FLOWER POWER

SIGHTS & SOUNDSART & FASHIONDANCING & DININGCOMPLETE LISTINGSMAR & APR 2014

AMSTERDAM MAGAZINE

Every year Amsterdam welcomes over one million visitors who are particularly interested in the fascinating diamond craftsmanship. The Gassan Group is the combination of the leading diamond-polishing factories in Amsterdam.

Gassan Diamonds, is located in a beautiful restored originally steam driven diamond factory and was built in 1879. In 2013 more than 400.000 visitors had a tour through the magnificent diamond factory and in 2013 Gassan has been declared Best Family Business in the Netherlands by the Family Enterprise Foundation in partnership with KPMG.

The company still concentrates primarily on diamond cutting, wholesaling and retailing in set diamonds, loose polished diamonds, gold jewelry and watches. Gassan Diamonds has a unique position within the diamond industry by introducing a new cut, the Gassan 121. Another patented brand of Gassan is Choices by DL, a revolutionary brand that allows to vary and customize your jewelry daily. Gassan Diamonds offers free guided tours in 27 languages, a own mooring site, coffeeshop and a beautiful boutique with a large collection fashion jewelry and brilliant souvenirs.

Gassan Dam Square is located in the heart of Amsterdam and as the largest jewelry store in Holland they sell an elaborate selection of loose polished diamonds and gold jewelry and watch brands such as Rolex, Cartier, Omega, Chopard, Breguet, Audemars Piquet and many others. A highly trained staff provides customers with personal and expert advice to ensure that the customer can make the perfect choice. Besides highly sales staff also by Rolex educated watchmakers are available.

In 1967 Gassan Schiphol B.V. started the first Diamond counter at Schiphol Airport. Nowadays this company has thirteen selling locations at the Airside and one at Landside. Gassan is one of the largest concessionaires of the Schiphol Group.

Admire the art of diamondpolishing in Amsterdam

Gassan Diamonds HQ | Nwe. Uilenburgerstraat 173 - 175 | 1011 LN Amsterdam | P: +31 (0)20 622 5333Gassan Dam Square | Rokin 1-5 (Dam) | 1012 KK Amsterdam | P: +31 (0)20 624 5787

Gassan Schiphol | Dep. Lounges 1,2,3,4 & Arrivalhall 3 | Schiphol Airport | P: +31 (0)20 405 9951

Craftsmanship for over 60 years

www.gassan.com

Amsterdam Marketing A-Mag mrtapril Back cover.indd 1 31-1-2014 13:01:09

THE OPENING OF THE KEUKENHOF, THE WORLD’S

LARGEST FLOWER SHOW, IS TESTIMONY TO HOLLAND’S

BLOOMING FLOWER CULTURE.

Vol 2 NO 2 €2.95

Includesfree guide to Flowers of Amsterdam

JOEY DE BOER, 25tattoo artist

‘The Nine Streets is what I imagine a nice shopping district should be like. Everything you can imagine is here, and there’s always something going on, something to do.’

32 neighbourhood watchEAT, DRINK & CHICPART III

THE NINE STREETS

Neighbourhood watch

THE NINE STREETS

33

� e quaint and quirky streets that strad-dle Amsterdam’s grandest canals form the city’s most photogenic micro-neigh-bourhood, full to bursting with vintage shopping, speciality stores and cosy cafés.

>

Bijoux borough

The bustling, chain-store smattered Kalverstraat may be the closest thing Amster-

dam has to London’s Oxford Street, but those in the know head for the Nine Streets to slate their shopping needs. These nine cobbled side streets that connect the main canals between Leidsegracht and Raadhu-isstraat are awash with history and contain some of the most unique shops in the city.Located just a stone’s throw from Dam square, the Nine Streets area was constructed in the fi rst half of the 17th century, when the Heren-, Keizers- and Prinsengracht canals were dug out around the Medieval town centre to cope with Amster-dam’s burgeoning population. To-day, some 400 years later, the lively neighbourhood is home to a variety of restaurants, cafés, galleries and over 200 retailers, including more than its share of independent shops. Known to locals as De Negen Straatjes or ‘The Nine Streets’, this designation is relatively recent, only having been coined in the mid-Nineties.Djoeke Wessing, owner of the eponymous art deco shop (Huidenstraat 20; djoekew-essing.nl) , was the driving force behind uniting the streets into a de-sirable district with a distinct iden-tity. Looking to the area’s near neighbour, the travel-guide favour-

ite Jordaan, Wessing organised the fi rst meeting of what was to be-come the area’s traders’ association in 1996. First, she had to convince a number of reticent shopkeepers, who were afraid of hassles and red tape. Next, she had to persuade the municipality to include the new name on the street signs. ‘Finally, we were an offi cial area and literally on the map,’ she explains. So de-fi ned has the bijoux borough be-come, it even has its own website: www.de9straatjes.nl.

