In my previous blog post, I talked about what Amsterdam looks like without the tourists. This is part 2 of the post – and a continuation of my morning stroll. You might not like waking up early in the morning but it’s worth it. You’ll see more of Amsterdam when there are no tourists around.
Though you won’t be able to see museums and art galleries, walking around the city in the morning is far more rewarding than doing it when tourists are everywhere. Don’t worry about getting lost – enjoy being lost. It’s a small city, so you’ll always find a way to get back where you started. You might be surprised what you can find in the city’s little corners.
By Alain – Full Story at Keep Calm and Wander
Amsterdam Gay Travel Resources
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
Xaviera Hollander’s Happy House Bed&Breakfast is a perfect “lovers hideaway”, in other words “A home away from home”… where you are most welcome.
Your hostess is Xaviera Hollander, the well known author of the Happy Hooker and she and her darling husband Philip, who is a terrific chef, will gladly cook you and your friends a delicious meal. Xaviera will even, on request do a workshop on “How to Become a better Lover!”
Xaviera’s Happy House is the ideal bohemian place to stay at in Amsterdam for a few days, no matter why you come here: for a naughty romantic weekend, a congress at the Rai or simply as a tourist with wife and or kids. When looking for the perfect hostess, nobody compares to Xaviera.
This is your opportunity to spend some time at a real diva’s house…one with flair for hospitality. It is located on the South side (gold coast) of Amsterdam, close to Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, colorful street markets and elegant Beethovenstraat with dozens of great shops and trendy restaurants and … what’s more it is also just around the corner from the famous RAI Congress Center.
In the rooms there is wifi, TV, coffee and tea maker, hairdryer and in Goliath a fridge as well. It is a majestic house with quiet rooms even though we are not that far from the hustle and bustle of the city. A charming host and hostess Xaviera and Philip also offer private meals cooked by Philip who used to be a professional cook. The two of them speak each 5 languages and are most entertaining story tellers.
Amsterdam’s restaurants have lately grown in quality and creativity, to say nothing of the fact that food prices, now that the euro is friendlier to the dollar (as of this writing), are quite reasonable. For example: Dover Sole is priced around $17 on several menus, whereas the same would cost double or more in New York City. If you’re on a budget, you can eat well in Amsterdam, and if you’re not you’ll be pleasantly surprised at restaurant costs. Here are some wonderful places we visited that you should put on your must-try list the next time you’re in this always-beautiful, exciting, romantic city.
Recently, I had an opportunity to explore an area in Amsterdam new to me with tasty results. Amsterdam-West is a conglomerate of the neighborhoods Oud-West, De Baarsjes, Westerpark, and Bos en Lommer. With over 175 different nationalities among its population, the mostly residential area is now dotted with up-to-date shops, cafés, and restaurants. A great feature of the neighborhood is the daily outdoor market at Ten Kate Market (10 Katestraat 97-99. www.tenkatemarkt.nl) that offers “flowers, cheese, wine, baby items, clothing, fruit, vegetables, and 101 other market items,” according to its website. I slowed down as I passed through every day on my way to the tram stop and invariably picked up a few items that included ribbon, toothpaste, and even a few wool scarves.
One of the more ambitious projects in Amsterdam West is De Hallen, the renovation of seven immense maintenance sheds opened around 1900 when electric trams were introduced. Today, De Hallen includes a hotel, food halls with over 20 different vendors, a movie theater with separate viewing areas, a library, nursery school, dozens of shops, and parking for both cars and bicycles.
Amsterdam is not a huge city, so I was surprised by the amount of gay bars and clubs of the city: there is something for every taste! Yes Gay Amsterdam has a lot to offer! The city throws one of the best Gay Prides too! Its doesnt run on the streets, but on the canals: it is a procession of boats, really unique! This year, 2016, Amsterdam hosts the Europride, so an even bigger crown than usual is expected!
Most of the gay scene happen in the center of the city. There are a few hot-spots where most of the gay bars are concentrated: the choice is very vast. Amsterdam is the ideal location if you are into bar hopping, like me: as you know Scruffy Gios is a professional gay bars hopper 🙂
This is the Scruffy Guide to the top 5 bars in Gay Amsterdam!
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
Barangay is a Filipino word meaning small village. Our tropical decorated Amsterdam bed and breakfast guesthouse was built in 1777 on the former coastline of Amsterdam and still has her original facade.
The rooms are decorated in nostalgic colonial style with a tropical accent. Each room has cable tv, refrigerator, digital radio alarm clock, coffee/tea making facilities (and video per request), and a private bathroom. Don’t worry – we also have nice beds!
The rooms are non-smoking but 2 rooms have garden doors to a small patio where smoking is allowed.
One street behind is the longest shopping street in the Netherlands, but Droogbak itself is very quite. All tourist attractions are within walking distance.
The Central Station for all kind of public transportation is a short 3 minutes walk. Bars, restaurants, (coffee) shops, canals, bike rentals, and more, you will find just around the corner. It will only take you 20 minutes from Schiphol Airport by car/train.
The guesthouse is next to the famous Jordaan quarter, where you can also find Anne Frank’s house.
The Area is called ‘the Golden Reaal’it, and is right in the old centre 200 meters southwest from the Central Station. Parallel with ‘Droogbak’ (our street) you will find the Haarlemmerstraat’ and the ‘Brouwersgracht’ (brewery canal). The Haarlemmerstraat is a former sea dike, now a very nice street with restaurants,(coffee) shops, barbers, laundry, and an art-deco cinema etc.
The Brouwersgracht is one of the most beautiful canals connecting the 4 main canals. Our B&B is next to the famous Jordaan quarter where you can also find Anne Frank’s house, and markets on Saturday and Mondays. Within easy walking distance: