Help me choose which apartment for Amsterdam visit
Feb 9th, 2012, 02:52 AM
#1
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Help me choose which apartment for Amsterdam visit
Hi there,
We are planning to rent an apartment during our visit to Amsterdam, and I have narrowed it down to 5 properties. I know there is no "best" location, as it varies from person to person. I come up with a list of *important* things for us, and can you help me determine which one of the 5 apts will serve us best? We will get around mostly on foot or by tram
Important:
1) Ease of travel to/from Centraal Station (we plan to do 2-3 day trips during our stay)
2) Ease of travel to/from Concertgebouw (we have tickets for 2 evening performances)
3) relatively quiet street/neighborhood
NOT important - we don't care about night life or need for restaurants to be within a block. We prefer more residential neighborhoods so we can get a good night's sleep.
I have mapped out the locations of the 5 apartments in this google map; each location has a different colored pin. Which one of these would best serve our visit?
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=...18b3056c&msa=0
We are planning to rent an apartment during our visit to Amsterdam, and I have narrowed it down to 5 properties. I know there is no "best" location, as it varies from person to person. I come up with a list of *important* things for us, and can you help me determine which one of the 5 apts will serve us best? We will get around mostly on foot or by tram
Important:
1) Ease of travel to/from Centraal Station (we plan to do 2-3 day trips during our stay)
2) Ease of travel to/from Concertgebouw (we have tickets for 2 evening performances)
3) relatively quiet street/neighborhood
NOT important - we don't care about night life or need for restaurants to be within a block. We prefer more residential neighborhoods so we can get a good night's sleep.
I have mapped out the locations of the 5 apartments in this google map; each location has a different colored pin. Which one of these would best serve our visit?
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=...18b3056c&msa=0
Feb 9th, 2012, 03:21 AM
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You can work out public transport links at
http://www.gvb.nl/reisinformatie/pla...nnetkaart.aspx
Quietest would be Nieuwe Leliestraat and Passeerderstraat. The former is within a fairly short walk to public transport on Rozengracht: there are trams to and from the Central Station, and it looks as though there's a direct bus to the Concertgebouw. The latter looks to be closer still to the same buses on Marnixstraat (which also run to Centraal Station).
Amstel is a narrow street running along the river, and you'd have a nice view of houseboats and the opera house, but it runs between busy bar/entertainment areas, and traffic may well by using it at night. Ceintuurbaan is a main avenue - although it has a direct tram line (25) to both Centraal Station and the Concertgebouw, by the same token, there will be traffic noise; the same applies to Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal (tram 5 to both your targets).
So I think it's between Nieuwe Leliestraat and Passerderstraat: I'd go with whatever you feel about the insides of the apartments (would you need, and do they have, a lift?) and whatever you can glean from Google Streetview.
http://www.gvb.nl/reisinformatie/pla...nnetkaart.aspx
Quietest would be Nieuwe Leliestraat and Passeerderstraat. The former is within a fairly short walk to public transport on Rozengracht: there are trams to and from the Central Station, and it looks as though there's a direct bus to the Concertgebouw. The latter looks to be closer still to the same buses on Marnixstraat (which also run to Centraal Station).
Amstel is a narrow street running along the river, and you'd have a nice view of houseboats and the opera house, but it runs between busy bar/entertainment areas, and traffic may well by using it at night. Ceintuurbaan is a main avenue - although it has a direct tram line (25) to both Centraal Station and the Concertgebouw, by the same token, there will be traffic noise; the same applies to Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal (tram 5 to both your targets).
So I think it's between Nieuwe Leliestraat and Passerderstraat: I'd go with whatever you feel about the insides of the apartments (would you need, and do they have, a lift?) and whatever you can glean from Google Streetview.
Feb 9th, 2012, 03:52 AM
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Tweede Leliedwarsstraat will probably be the quietest of them, but they are old houses with stairs like ladders so unless the apartment is on the ground or first floor I would think seriously about whether you want to be climbing steep stairs all the time.
