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Amsterdam

Part of places

Everyone I know has a strong opinion on Amsterdam. There’s no “meh, whatever”. People either love it or love to leave it. Some reasons I know people love Amsterdam: access to cultural events and places, big city many people, things happen here.

I love Amsterdam because of how I fit in here. Having grown up in the southern countryside, I love that, as a fat queer person of color, I don’t really stand out in this city. People mind their business, but not so much that I feel isolated.

Favorites

Shops

  • A. Boeken, tucked away in one of Amsterdam’s most touristy streets, this fabric store has been my go-to place for years. Packed to the brim with fabrics and sewing materials, I always find what I’m looking for, thanks to the specialized people who work there.
  • Amazing Oriental, a Chinese supermarket with a wide variety of food and condiments, and wonderful porcelain.
  • De Balkonie is our favorite plant store. Great for gifts, and the owner Friederike Joppen always knows the answer to our questions.
  • Duikelman is the fullest and finest cooking supply store in the city
  • Java Bookshop, a gem in the neighborhood, this Black-owned shop serves literature from dead white men and living people of color.
  • Educulture,

Lunch & dining

Markets

Food

Coffee spots and cafes

Theatres

Barber

Eyewear

Swimming

Fun facts

  • Sometimes in the morning when you’re biking to work, you might find that the air in Amsterdam smells like dark chocolate powder. It’s most likely the chocolate factory in Zaandam.
  • When I’m abroad and I smell the scent of weed, I am hit with a bout of strong nostalgia for the city. When I’m home and I smell it, I feel disdain.

Linking here

Amsterdam
The place I call home