The streets that radiate from the Prinsengracht form the Jordaan (pronounced your-dan), a district…read moreof little houses where workers and servants lived during the Dutch Golden Age (in the 17th century, Amsterdam emerged as a jewel of Europe, thanks to the enormous wealth accrued during the century of global shipping and colonial expansion). Today, the section of the Jordaan bounded by two long commercial avenues -- Raadhuisstraat and Leidsestraat -- is known as De 9 Straatjes (Nine Streets), and is Amsterdam's stylish shopping district. The maximalist housewares shop & the Frozen Fountain. The area is lined with galleries; Ron Mandos or Annet Gelink for contemporary art, and Galerie Wouter van Leeuwen for photography. Colorful Belgian winter fashion filled the windows of Essential Amsterdam, fancy housewares at Things I Like Things I Love, and Dutch-inspired souvenirs (that aat the Ko concept store.

Fun lil bar. Owner makes you feel like a local. Cheap beer…read moreand eats with great people watching!!!

I honestly cannot believe this "location" is still on here. I'm not trying to be "woke" but it…read morereally doesn't make sense. There are a few Asian and Chinese restaurants in this area but they are mixed with other venues and shops. It seems somewhat degrading to me. I do admit I have a few Chinese close friends.

Just like in every major city, you'll find a Chinatown in Amsterdam. The area has a variety of…read moreChinese restaurants and shops. If you are a Chinese food lover, visit here.

This festival takes place during the winter holiday season. I had really high expectations as it…read morehas been quite popular for a few years. I was told that there is a free boat tour where people line up in cues to get a ride, you can walk it along the canal edge, or you can do what we did and purchase a ticket online from "Those Dam Boat Guys". Personally, the later is great and well worth it. Our boat was small and gave us an intimate experience because the boat captain told us a little about the artistic lights and were could ask questions or slow down to take pictures. The lights are illuminated after dark which during the winter is quite early in the evening. Some of the lights were small displays and some were pretty magnificent. The whole festival takes less that 2 hours to view and it really is something to see both as a tourist or a local resident. I do suggest that the best viewing is when it is not a rainy evening so that you don't have an obstructed view from the boat.

Float thru an Amsterdam canal at night, drinking a beer and looking at light art?…read more Duh. FIVE STARS!

When there is a small market here it's more lively but usually just a square surrounded by stores…read moreand bars. Very Dutch. It's in belly of the canal district. Worth going to this area since it's near "China Town".

De Nieuwmarkt is a square in Amsterdam surrounded by restaurants and shops. The best part of de…read moreNieuwmarkt is the daily day market that is set up in the square! You can shop for cheese or rocks or produce or souvenirs. Or try one of Amsterdam's specialties - raw herring with onion and pickles (and a Dutch flag toothpick for spearing pieces of herring)! Definitely a great place for exploring!

Great for a laid-back day on the sun.. There is a grass area for you to lay and watch the boats and…read morean AMAZING sunset. (sorry other places but the sunset in this part of Amsterdam is amazing, you can see the sun setting and the reflexion on the water, and you get an ample view) It's a more quiet area of the town, super relaxing, & there are little cafes and shops around. Definately worth a bike ride to watch the sunset, or to have a picknick. During the sunny days, a lot of people sit and eat on the grass or by the picknick tables nearby, or even dare to go for a dip (I don't recommend it though, I think it's dirty and you can't swim far because it's forbidden to swim here)

The famous Magere Brug or Skinny Bridge gets its name from the narrow bridge that was originally…read morehere. Traditional says that there were two sisters who lived across the Amstel River from each other and had a bridge built so they could easily visit each other. More likely, the original bridge was named because it was so narrow that two pedestrians could not pass each other. Mager means skinny in Dutch. The bridge was replaced in 1871 with a wider Old Dutch double-swipe balance bridge to accommodate increased traffic. It is a very beautiful and popular bridge. Be mindful of the cyclists, though. They don't always look out for pedestrians.

Historic bridge and I think something worth seeing when visiting Amsterdam. Get out of the Red…read moreLight district and see the Amstel River and beautiful Oost after crossing the bridge. I may go check it out again today since it's such nice weather, and the bridge is FREE.