The shipyards have given way to cafes, bars and art centers
It is NDSM one of those places that at first glance, they may seem empty, abandoned. With nothing to highlight. Especially if you visit in winter.
And it is that this former shipyard located in the northern district (Noord) and on the banks of the IJ river, the same one that from 1920 to the 1980s was defined as one of the largest in the world and built huge ships and oil tankers, is today one of the largest developed cultural centers in Amsterdam in the last times.
Here, along its wide avenues, behind the walls of its old warehouses and between heavy cargo containers, there are settlements from young start-ups to designer studios, art galleries, artisan workshops and true gems of the restoration – gastronomic, of course.
The art district of Amsterdam was born from some old shipyards
In other words: if you have traveled to Amsterdam to explore its canals and museums, but you have not come to soak up the underground side of the city, There is so much left for you to discover!
To get to this small neighborhood, the first thing you should do is go to the pier that is located in the rear area of the Central Station. From there they depart every 15 minutes —during peak hours, every 30 during the rest of the day—, free ferries connecting the city center with NDSM.
Perhaps when you get off the ship you feel somewhat disoriented, not knowing very well where to direct your steps. Do not hurry, just start walking: the surprises will come by themselves.
In fact, it probably won't take you long to come across the first of them: a massive mural dedicated to one of Amsterdam's most beloved figures. Anne Frank is the protagonist of Let me be myself, the colorful work of street art that the Brazilian artist Edward Cobra painted in 2016 and which, since then, has become one of the icons of the neighborhood.
Although, of course, it is not the only one: in a space that invites so much to explore artistic concerns in all its versions, street art is a constant. She already says a message written on one of the facades: "Make art not €". Well that.
NDSM, the cradle of urban art
You only have to walk a few more steps to fully meet one of the mythical places of NDSM: artcity, a huge warehouse belonging to a non-profit foundation in which everything, absolutely everything, has a place.
Go into it without fear, but with a lot of curiosity. Open your eyes wide and enjoy the a thousand and one spaces created by all kinds of entrepreneurs: people with concerns that have transformed the place into a real breeding ground.
Behind the half-open door of one of the workshops you may see a young carpenter devising his next creation. Together with him, the carcass of an old Mini which barely has the structure left. Bikes tied to bars whose owners, we intuit, are behind the walls of the corridors where art springs from every corner. “A playground for serious artists”, reads the sign pasted on a door. Improvised small rooms for possible meetings, shelves with books here and there, artistic installations in every corner, blacksmiths, designers, completely empty cabins and others that welcome art stores. Because art is a constant here.
In fact, on one of the upper floors, an open space is used for temporary exhibitions: Dare to go up, I'm sure you'll be surprised.
Pllek, organic food overlooking the river
Next to the entrance door, it's time to change the third: if you fancy a stop to have a beer, this is your place. IJver, a modern bar-restaurant with an interior terrace , offers up to 34 different beer shooters, an ingredient with which they play to the point of including it in many of their dish recipes.
But if we mix gastronomy, terraces and art in a cocktail shaker, and we shake it very hard, we will get a handful of the most cutting-edge places in the surroundings. Starting by Pllek , a whole classic. With high ceilings and with some huge windows that allow you to enjoy a wonderful view of the river, In this modern business, they are committed to sustainability as a lifestyle and to the 0 kilometer product: organic and responsible food —their vegetable creams are to repeat and repeat— from the hand of the chef Dimitri Mulder. There is also art, this time as a various concerts and shows. Be sure to keep an eye on your programming.
But do you know what the best of all is? Its wonderful terrace on the first line next to the river: In the summer months the parties, drinks and good times extend without control to full time. the perfect place for understand and experience summer in Amsterdam.
However, the thing remains: you will also die of happiness when you meet noorderlicht, the structure of what it was a nice greenhouse now transformed into another of the most fashionable restaurants in the area. A curious rocket will show you the way to the entrance. Live music, in addition to the top local gastronomy and a super terrace, come together again here.
