Living in the Amsterdam Canal Belt Area
Location and History
The Canal Ring is made up of Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. It begins West of Central Train Station alongside Brouwersgracht and loops around parallel to the city’s original moat, the Singel, where it meets the River Amstel. Built during the city’s Golden Age, the “new rich” merchant families built their canal houses alongside small bridges. The three parallel canals are interconnected with streets filled with shopping, eating and drinking opportunities.
Lifestyle
The Canal Ring includes the city’s two main nightlife and cultural squares: Rembrandtplein and Leisdeplein. Without a doubt the most coveted place to live in Amsterdam, the Canal Ring pretty much has everything ‘just around the corner’. While higher priced homes, businesses, banks and hotels take up the gabled canal-side properties. It’s the intersecting streets where real life plays out among the speciality shopping, cafes and restaurants. This area treads a balancing rope between being a tourist attraction that facilitates drinking and eating and being a major residential area that breads quiet.
Highlights
The Amsterdam Canal Ring was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Amsterdam’s Spiegelkwartier (Mirror Quarter) is an area of art, antiques and curiosities. In Chinatown you will find Chinese shops and the best Chinese restaurants. It is also home to the lovely city’s theatre, the “Stadsschouwburg”. Once a year on April 27th, Amsterdam, as well as the rest of Holland, turns into a sea of orange as it celebrates Kings Day. In this area King’s Day it celebrated at its peak. King’s Day (formerly Queen’s Day) festivities invite locals and visitors alike to soak up Amsterdam’s open-air fun. In the streets, canals, parks and everywhere in between, the city is bursting with orange as Amsterdammers enjoy the biggest street party of the year. Amidst orange-pride, live music, DJs, parties and a citywide street market, you’ll find an electric atmosphere not to be missed.
Housing Market
The Grachtengordel remains one of the most exclusive place to live, not just in Amsterdam, but in the world. Buying a property here will set you back a pretty penny, but you are guaranteed to enjoy the view over the canal and its featured houseboats, or overlook a green inner courtyard.
