Sai posted:

Fun things to do in Amsterdam that are a little of the beaten path but not very obscure or anything

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-v7Tpak_gz8

Amsterdam sometimes gets a bad rep because it's very touristic and parts of the inner city centre are dominated by cheap hostels, drunk brits and petty crime. It's more than just whores and weed though! Here's 13 cool things that most tourists miss out on. You can also do them while high if you want to. Do whatever you like. It's Amsterdam, man.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2kkr0e_dTQ


1. The new public library is awesome just by itself, but it also has a splendid terrace that gives a great view of the city. The restaurant isn't very good, but next to it is a Va Piano, which is surprisingly tasty given that it's a German chain restaurant serving Italian food. But trust me, it's all fresh, you can pick your own ingredients and it's very cheap.
2.'In de Wildeman' isn't just a bar, it's a 'proeflokaal', which translates to something like 'tastingroom'. They've got over two hundred different bottled beers for tasting and another eightteen on tap. The owners are friendly and can tell you everything you've ever wanted to know about beer.
3. Apart from the pretty cool building the NEMO Science museum itself isn't very interesting. It's mostly for kids and like most science musea it all kind of feels instantly dated. The cool thing is the roof. In the summer a miniature artificial beach is created and people sun, drink and generally have a good time.
4. Brouwerij 't IJ is a brewery in a windmill. If you don't think that's awesome I don't know what to tell you. It's absolutely great (though heavy!) stuff too and the next door pub is always full of locals. They also give tours to small groups, which is an infinitely cooler experience than the one they give at the Heineken building.
5. De Negen Straatjes (The Nine little streets) are the heart of Amsterdam's fashion business. Smaller, exclusive brands together with galleries, cafe's and one of the prettiest parts of Amsterdam. This is where people with taste from all over the Netherlands come to shop instead of the gaudy PC Hooftstraat.
6. All English movies are subtitled in The Netherlands so there's no reason not to watch one in the beautiful art deco Tuschinsky Theater. The interior, recently renovated, is itself worth the price of admission. Try to go to a movie in the huge Zaal 1.
7. The Van Gogh is okay but expensive and The Rijksmuseum is taking forever to renovate so instead go to the Amsterdam dependance of the Russian Hermitage. It's got a very good selection of its own and there are always some masterworks on loan from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.
8. FOAM, Amsterdam's photography museum. Unlike the Hermitage this one is pretty small, you can walk through it in just over an hour, but it's cheap and a lot of fun. It attracts young creatives and the exhibitions change frequently.
9. Most people who have visited Amsterdam have come in contact with the 'kroket', often from the FEBO. Those are disgusting. The real deal can be found at Amsterdam's best bakery: Patisserie Holtkamp. Their shrimp-kroketten are the best in the nation, but they also make the most delicious cakes and other sweet stuff. The royal family is a loyal customer. A couple houses down the street is Mellow Yellow, The Netherlands oldest coffe shop and a chill place.
10. Hap Hmm is pretty much the most authentic place to eat in all of Amsterdam. That isn't exactly a recommendation, because the food is kinda bland, the atmosphere is dusty and if you arrive after seven you're late. It's an old soup kitchen, that still serves typical Dutch food (meat + potatoes + cooked vegetables) for next to nothing and it's one of the last surviving instances of 'real' (but almost extinct) Amsterdam.
11. The Hollandsche Manege in the Vondelstraat. Amsterdam mostly consists of 16th-18th century architecture but this neoclassical riding school is a beautiful example from the 19th century. Freely accessible and with a richly ornate interior it's one of Amsterdam's best kept secrets. You can watch lessons and dressage competitions from the balustrades while drinking a cup of tea from the (kinda lovely) cafe.
12. Tourists and people from outside the city will choose Vertigo at the entrance of the Vondelpark, and even though their terrace is really pretty service is crap and prices way too high. Instead walk a little further to Het Blauwe Theehuis. Packed all year round if the weather is good, a place to completely relax and enjoy a mint tea or a witbier in summer, hot chocolate or something stronger in winter.
13. The Albert Cuyp market is the largest daily market in Europe, and even though other markets in Amsterdam are more varied there's still nothing that beats the Albert Cuyp. Food, antiques, lovely art, crap clothing, busy as hell. There's no place more vibrant than this in the entire country.

Amsterdam doesn't have any landmarks, it's not Paris or New York. It's more a city like Berlin that is meant to be slowly discovered. It's not just one house that's great, it's walking past the canals. Thanks for visiting my city!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di-_faqUiWc