske. I ove spicy. Any recommendations on rijstaffell?? Anyone have any experience with the Jazz Canal Cruise?? No one has made any comments about Keukenhof and Zaanseschans. Too touristy? I don't mind a little touristy but we certainly don't need any more T-shirts or plastic things.

Greg

Hey OP: Please post back (or PM me) about how the B&B was. I will be in AMS in July and I'd like to try a "typical Dutch" B&B with my girlfriend.

Some more random comments:

1. Spicy food is not pleasing to the Dutch palate, but your redemption is the chile sauce known as sambal. Available at all Indonesian restaurants and in the supermarkets. At any Asian restaurant, the staff will ask "Sambal bij?", meaning "Do you want sambal?" There are actually many different subtle variations on sambal, with some being earthier, smokier, fruitier, or just plain hot.

2. I am not a fan of the canal cruises at all. I have had to oblige first-time visitors by taking them on these boats, but there is really very little to do except breathe diesel exhaust. You will also find it frustrating when you see a place that, if you were on foot/bike, you could stop into; but since you are boat-bound you can only watch it drift by with no hope of finding it again on land.

How has no one mentioned the heineken brewery?

I saw some posts about pedestrian streets to walk through in Amsterdam. I would recommend walking on Hoofstraat and Hobblematstraat, which is located between Vondelpark and Museumplein. These two streets are perpendicular to each other and seems to be Amsterdam's "high streets." Vondelpark itself is quite beautiful to walk through. Nearby Vonelpark is the street called Leidsestraat, which connects Leidseplein with Het Spui. This street seems to be a good shopping/pedestrian and tram street.

I would also recommend seeing the Beuers Van Berlage, which is a performing arts center and concert hall named after the famous Dutch architect who designed the building.

I curious. There seems to be a wealth of local fters and info, Amsterdam is an unbelievable cultural city, costwise to travel to (hotels can be kinda pricey but nice miles earning possibilities) and yet I hardly have ever seen anyone organize an AMS DO. Is there a reason for this or have I missed the boat over the last 3 years or so? Seems like it's a tailor made situation for DOdom. Can I trademark DOdom? Any thoughts?

I can't honestly recommend the old brewery since they remodeled the place several years ago, renaming it the "Heineken Experience." What used to be a genuine time warp including a walk through a copper-lined fermentation vat/room and copious free beer is now a multimedia onslaught designed by the marketing department and not the brewmasters. And the samples at the end are puny. (It's no fresher than any beer on the street, since it's all brewed outside of town at the big, modern facility).

Do NOT go to Febo. Quite succinctly, Febo sucks. :td: