City Guide: Amsterdam

Boketto City Guides are odes to our favorite places. This is a weekly micro-series by Team Boketto. This week we see Amsterdam through the eyes of Boketto Shop Girl Deluxe (and bon vivant), Alex Cooley— who lived in the storied city, so we get a real insider guide.

 

Effort Less

If I could describe Amsterdam in only one word, it’d be: effortless. And like the city itself, it’s best navigated that way. Effortlessly. 

Ditch the itinerary. Sit by a canal. Wander around. Ride a bike. Order mint tea. Go to the flower market. Visit a brown bar. Enjoy a bottle of wine in the park. Eat a lot. Take a canal cruise. Go to a museum. People watch. Marvel at how chic Dutch people are. Pick a neighborhood and get lost. Literally. In other words, do it like a local and without a care in the world. 

You only need a few hours in The Centre, from there get lost in: Jordaan, De Pijp, Oud Zuid, and Oud West, and beyond. You can’t do Amsterdam wrong. Below are some of my tippy top places that will keep you (mostly) away from “toeristen”— especially during the summer/high season

 

PACK
Sneakers! A rain coat! European outlet adapter! Lypo-Spheric Vitamin C* - Its grown-up Airborne PLUS helps with the stress of jet lag. Moss Mornings Overnight Mask* - Does double duty... hydrates and exfoliates while you sleep. Lesse Regenerating Mist* - For its calming scent and getting in-front of uber drying airplane air. *All TSA compatible, and all fit perfectly in your carry-on

     

    PRO TIPS
    1. Reserve your tickets for The Anne Frank House when you book your flight. 
    2. Stay in a hotel for a short stay, and if your visit is longer than a week, choose an Airbnb
    3. Skip The Heineken Experience, and go to a brown bar— the place to drink like a local. Order bitterballen and a beer, or three. 
    4. Rent a bicycle. It’s less intimidating than it seems. Make sure you always lock it up! 
    5. Most of the supermarkets only accept Dutch credit cards, so always have Euros. 

     

     

    DO/EAT/DRINK/STAY/SHOP... WALK

      Jordaan
      EAT » Smoked Crispy Bacon Sandwich House (#trust + Say “Halllo” to Hans for me.)
      EAT » Cafe Sonneveld 
      EAT » La Perla
      EAT » Pesca

      De Pijp
      DO » Albert Cuyp Market 
      DRINK » Wijnbar Boelen & Boelen
      EAT » Little Collins

      Negen Straatjes 
      SHOP » Love Stories 
      DO » Anne Frank House 
      STAY » The Hoxton
      STAY » Pulitzer Amsterdam 
      DRINK » Pulitzer’s Bar

      Oud Zuid/Oost
      DO » Vondelpark 
      DO » Rijksmuseum
      EAT/DRINK » The Seafood Bar
      STAY » Hotel V Fizeaustraat

      Oud West
      EAT » Foodhallen (The earlier you get there, the better.)

      De Centre
      SHOP » The American Book Center
      DO » Bloemenmarkt (floating flower market)
      DO » Dutch Cheese & Wine Canal Cruise 
      EAT » 
      Pane E Olio Toscaanse Delicatessen 

      De Plantage
      SHOP » De Bijenkorf 
      EAT » van Kerkwijk