Our local Amsterdam editor Rick Akerboom wants to tell you about his favourite neighbourhoods and invite you to one of the highlight events of the city. Read on to find out more!

Noord

Noord is the part of Amsterdam situated north of the IJ river. To get there you have to a take ferry as there are no bridges, only tunnels which are accessible solely by car. For a lot of locals living south of the river Noord isn’t really counted as a part of the city, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Maybe there are no impressive canal houses and fancy bars, but it’s full of life and packed with interesting sights – to get the best overview of its beauty follow this bike route.

Photo credit: Jan de Boer

The most famous part of Noord is called NDSM-Werf. It’s a former shipyard that is now home to Amsterdam Skate Park, galleries, work spaces for artists, several cool restaurants and offices, student houses and spaces for big events such as festivals, concerts and flea markets – the biggest one is held at IJhallen the first weekend of every month.

Photo credit: Elvin

Another weapon of Noord is the area near Central Station where you can find the Eye Film Institute and a couple of bars, for example Cafe ‘t Sluisje – these places know exactly how to differentiate themselves from the usual hangout spots. This paired with the older part of Noord which actually has its own style of canal houses make Noord a very inviting district.

24H Amsterdam Noord

Next weekend the hippest district of Amsterdam will host a must-go event (October 24–25 2015) called 24H Amsterdam Noord. Finally it’s the northern part of the city’s turn to show what they’re really made of and why it’s worth taking the ferry to the other side of the IJ river. 24H is a series of events that gives every district of the city a turn to show what they’ve got going on. As the title suggests, the event lasts exactly 24 hours from noon till noon. There will be markets, movies, art, live music and other performances – you name it.

Photo credit: RobinTphoto

A look at the program will give you an idea of what to expect: 24 hours full of live music, markets, various workshops, dancing, indoor and outdoor cinema, skate shows and more. There are food tastings at restaurants, locals showing and telling the history of the undiscovered parts of Noord and people vintage shopping at a roller skate disco market – amazing stuff! It sounds unbelievable but you can even get married there. And since Saturday is one hour longer than your average wintertime day (it will last for 25 hours!), there is a magical ‘Vanishing Ferry’ boat trip organised specifically for that time. If you’re in town, there’s absolutely no excuses for missing out on this event!

While you’re in the area there are couple of other spots recommended by locals that you should definitely visit. Pllek offers eco-friendly and simply delicious dishes as well as stunning panoramic views of the city. Noorderlicht is probably the most unique café you will ever see – it’s built mainly of recycled materials and looks a bit of a mess from the outside, but the inside is cosy and the food wonderful. If you’re after a fine dining experience be sure to make a reservation at Chef’s Table, one of the gastronomical highlights of Amsterdam.