coming up #33 (amsterdam)

It’s been a while since I’ve posted my weekly Amsterdam Insight posts. The months of March, April and May were really busy but things are finally slowing down now. I will now spend more time at work and dedicate my free time to Amsterdam Insights. So here we go! This week in Amsterdam…

• The other week I went to a work dinner at Hotel de Goudfazant (Aambeeldstraat 10H) in Amsterdam Noord which was absolutely amazing. The food, the location, the interior… Everything. I’m so curious to try their other restaurant in Amsterdam Noord, Cafe Modern (Meidoornweg 2) via Petite Passport. Their new restaurant Radio Royaal in Eindhoven looks pretty great too, also via Petite Passport.
• Don’t miss these two photography openings this week! On Thursday 7 June from 5.30pm there will be an opening of Ron Galella: Paparazzo Extraordinaire! and Taiyo Onorato & Nico Krebs: Light of Other Days at Foam (Keizersgracht 609). At Huis Marseille (Keizersgracht 401), the exhibition Chino Otsuka: A World of Memories will open on Saturday 9 June.
• Mmm Two For Joy Coffee Roasters (Haarlemmerdijk 182; see previous post) has a great new addition: an Iced Chai Latte.
• I also finally made it over to the EYE Film Institute, located opposite Amsterdam Central Station on the northern banks of the River IJ. The new building hosts a large exhibition space and four cinemas with a total of 640 seats, and is open daily from 10:00 until 01:00 on weekdays and until 02:00 at the weekend.
• The winning images from the world’s largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest, World Press Photo, begin their world tour in Amsterdam. An overview of press photography, 200 images are selected from the past 12 months and travel from the Oude Kerk in Amsterdam to more than 40 countries around the world. The exhibition is only display in the Oude Kerk until 17 June.
• I recently tried challah french toast with banana and cinnamon sugar at G&T’s really, really nice place (Goudbloemstraat 91). How about trying out these other brunch places? Coconut french toast at the Australian cafe Little Collins (Eerste Sweelinckstraat 19), yoghurt with fresh fruit and granola at Buffet van Odette (Prinsengracht 598) or a stack of pancakes at George Deli USA (Utrechtsestraat 17). Do you have a favorite brunch spot in Amsterdam?
• And if you’re traveling to Amsterdam in the near future, check out my full Amsterdam Insights roundup of the past 6 months. Cafes, shops, museums, restaurants and more!

Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

cobra museum (amstelveen)

Childlike innocence, bright colored paint and bird-like abstractions. The current exhibition at the Cobra Museum (Sandbergplein 1, Amstelveen) reveals shared fascinations on the parts of both Paul Klee and artists of the Cobra movement for the wondrous, imaginary world of the child. This in-depth exhibition at the Cobra Museum reveals shared fascinations on the parts of both Paul Klee (1879-1940) and artists of the Cobra movement for the wondrous, imaginary world of the child.

Over 130 masterpieces by Paul Klee and 120 by Cobra artists (Karel Appel, Constant, Corneille, Eugène Brands, Asger Jorn, Pierre Alechinsky and others) can be seen in this this exhibition.

The exhibition ‘Klee and Cobra: A Child’s Play‘ is centered around five themes: the imagination of the child, fantastic animals, acrobatics, masks and aggression.

“Visitors will experience how both Klee and the post-war Cobra artists translated the free expression of children into radical new art, which still today remains colourful, spontaneous, raw and pure” (Cobra Museum).

Cobra Museum (Sandbergplein 1, Amstelveen) is easily accessible from Amsterdam Centraal Station. Take either Tram 5 (stop: Amstelveen Binnenhof) or 51 Metro (stop: Amstelveen Centrum). The museum is Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday.

coming up #31 (amsterdam)

Remember Cafe George (Leidsegracht 84)? Well I recently stopped by its little brother, the George Deli U.S.A (Utrechtsestraat 17) on the Rembrandtplein for a quick lunch the other day. Coming up this week in Amsterdam…

• The much anticipated opening of the EYE Film Institute will take place tomorrow night, Thursday 5 April! It is located opposite Amsterdam Central Station on the northern banks of the River IJ and the spectacular building was designed by the Viennese agency Delugan Meissl Associated Architects. The new building hosts a large exhibition space and four cinemas with a total of 640 seats, and will be open daily from 10:00 until 01:00 on weekdays and until 02:00 at the weekend.
• How cute is this Amsterdam Bed & Breakfast, Cake Under My Pillow,  owned by the girls of the kooky cake shop, De Taart Van Mijn Tante (1e Jacob van Campenstraat 35) via Lost & Found Magazine.
• Easter weekend means brunch… What about an omelette and french fries at Cafe George (Leidsegracht 84), scrambled eggs at Greenwoods (Singel 103), home-made hummus on thick brown bread at Latei (Zeedijk 143), a delicious brie and grilled chicken sandwiche at Singel 404 (Singel 404) or a bowl of fresh yoghurt and muesli with honey, nuts and apples at Toos & Roos (Herengracht 309)?
• And walks through the markets. There’s the Albert Cuypmarkt in De Pijp, the large flea market up north called the IJ-Hallen, fresh biological produce at the Nieuwmarkt and Noordermarkt on Saturdays and the lively Waterlooplein flea market.
• Have you heard of the Stadsboeren (City Farmers)? They have created a beautiful open space in Bellamytuin, Oud-West, Amsterdam. In this film you see how it all started.
• Have you picked up the latest issue of Time Out Amsterdam magazine? The April ‘Movies’ issue is on stands now!
• Other great Amsterdam tips from Lost & Found Magazine, Overdose.am and Petite Passport (Amsterdam).
• If you’re traveling to Amsterdam in the near future, check out my full Amsterdam Insights roundup of the past 6 months. Cafes, shops, museums, restaurants and more!

Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

ij-hallen (amsterdam)

A twelve minute ferry ride is all it takes to break away from the city of Amsterdam and arrive in whole other city (almost)… Amsterdam Noord. Since 2002, Amsterdam Noord has turned into a major hub of artistry and energy. The area has a skate park, restaurants, a venue of sorts for live underground music and a plethora of shipping containers housing student accommodation and artist studios. In one of the largest buildings on site, a flea market, the IJ-Hallen, takes place one weekend a month, hosting about 500 stalls on every occasion.

For a very small entry fee (4 EU for adults), access is granted to the largest trash and treasure market in North Holland. “Stallholders come from across the low lands, and vary greatly in age and personality, from bored students, serious vintage resellers, aspiring entrepreneurs, cunning merchants, and lovely mother hen types that are clearing out sentimental possessions that are gathering attic dust” (The Citizn).

If digging through piles of worn sweaters, shoes, vintage jewelry and old records is your kind of thing, then you won’t want to miss the IJ-Hallen.

The market is open on Sat 7 and Sun 8 April from 9.00am to 4pm and costs only 4 euros. To get there, take the ferry from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Amsterdam Noord NDSM. Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

round up march (amsterdam)

Featured above are photographs from recent posts. Here’s a full roundup of the past six months and the months September, October, November, December, January and February.

coming up #30 (amsterdam)

Better late than never, right? The first green! Spring is finally here. This week in Amsterdam…

• Photography overload! A few photography-related posts for you… Unseen is a new international photography fair that will take place in Amsterdam’s Westergasfabriek from 19-23 September. It is a joint venture of the photography museum Foam (see previous post), the office for cultural business development Platform A, and the creative branding agency Vandejong. I’ve started my new internship at Unseen, as an Editorial Intern. Follow the fairs’ developments on the updated Facebook Page!
• There is a new exhibition, ‘New York Times Magazine Photographs‘ (until 30 May) at the photography museum Foam (Keizersgracht 609; see previous post) curated by The New York Times Magazine Photographs photo editor, Kathy Ryan, and Lesley A. Martin, Publisher of the Aperture Books. The book of the same name, recently published by the Aperture Foundation, will appear alongside the exhibition.
• The other much anticipated exhibition at Foam (Keizersgracht 609; see previous post) is the exhibition of Dutch photographer Bertien van Manen.
• Don’t forget about the new exhibition at Huis Marseille (Keizersgracht 401; see previous post), ‘Guy Tillim: Second Nature.’ In this exhibition, “the images of the South African photographer display an analytical precision that never fails to stir up the emotions.” Intriguing.
• Other non-photography related insights include… A great hairdresser in De Pijp, Bubblekid (Ferdinand Bolstraat 145), down the street from the bookstore/cafe Inkt & Olie (Ferdinand Bolstraat 151) and right around the corner from the ‘bakery and communal table’ Pain Quotidien (Cornelis Troostplein 2). I recently purchased a 40% off voucher for Bubblekid at Strawberry Earth (be sure to sign up for their newsletter for weekly deals!)
• If you’re around this weekend, the neighborhood of De Plantage will be hosting a ‘Spring Day‘ on Sunday April 1. Discovering rare tulips in de Hortus or drawing spring landscapes at the Rembrandthuis or soaking up some sun on the roof of Nemo, there’s lots to do. Check out the website for the full program.
• Also on Sunday April 1, the monthly Sunday Market (see previous post). From 12.00 to 6pm on Sunday 4 March, find the best goodies (sweets, homemade crafts, etc.) This edition is a ‘funky easter market.’
• If you’re traveling to Amsterdam in the near future, check out my full Amsterdam Insights roundup of the past 6 months. Cafes, shops, museums, restaurants and more!

Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

coming up #29 (amsterdam)

Delicious vegetables at the NeighbourFood Market that took place at the Westergasfabriek in the Westerpark last Sunday. Stay tuned for the next one! This week in Amsterdam…

• Today, Wednesday 21 March, head to the Bijenkorf (Dam Square 1) for the launch of Vogue Nederland. Grab a copy of one of the limited edition first issues, for just 5.95 euros. And click here for fashion travel tips from Vogue NL’s editor, via Mark Smith.
• Also tonight, another edition of the popular, The Secret Art of Growing Mushrooms, at the Mediamatic Bank (Vijzelstraat 68). Starts at 7pm and costs 35 euros.
• Pakhuis de Zwijger (Piet Heinkade 179) is a platform for creativity and innovation. This Thursday, 22 March, there’s another edition of Creative Amsterdam. This week, ‘Unlocking Business Opportunity’, brings together business leaders with both international and local insights into the creative industry. Starts at 7pm, reserve your spot online!
• The opening of the new exhibition, ‘New York Times Magazine Photographs‘ (until 30 May) will take place at the photography museum Foam (Keizersgracht 609; see previous post) on Thursday 23 March. The exhibition, curated by The New York Times Magazine Photographs photo editor, Kathy Ryan, and Lesley A. Martin, Publisher of the Aperture Books, reflects upon and interrogates the very nature of both photography and print magazines at this pivotal moment in their history and evolution. The book of the same name, recently published by the Aperture Foundation, will appear alongside the exhibition.
• On Friday 23 March, the opening of a new exhibition at the Jewish Historical Museum (Nieuwe Amstelstraat 1). The exhibition, ‘Else Berg and Mommie Schwarz‘ (until 24 June) is the first exhibition surveying the work of this husband-and-wife pair, who lived and worked in the Netherlands from 1910 to 1942 and were strongly influenced by a variety of national and international avant-garde art movements. The JHM has brought together more than 80 of their paintings and drawings, as well as a small selection of works by contemporaries who inspired them, such as Leo Gestel, Jan Sluijters, and Charley Toorop.
• Also on Friday 23 March, ‘GRAPHIC: 20 Posters in Amsterdam‘ opening at 6pm at Depot BG (Tolstraat 137). GRAPHIC asked 22 graphic designers and artists to develop poster designs to express their own social “agenda.”
• Sunday 25 March, this years’ first Pure Markt at the lovely Park Frankendael, a wonderful biological food market in a beautiful park. You won’t want to miss this on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Visit the market between 11am and 6pm.
• And until Sunday 25 March, Steve McQueen‘s ’Blues Before Sunrise‘ installation in the Vondelpark. All 275 streetlamps in the park will emit blue light instead of white, vividly transforming the nighttime experience of Amsterdam’s most well known urban “green space.” Here’s a preview!
• If you’re traveling to Amsterdam in the near future, check out my full Amsterdam Insights roundup of the past 6 months. Cafes, shops, museums, restaurants and more!

Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

coming up #28 (amsterdam)

Just a relaxing afternoon on the Amsterdam canals. The weather is finally getting a little warmer, the birds are chirping and it’s starting to feel like spring. This week in Amsterdam…

• Beautiful photographs of the newly opened The Conversatorium Hotel (Van Baerlestraat 27), right across from the Stedelijk Museum (Museumplein 10).
• Speaking of the Stedelijk Museum, don’t forget to take a stroll through the Vondelpark, where Steve McQueen‘s (yes, the internationally acclaimed British artist and filmmaker, known for his recent film Shame) installation Blues Before Sunrise is on display until Tuesday 27 March. All 275 streetlamps in the park will emit blue light instead of white, vividly transforming the nighttime experience of Amsterdam’s most well known urban “green space.” Here’s a preview!
• On Friday night, 16 March, the organizers of Museumnacht, n8, will be hosting 2012′s first edition of the Nachtsalon, or “Night Salon” at the Tassenmuseum or “Museum of Bags and Purses” (Herengracht 573). Nachtsalon is an initiative of n8 that, in combination with the existing exhibition at the museum, in this case the Museum of Bags and Purses, creates an interesting program for just one evening. In this edition, young “inspired” Amsterdammers will be discussing their thoughts about the role of the ‘bag’ in the context of fashion and identity. Tickets cost €7 in advance and can be purchased here.
• Finally! The Food Film Festival will take place this weekend from Friday 16 March to Sunday 18 March at Studio/K (Timorplein 62). The festival hopes to educate people about “wrongs in the food system” by screening interesting documentaries, inviting knowledgeable speakers and debating about current issues. There will also be a daily food market and other free events! Tickets will be available at the door for certain events, on Friday 16 March.
• This Saturday, March 17th, is St. Patrick’s Day! How will you be celebrating? At one of the Irish pubs in Amsterdam, maybe? There’s O’reilly’s (Paleisstraat 103), Mulligans (Amstel 100) and Molly Malone’s Irish Pub (Oudezijds Kolk 9) to name a few.
• De Appel arts centre (1e Jacob van Campenstraat 59, entrance Ferdinand Bolstraat) is moving to a new location which means that this weekend, Saturday 17 March and Sunday 18 March, they will be organizing a book sale! For one time only, all Appel publications are offered with discounts up to 50%. The book sale will take place from 12-6pm.
• The third NeighbourFood Market is coming up this Sunday 18 March at the Westergasfabriek in the Westerpark. This “neighborhood” market is a platform for bio-farmers, top traiteurs, bakers, butchters, local chefs, fanatic foodies, barista’s… The list goes on. There’s a wonderful atmosphere and it’s is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, between 11am and 4pm!
• The new exhibition at Huis Marseille (Keizersgracht 401; see previous post),  ‘Guy Tillim: Second Nature’ looks interesting! In this exhibition, “the images of the South African photographer display an analytical precision that never fails to stir up the emotions.”
• If you’re traveling to Amsterdam in the near future, check out my full Amsterdam Insights roundup of the past 6 months. Cafes, shops, museums, restaurants and more!

Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

neighbourfood market (amsterdam)

Last month, I had the opportunity to visit the NeighbourFood Market in the lovely Westergasfabriek. It’s great, living so close to the Westerpark. From the “Cool Globes” exhibition in September to the monthly Sunday Markets, there’s always something to enjoy at the Westergasfabriek.

This “neighborhood” market is a platform for bio-farmers, top traiteurs, bakers, butchters, local chefs, fanatic foodies, barista’s… The list goes on.

From deliciously brewed coffee to Spanish tapas and homemade carrot cake with lemon icing, there’s something for everyone and I guarantee you won’t leave hungry.

The third edition of the NeighbourFood Market is coming up this Sunday 18 March at the Westergasfabriek in the Westerpark, between 11am and 4pm. Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.

toos & roos (amsterdam)

Here’s another cafe to add to the collection of lunch cafes in Amsterdam, a collection that includes a few of my favorites: Cafe George (Leidsegracht 84), Greenwoods (Singel 103),  Latei (Zeedijk 143) and Singel 404 (Singel 404). This little gem, Toos & Roos, is located on the picturesque Herengracht, right below the Raadhuisstraat.

The interior is simple, but that only adds to the charm, and I especially love the large black-framed photographs on the wall.

(It also helps that a friend of mine works here a few days a week, hence the cute notes!) Toos & Roos is located on the Herengracht 309, and is open daily from 9am and on Sunday from 10am. Click for more Amsterdam Insights, published every Wednesday, and here for previous Coming Up posts.