When visiting Amsterdam, the first thing to figure out is where to stay. Most tourists stay in the city center, inside the canal rings. Although it’s a convenient area to use as a home base to explore the different attractions, the center isn’t the most charming area in Amsterdam.

My favorite neighborhoods in Amsterdam

There are three neighborhoods that I recommend you stay in Amsterdam: “De Pijp,” “De Jordaan” and “De Negen Straatjes.” These neighborhoods are not far from the center, within reach of many city highlights, but not as jammed with tourists than the center of town. You’ll have a more local experience staying in these areas.

De Pijp

My favorite neighborhood in Amsterdam is an area known as De Pijp. It’s located just south of the center. It exhibits several good features, like great restaurants, lots of bars and cafes, the famous Albert Kuyp market and lots of small shops and galleries. It’s a great place to stay for tourists who want to avoid the big tourists crowds in the center and mingle a with the locals, but still want to be centrally located. Having lived in this area for 3 years, I know it quite well so I wrote a special section about the neighborhood De Pijp.

Jordaan

Another nice neighborhood is the Jordaan. It’s located just west of the city center, stretching from the northern end of the city all the way down to near the Leidseplein.

One of the main attractions in this neighborhood is the Anne Frank’s house. This is where Anne and her family hid from the Germands in World War II, as described in her famous diary.

The Jordaan is home to a vast number of cafes, restaurants and bars as well as art galleries. Many events take place here in the summer. Although it used to be a working-class neighborhood, the Jordaan has become one of the most popular neighborhoods in Amsterdam and house prices are amongst the most expensive in The Netherlands.

 

 

Negen Straatjes

This neighorbood is one of Amsterdam’s most delightful shopping areas. It’s named after the nine little streets that it consists of, between Leidsestraat and Raadhuisstraat. The Negen Straatjes hosts a great atmosphere, unique (mostly small) shops and a number of great lunch places.

There aren’t as many hotels available in this area. A good alternative to staying in a hotel is renting an apartment on a short stay website, such as Airbnb, Wimdu and Homeaway.