ANTWERP: Is the train station area worth staying/exploring?
 

Last month we drove into Antwerp in two cars and stayed two nights at hotel Rubens in the Grote Markt area. We had so much fun exploring the medieval alleys, bars & restaurants in the lively old town that we never got to explore beyond, not even the museums or Rubens house.

We are returning to Antwerp this May and are wondering if we should stay around the train station this time. Is there an ideal area/side near the train station to be enjoyed?

In my opinion, you've already explored the best part of Antwerp. I stayed at a hotel near the train station and didn't find the area that interesting.

However, the train station itself is beautiful. It's worth taking some time just to see it and walk through it. (It's huge!)

We too stayed at a hotel near the train station and there is little to see. And as stated by Andrew the railway station is spectacular.

The zoo.

No, don't stay there. Apart from the station and the zoo, it's really quite a gritty area. I go there fairly often for the food stores; lots of Chinese, Moroccan, Turkish shops, there's a great butcher too. But I suspect that this is not what you are looking for.
The area is full of cheap fast food places. There's a street with gay bars too.

So go to see the station, but don't stay there. It is not at all charming.

Antwerp is not that big. The area around Vlaamse Kaai, Leopold de Waelplaats, is nice. Restaurants, shops, bars, art galleries. Or check out Berchem and it's Art Deco district.
Also near the MAS museum; this area has improved a lot in the past 5 years or so. Lots of new restaurants. If the weather is good, it's a great place to enjoy an al fresco lunch or dinner near the water - there's a small port.

Having said that - if you like Chinese food then do go to the Van Wesenbeekstraat;

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifes...=.4d2d4d52dcc5

And if you like Middle Eastern food, book a workshop at Food for Foodies. This includes a walk through the area with visits to the food shops.

But be aware that this is not the Antwerpen of the Grote Markt and medieval streets!

Do you have anything on your list to see this time in

Antwerp, or are you just going to walk around and see whatever you come up upon. ?

Thanks all for your good input, I'm so glad I asked Fodorites, we will just go back to the Rubens hotel which by the way is really fantastic after their recent renovation aside from its proximity to the Grote Markt. We're going with two different couples this time so we could repeat the experience but am hoping to see more beyond the old town.

My wife's agenda: MAS, Ruben's house, Mode museum, Plantijn Museum. I am not a museum person but will probably tag along for one of them. I would rather attend a mass/service at one of the nice churches while the ladies hit the museums. It might be fun since I used to speak Dutch at home in my childhood. Last time we enjoyed the unique bars inside the old town such as De Elfde Gebod, De Vermoeide Model, and another one inside the hidden medieval alley Vlaaikensgang. I would love to get more tips on any other fun places to go beyond the museums.

I am also wondering about the Butcher's hall (Vleeshuis), someone we met in Antwerp told me that there is a great foodie bar somewhere nearby or inside serving high quality meats (cured/uncured) that the defunct El Bulli (Barcelona) restaurant used to use. I was told that there is also a great beer place inside. Anyone could tell me more about this place?

Go to Mercado on Groenplaats; old post office that's been turned into a great food hall. They have some events on Saturday nights too.

For churches, don't miss the Carolus Borromeus and the Conscience Plein - the loveliest square in Antwerpen.

Vleeshuis is a museum - very close to Grote Markt. Don't know about the restaurant you refer to.

For good meat we like restaurant Mon - in a beautifully restored building near the MAS.

Or try The Butcher's Son, in the newly restored old De Koninck brewery. Do the brewery tour as well, it's a classic Antwerp beer.
Perhaps this is what you mean?

I visit that area quite often, but I have a specialised interest in it, since it is an important part of Haredi Jewish infrastructure in the Low Countries.

For old school Ashkenazi food I recommend Hoffy's on Kievitstraat, while for kosher and israeli food there's the Grosz store (Jacob Jordaenstraat)

For really excellent falafel and humus: Beni, on Lange Leemstraat. (really really excellent)

That's it! The Butcher's Son! Hope that's a fun place to go. I will do a search on the church services in the church you mentioned you mentioned, I hope they are done in standard Dutch because Antwerp's local dialect or even accent requires an effort for me to understand. I love how the locals are so happy, even excited, to chat in Flemish Dutch with outsiders. I was always told that Vlamingen are more reserved but not in Antwerp. I could sense a certain amount of pride/joy of their language. I always appreciate the difference between the two languages. Thanks Tulips!

Menachem: Unfortunately I have not acquired the taste for humus or falafel but I do enjoy a great döner/gyros. I am rather curious about the Jewish part of Antwerp. None of us have any Jewish ancestry in particular but I would like to know of any unique or fun place in the area. Not into diamond shopping either by the way :)

We heard about the fun lounges and music clubs in Antwerp but we didn't run into any last month probably because they are outside the old centrum. We are in our forties and fifties, are there any appropriate places to go? Someone mentioned The Villa but it seems to be more of a place to eat dinner when I checked online.

We also missed out on the small local designer stores/boutiques last time, Our wives would love to know which areas they are located at. The Meir was rather generic like in any other cities.

There's a small Chinatown just across the street from the train station (complete with gate) that would be more interesting IMO

The priest of the Sint Andries church sometimes does the service in Antwerp dialect (maybe at Carnaval). He's quite a rock & roll figure, in his leather jacket.

The Butcher's Son is in the redeveloped De Coninck brewery. Well worth a visit.

I'm not into clubs and music venues, but check here;
http://weekup.be/antwerpen/week/
Mercado has Saturday events with live music.


For local stores:
Nationale Straat and continue onto the Volksstraat. You'll end up in Zuid. Check out Burburestraat, Museumstraat and that area.
Kammenstraat - check out Fish & Chips.
The whole area around the Modemuseum; Steenhouwersvest, Lombardenvest.
Kloosterstraat for antiques and some good boutiques - check out Your Store. Open on Sundays.
These streets are in the same general area of town.

The more expensive shops are mostly in Schuttershofstraat (Chanel e.a.). Leopoldstraat has some nice stores too - check out LN Knits there. And the Bourla foyer for coffee.
And while you're there; Graanmarkt 13. Gorgeous shop and fantastic restaurant.

You're going to need more time.

Melig: many hasidic courts have synagogues in Antwerp: not only Chabad, but also Belz, Karlin etc. That being said: the community is really inward looking, although Chabad has a huge do on Lag Ba'Omer, complete with fires and fireworks and dancing and such.

I go there for book shopping and grocery shopping a lot and I buy hats there and I know my way around, but even so, Jewish Paris is more open and welcoming. And I speak Yiddish, but I'm still less than sufficiently heimish.

I would say Hoffy's is a nice place to have lunch and do pick up some baked goods from Kleinblatt's, which is on the same street.

Menachem, have you read 'WIL' by Jeroen Olyslaegers? It's about the Jews in Antwerp during the war. I haven't read it yet, but it is supposed to be excellent. Many of the locations he mentions in the book are still there.
It's going to be translated into English (which is quite unusual for a Flemish novel).

It's true that the Jewish community is very closed. I had a tour in the area years ago, with lunch at Hoffy's.

I've done "jewish consulting" work for films. One of those was Left Luggage, with Jeroen Krabbé and Isabella Rossellini. That's where I could really use my contacts so we were able to use good locations in the neighbourhood and it came out without really glaring mistakes.

That novel sounds interesting. I must say though, that post-war Antwerp is really different from how it was during the war, I think. More of a Chassidic presence. Still, it's small compared to Paris.

Thanks, I'm taking notes of all the info.
I appreciate the event link.