TRADING LEGACYA lot may have changed since the area was constructed, but many street names still bear witness to the artisans who were active here in past centuries. Indeed, Wolven-, Beren-, Huiden- and Reestraat (or ‘Wolves’, ‘Bears’, ‘Hides’ and ‘Roe Deer’ Street) are a remnant of the trade in animal hides for the leath-er industry, while Runstraat is named for the oak bark used for tanning. You’ll still fi nd plenty of leather in The Nine Streets today, from hip accessories at Liebeskind (Huidenstraat 11; http://lieb es-kind-amsterdam.nl) to classic gloves at Roeckl (Berenstraat 29; www.roeckl.com) , and from ex-clusive Italian leather shoes and bags at Dominio (Runstraat 15; www.dominio.nl) to Robin &

text Karin Engelbrecht photos Marie-Charlotte Pezé

MENDOThis award-winning shop calls itself a ‘candy store for book afi cionados’, and they won’t hear any argument from us. The interior, designed by Amsterdam ‘It’ architects Concrete, features walls con-structed not of bricks, but of thousands of black books, forming the perfect back-drop for the latest glossy tomes on architecture, fash-ion, food, design, photogra-phy and travel. Berenstraat 11 http://mendo.nl

34 neighbourhood watchEAT, DRINK & CHICPART III

L’ÉTOILE DE SAINTHONORÉ

With the tag line ‘luxury vin-tage’, this charming shop (opened July 2013) is a treas-ure trove of upscale vintage accessories from Chanel, Her-mès, Gucci and Louis Vuitton. More akin to a high-end bou-tique than a dusty second-hand store, the staff are knowledge-able – and passionate about their stock. Each über-desir-able bag comes with a certifi -cate of authenticity, and prices refl ect that: a pristine LV mon-ogram clutch will set you back in the region of €175. The web shop delivers worldwide and layaway options are available.Oude Spiegelstraat 1 http://etoile-luxuryvintage.com

These nine cobbled streets are awash with history and contain some of the most unique shops in the city.

KAASKAMER

In a city of exceptional cheese shops, Kaaskamer (or ‘cheese room’) remains one of the fi nest. But with hun-dreds of varieties of cheese from all over the world it can be hard to choose. We recommend Olde Remeker, a mature organic farmhouse cheese, and Le Petit Doru-vael, a gooey and aromatic washed-rind cheese, which sounds French but is, in fact, deliciously Dutch.

Runstraat 7 www.kaaskamer.nl

FAB. BY FABIENNE

This local leatherwear brand offers covetable handbags, shoes and accessories that combine form and function, with a design aesthetic that is practical yet always femin-ine. From python leather iP-hone cases to the brand’s best-selling baby bags, each piece comes with a little leather heart, which seems fi tting considering the shop’s location on ‘heart street’.

Hartenstraat 7 http://fabbyfabienne.com

Rik Leermakers (Runstraat 30) , the leather fetishist’s fantasy closet.

BEST BOUTIQUESCutting-edge couture at Van Ravenstein (Keiz-ersgracht 359; www.van-ravenstein.nl) fl uffs up the area’s fashion credentials, while fashion junkies can get their fi x at Karl Lager-feld (Hartenstraat 16; www.karl.com) and fi nd various buzzy brands and up-and-coming designers at LouLou on the 15th-century Wijde Heisteeg 9 (http://louloufashion.com) . Looking for local fashion? Head to MOS-COW (Runstraat 8; www.moscowamsterdam.nl) , Scotch & Soda (Huidenstraat 5; www.scotch-soda.com) and SuperTrash (Hu-idenstraat 32; www.supertrash.com) . Local lingerie can be found at Marlies Dekkers (Ber-enstraat 18; www.marliesdekkers.com) and Amsterdam-designed leather bags, shoes or accessories at Hester van Eeghen (Harten-straat 1 & 37; www.hestervan eeghen.com) and Smaak Amsterdam (Berenstraat 39; www.smaakamsterdam.com) .

VINTAGE VALHALLAFrom basic second-hand goods to vintage designer labels, The Nine Streets are a vintage lover’s paradise. Bij Ons Vintage (Reestraat 13; www.bijons-vintage.nl) , with fashion, furni-ture and other vintage items, is one of the newest additions. A multitude of musty shops offers that crowded charm that seems to ap-peal to second-hand clothing shoppers. Mad Men afi cionados will adore the authentic mid-century home accessories at Fifties-Sixties (Reestraat 5; www.fi fties-sixties.nl) . At Waxwell Records (Gasthuismolensteeg 6; www.waxwell.com) vinyl freaks will fi nd everything from old-school Rap 12-inches to rare jazz funk 45s, and from Brazilian LPs to Dutch breaks.

