Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Amsterdam

291 Pages·2004·3.88 MB·English

by  George McDonald

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George McDonald
other titles in the
IRREVERENT GUIDE
series
Irreverent Boston
Irreverent Chicago
Irreverent Las Vegas
Irreverent London
Irreverent Los Angeles
Irreverent Manhattan
Irreverent New Orleans
Irreverent Paris
Irreverent San Francisco
Irreverent Seattle & Portland
Irreverent Vancouver
Irreverent Walt Disney World®
Irreverent Washington, D.C.
About the Author
George McDonaldis a former deputy editor of and currently contributing writer for
Holland Herald,the in-flight magazine for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.Now a free-
lance journalist and travel writer,he has written extensively about Amsterdam and the
Netherlands for international magazines and for travel books that include Frommer’s
Amsterdam;Frommer’s Portable Amsterdam;Frommer’s Belgium,Holland & Luxembourg;
Frommer’s Europe;Frommer’s Europe from $70 a Day;and Frommer’s Europe by Rail.He
is also the author of Frommer’s Brussels & Bruges with Ghent & Antwerp.
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ISBN 0-7645-4296-6
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effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information throughout this book and
the contents of this publication are believed correct at the time of printing.
Nevertheless,the publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for
changes in details given in this guide or for the consequences of any reliance on the
information provided by the same.Assessments of attractions and so forth are based
upon the author’s own experience and therefore,descriptions given in this guide neces-
sarily contain an element of opinion,which may not reflect the publisher’s opinion or
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C O N T E N T S
INTRODUCTION 1
Map 1 Amsterdam Neighborhoods 2
YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW 10
How to tolerate the Dutch sense oftolerance (10) • How to swallow a
fish like the locals (11) • How to avoid becoming a crime statistic (11) •
What those pesky suffixes mean (13) • How to define the indefinable
gezellig (13) • How to enjoy your hash and grass without being
arrested (13) • What the Jamaican flag really stands for (14) •
Whensmoke gets in your eyes (14) • How to ride—andnot lose—a
Dutch bike (15) • Pickpockets (15)• Biking in Amsterdam (16) •
Bikethieves are legion (16)• How to whiz around town (17) • How
toavoid being eaten alive by mosquitoes in summer(18) • How to
ice-skate like the locals (19) • How to order and drink Dutch jenever
(gin) (19) • LostArt?(19)• How to navigate the gay capital of
Europe (20) • What passes for an age ofconsent (21) • Don’t Go (21)•
How to greet (or take leave of) an Amsterdammer (21)
1 ACCOMMODATIONS 22
Basic Stuff 26
Winning the Reservations Game 27
Is There a Right Address in Amsterdam? 28
The Lowdown 30
In search ofcanal-house coziness (30) • For tourists who want clogs,
windmills,and tulips (32) • For enemies ofclogs,windmills,and
tulips (32) • The grande dames (33) • In search ofthe indefinable
gezelligheid (34) • Taking care ofbusiness (35) • For travelers with
old money (35) • For travelers with new money (36) • Dowdy but
lovable (37) • For those who hate surprises (38) • Luscious love
nests (38) • Rooms with a view (39) • Home away from home (40) •
Convention hotels with flair (40) • To relive the Golden Age (40) •
Insearch ofthe perfect pool (41) • The royal treatment (41) • For
cheapsleeps (42) • Lavender lodgings (43) • Party scenes (43) •
Family values (44) • When you’ve got a plane to catch (45) • When
everything else is filled (45)
Maps
Map 2 Amsterdam Accommodations 24
Map 3 Central Amsterdam (Canal Belt,Center,Jordaan,
Leidseplein,Red-Light District & Rembrandtplein)
Accommodations 46
Map 4 Southern Amsterdam (Museum District & Old South)
Accommodations 48
Map 5 Eastern Amsterdam Accommodations 50
The Index 51
An A to Z list ofplaces to stay,with vital statistics
2 DINING & CAFES 60
Basic Stuff 64
Only in Amsterdam 64
Van Dam vs.Iens 65
Cafe Society 66
Still Holland’s Best Ice Cream 67
Tap Houses 68
How to Dress 68
When to Eat 68
Getting the Right Table 69
Celebrity Chefs 69
The Lowdown 70
Restaurants 70
Going Dutch (70) • Dutch on the run (71) • Real rijsttafel (72) •
Mumbai on the Amstel (72) • Thai me up (73) • Asian delights (73) •
Utopian Ethiopian (74) • Multi Mediterranean (74) • The French
connection (75) • For that special moment (76) • Overrated (77) •
See-and-be-scenes (78) • Landmarks (79) • Cheap eats (80) • Isn’t it
romantic? (80) • Tourist traps (81) • Something fishy (82) • Can you
put that out,please? (82) • When the play’s the thing (83) • Kid
pleasers (83) • For a quiet tête-à-tête (84) • Vegging out (84) • When
the boss is paying(85) • Alfresco (86) • Take me to the river (86)
Cafes 87
Vintage brown cafes (87) • Neobrowns (88) • White cafes (88) •
Designer cafes (88) • Best cafe food (89)
Maps
Map 6 Amsterdam Dining & Cafes 62
Map 7 Central Amsterdam (Canal Belt,Center,Jordaan,
Leidseplein,Museum District,Red-Light District,
Rembrandtplein & Waterlooplein) Dining & Cafes 90
Map 8 Southern Amsterdam (Museum District & Vondelpark)
Dining & Cafes 92
Map 9 Eastern Amsterdam (East & Eastern Docks) Dining &
Cafes 94
The Index 95
An A to Z list ofrestaurants and cafes,with vital statistics
3 DIVERSIONS 106
Basic Stuff 110
Getting Your Bearings 111
King ofthe Culture Vultures 112
The City ofthe 7,000 Gables 112
The Lowdown 113
Where the tourists go (113) • Don’t believe the brochures (114) •
For culture vultures (115) • Picture perfect (117) • Courting privacy
(117) •Ladies with a past (118) • Looking down onit all (118) •
Lifestyles ofthe rich and deceased (119) • Okay,ifyou’ve gotta see
windmills (121)• For history buffs (121) • Moments in time(123) •
Sacred sights (124)• Turrets syndrome (125) • Biking on the Water
(126)• Catching the Museum Boat (127)• Row,row,row your boat
(127) • Diamondsin the rough (128) • Sex,drugs,and torture museums
(129) • Museumsthat won’t bore the kids (129) • More kidding
around (130) • Bikingin Amsterdam (130)• People-watching
(131) • Behind the eight ball (132) • Chess cafes (132) • Where to
escape the crowds (133) • Art Nouveau to go (134) • When you’re
down to your last euro (134) • The Red-Light District (136) • The
old Jewish Quarter (137) • Hofje-hopping in the Jordaan (137) •
The Grachtengordel mansions(138) • A Singel–minded stroll (139) •
Haarlem days (139)
Maps
Map 10 Amsterdam Diversions 108
Map 11 Eastern Amsterdam (East,Eastern Docks & Jewish
Quarter) Diversions 141
Map 12 Central Amsterdam (Canal Belt,Center,Jordaan,
Leidseplein,Red-Light District & Rembrandtplein)
Diversions 142
Map 13 Southern Amsterdam (Amsterdamsebos,Museum District,
Old South & Vondelpark) Diversions 144
The Index 146
An A to Z list ofdiversions,with vital statistics