You can walk to Centraal fairly easily from there provided you don't have a lot of luggage with you.
Looking at Google Street View Passerderstraat is a newer apartment, which you may find more comfortable, though it probably doesn't have a lift either, also a quiet location.
The other three are noisier. Amstel will give great views of the river but is probably going to be noisy(ish). Ceintuurbaan is noisy, but has good transport connections.
Which one offers you the most of what you need, want?
You can walk to Centraal fairly easily from there provided you don't have a lot of luggage with you.
Looking at Google Street View Passerderstraat is a newer apartment, which you may find more comfortable, though it probably doesn't have a lift either, also a quiet location.
The other three are noisier. Amstel will give great views of the river but is probably going to be noisy(ish). Ceintuurbaan is noisy, but has good transport connections.
Which one offers you the most of what you need, want?
Feb 9th, 2012, 05:10 AM
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After walking around Amsterdam literally for years now in every knook and cranny my opinion is the the red and green dots are in areas that are in busier areas with lots of folks out and about at night - not the sedate quiet places you seem to want.
The green dot is farther out and in the De Pijp district, a much more quiet area that is just as close if not closer to the Amsterdam Zuid-WTC train station which for many day trips would be just as convenient as hectic Centraal Station, still in the throes of a completel renovation - a tram would go right there - maybe to Station RAI which is just down the line from Zuid-WTC - has trains to Schiphol for connections and onto Leiden, etc and also other way to Utrecht, Arnhem, etc.
The Joordan probably offers a dreamy really quaint canalside location - the other dot is also in a nice sedate area.
The green dot is farther out and in the De Pijp district, a much more quiet area that is just as close if not closer to the Amsterdam Zuid-WTC train station which for many day trips would be just as convenient as hectic Centraal Station, still in the throes of a completel renovation - a tram would go right there - maybe to Station RAI which is just down the line from Zuid-WTC - has trains to Schiphol for connections and onto Leiden, etc and also other way to Utrecht, Arnhem, etc.
The Joordan probably offers a dreamy really quaint canalside location - the other dot is also in a nice sedate area.
Feb 9th, 2012, 05:23 AM
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the yellow one is also in a quiet area and the yellow and green are both a short enough stroll from the Concertgebouw - at the southern end of Museumplein and thus also well located to visit the major museums on Museumplein - Van Gogh and Rijksmuseum.
Feb 9th, 2012, 10:16 AM
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Thanks for all your thoughts. Right now, I'm leaning towards the one in Jordaan because of the quiet location. The apt supposedly is a house that spreads over 3 levels. I'm waiting for the owner to give me a description of the layout.
I guess my preference would be to go for the quietest apt. Nothing is worse than being sleepless while on vacation.
I guess my preference would be to go for the quietest apt. Nothing is worse than being sleepless while on vacation.
Feb 10th, 2012, 11:29 AM
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I think the Jordaan would be the quietest one - the yellow one is on Centuurbaan - a very busy main street with trams clanging along it - that part of the Jordan seems at least to me during my man perigrinations thru it to be really quiet.
Some apartment can have incredibly steep stairs and incredibly small WCs - ask for pictures of both IMO. Often in old buildings that have been converted into tourist flats - many old hotels and buildings have really steep winding stairs as elevators just cannot be put in due to cramped space - for eons Amsterdamners were taxed on the width of the facade and thus houses along canals, which yours surely is, often have really narrow fronts and thus have to had sinously steep twisting stairs. If it is a more upscale apartment this may not be the case.
Some apartment can have incredibly steep stairs and incredibly small WCs - ask for pictures of both IMO. Often in old buildings that have been converted into tourist flats - many old hotels and buildings have really steep winding stairs as elevators just cannot be put in due to cramped space - for eons Amsterdamners were taxed on the width of the facade and thus houses along canals, which yours surely is, often have really narrow fronts and thus have to had sinously steep twisting stairs. If it is a more upscale apartment this may not be the case.
