Uncommon Amsterdam

The progressive Dutch capital is fluent in change, having transformed from a tangle of uninhabitable below-sea level swamps into a maritime powerhouse. Today, that devotion to renewal can be seen through a clutch of repurposed warehouses, now performing unexpected encores as food halls and music venues. It’s also palpable through entirely overhauled portions of the city, ranging from De Pijp, a working class neighborhood turned foodie’s fever dream, to Noord, a former industrial hub now lined with some of the area’s most edgy design emporiums.

Even area mainstays, including a trio of iconic art institutions, aren’t resistant—or immune—to change. The Rijksmuseum, home to works by the incomparable Dutch Masters, is fresh from a decade-long makeover; a recent expansion rejuvenated the Stedelijk, and the Van Gogh Museum was just spruced up with a new entrance hall.

Foot, bicycle, saloon boat—there are a myriad ways to meander through this metropolis. Whether you’re bobbing along the enchanting Canal Belt as you revel in a floating brunch, ducking into a vintage boutique on a cobble-stoned side street, or pedaling through the neighboring seaside town of Zandvoort, you’ll soon discover that Amsterdam and its surroundings flawlessly exhibit that seemingly impossible urban balancing act, equal parts charming village and dynamic world city.