More bars and restaurants in the area? IJ-kantine is defined as an industrial brasserie , Meanwhile in Cannibale Royale du Nord they claim to serve the best burgers in town.
This is what it's like to sleep inside a crane overlooking the city of Amsterdam
It will be irremediable that when you find yourself in these parts something powerfully attracts your attention: yes, before you you will see a huge, massive crane that, although in the past it was used for loading and unloading ships, today it works as something very different. What you see before you, believe it or not, is a boutique hotel.
The Crane Hotel Faralda It's an engineering madness pushed the limits of creativity beyond what was imagined. They thought that the project would be impossible to carry out and, nevertheless, there it is: painted blue, red and yellow, the crane has three suites and a kind of lookout at the top —only for clients— which is not recommended for those who suffer from vertigo. Now, yes: the views of the city are amazing. As amazing as daring with another of the activities proposed by the hotel management. Are you imagining it already? Effectively: from its highest part you can do bungee jumping.
What you can surely see very well from the heights is the immense esplanade that extends next to the Art City and in which two weekends a month what is organized, according to what they say, is the largest flea market in Europe: the IJ-Hallen . A place where, if you are a shopping lover, you can go crazy between hundreds of vintage clothing stalls, second-hand furniture and the most varied products that have, of course, that chic and unique touch that NDSM is impregnated with.
And precisely next to it, a project is taking shape more and more that continues in the line of what has been mentioned so far: the NDSM TreeHouse is a space formed from old containers that have been adapted to house all kinds of studios, places of creation and exhibition areas.
The idea? make them accessible to designers, artists and to anyone who is interested in a cabin in which to work and develop their imagination, renting them to affordable prices.
More surprises? Of course yes: more surprises. sexyland It is a space of 250 square meters in which, each one of the 365 days of the year, a different 'owner' has the freedom to develop the project that he wishes —from exhibitions to creative workshops, sports events or live music—. It does not have closed programming since are open to spontaneous inspiration, with which it is important that you check their social networks and check what is to come.
One more example of the vibrant community that feeds NDSM and that is also present in places like Francis Boeske Projects, an art gallery with Temporary exhibitions. something further, a former World War II Submarine, half immersed in the waters of the IJ, it attracts much of the attention. Also Botel, a three-star hotel installed on a ship which opened its doors in '93 and continues to receive guests non-stop.
And here, a more than necessary paragraph: if you are a fan of retro, vintage decoration and everything that sounds like industrial design, No doubt: neef louis it's your place. But to find this mythical space you will have to walk about 15 minutes towards Papaverweg 46: there you will run into a huge warehouse of 2,000 square meters perfect to spend hours touring its corridors and marveling at each of its pieces.
Botel, a three-star hotel installed on a ship
It was inaugurated in 1999 and since then it has supplying all kinds of profiles throughout the country with the perfect furniture for their homes. The closest thing to a museum in which each piece is salable. A true paradise.
And if he still doesn't know much about you, in front of him, sharing a number and a street, he's Van Dijk & Ko , another wonder of similar characteristics. We already warned you: you'll want to take it all. To rest from so much stimulation nothing like having a little coffee in the foodtruck that they have installed in the interior patio of the premises.
It will be normal that with so much emotional trip to the retro and to the past you get a certain nostalgia. To calm her down a bit, there is a visit that you will love: Blast Galaxy is an ode to arcade video games. A space entirely dedicated to fantasy world that these generate and in which you will be able to meet again with more than 100 different proposals to those that you probably played in your childhood. Space open from thursday to sunday and offers, together with his video Game Card, a menu of soft drinks, cocktails and exotic food.
But the NDSM universe is so big that to fully enjoy it It will be essential to walk and let yourself be carried away by intuition. Sometimes, behind the door that you least imagine, a creative universe hides who will be looking forward to receiving your visit.
On the way to the pier to catch the ferry back, one last piece of advice: make a stop at Bbrood, a bakery-patisserie where they make sourdough bread and prepare coffees and smoothies to go perfect to accompany your journey back. And if it's with a cupcake, even better.