35

>

THEO VAN ADRICHEM, 55cultural organisation advisor‘I’ve lived here for 30 years and I love it, but I’m a little bit afraid of the development. It’s extremely busy on weekends and the character of the shops is changing. I hope it doesn’t lose its little village soul. ‘

LIANNE & NADINE DE BIE, 20AND 14students‘We love this neighbourhood with its many small shops, so unlike other areas that have too many chain stores and get too busy.‘

36 neighbourhood watchEAT, DRINK & CHICPART III

From basic second-hand goods to vintage designer labels, The Nine Streets are a vintage lover’s paradise.

CULTURAL ENLIGHTENMENT

Since 1788, Felix Meritis (or ‘happy through merit’) has stood for the values of its founders, 40 Amsterdam citi-zens who set up a society to promote the arts and sciences. This neoclassical monument of the Enlightenment, one of the most magnifi cent buildings on the Keizersgracht, today houses the European Centre for Arts, Culture and Science, which continues the society’s proud tradition with political and religious debates, lectures and more. Pop in to experi-ence one of the city’s best-kept secrets: the oldest existing ob-servatory in the Netherlands, which offers some of the best views of the canal district (open from April to October). Other attractions in the area in-clude the Biblical Museum (Herengracht 366-370) and the super-niche Museum of Eyeglasses (Gasthuismolen-steeg 7) .Keizersgracht 324 www.felix.meritis.nl

AMSTERDAM WATCH COMPANY

For watches with serious style (and for serious money), look no further. Here you’ll fi nd vin-tage Rolex, Cartier, Omega, Jaeger-LeCoultre, IWC, Patek Philippe and Chopard time-pieces as well as a selection of new watches. The team of ex-pert watch makers can also evaluate or restore a (broken) family heirloom.

Reestraat 3 www.awco.nl

360 VOLT

Design devotees take note. If you’ve ever admired the in-dustrial lamps in Amster-dam’s many design-led local restaurants or shops, 360 Volt is a must-visit destin- ation. Founded by a duo of designers, the Prinsengracht shop boasts the Netherlands’ largest collection of restored vintage industrial lighting from around the world, many items dating from the early 20th century.

Prinsengracht 397 https://360volt.com

POMPADOURPATISSERIE

Stop by for coffee with freshly baked fi nanciers for a break from shopping and admire the lavish 18th-century interior of this famous chocolatier, patis-serie and tearoom. Or take some of the city’s prettiest pastries and most delicious bonbons (made with luxury French Valrhona chocolate) to go if the prices here are a bit too rich for your palate.

Huidenstraat 12 www.pompadour-amsterdam.nl

66 on the way outCLOSING

ON THE WAYOUTWe asked people leaving Schiphol Airport for their Amsterdam advice.

editor-in-chief Bart van Oosterhout art director & basic design Loes Koomen designer Zlatka Siljdedic copy editor Megan Roberts staff photographer Marie-Charlotte Pezé cover image detail from ’Tulp en een papaver’, attributed to Willem van Leen, 1763-1825 cover design Lizzy Bekker contributors Maria Cavali, Lauren Comiteau, Karin Engelbrecht, Brandon Hartley, Elisah Jacobs, Qamar van Leeuwen, Toby Main, Bregtje Schudel, Mark Smith listings EdenFrost (Tamar Bosschaart, Steven McCarron & Dave Nice), Christiaan de Wit

RUUD OUDMAN, 39investor, going to Alicante

‘The new Rijksmuseum is a must-see.’

CARINE BLAQUIERE, 26 & ADRIAN CONSTANTINESCU, 29horse dressage professionals from Montreal

‘It’s very interesting to see the Anne Frank House after reading the book. It helps transpose it into reality.’

JULIA PADBERG, 27banker, fl ying to Myanmar

‘Utrechtsestraat is my favourite shopping street, with trendy, independent shops and lots of really nice cafés.’

SAMI BARNAWI, 25from Saudi Arabia

‘Winkel in the Haarlemmerbuurt has the best apple pie I have ever tasted.’

text & photos Marie-Charlotte Pezé

ELAISE HILDENBERG,30works at Blokker, going to see her boyfriend off

‘I love the Amsterdam Bos. It’s a bit of forest in the city and it’s a haven of peace and quiet.’