LivingAmsterdam.info Blog

A field guide to getting lost in Amsterdam

Archive for Social Center

NDSM – Werf

Untitled-1

Located on the northern banks of the IJ,  NDSM – Werf is an old shipyard transformed in an underground cultural center at the end of the 90’s, when a group of artists, theater people, skaters and architects, known as Kinetisch Noord, approached the city council with a plan to redevelop the place.

The area host the NDSM hall, a hangar of 20,000 sq. meters, and two historic ship reused for housing workshops and artists’ studios. The aim of the project, in fact, is to offer facilities for artistic disciplines, small crafts and independent organization and a place for exhibitions, try-outs, performances, festival and parties. In total there are 10,000 sq. meters of workshops, a 2,000-sq. meter skate park, 4,200 sq. meters for other youth activities and 6,000 sq. meters of exhibition and theater space.

You can easily go there by taking the free ferry in front of the central station.

Binnenpretje

“Binnenpretje” is a dutch expression not easy to translate in other languages. It could mean something like “laughing inside” or “having an happy feeling inside”..

The Binnenpret is a social center in South-west of Amsterdam, close to the Vondelpark.

binnen-267x300

Originally it was an horse tram station which was closed in 1920. Then different private workshops and small factories until the spaces were abandoned at the end of ’70’s. Since 1984 the building have been reused for social and artistic activities.

The place consists of three different buildings and a nice, cozy garden in the center, with a lot of different uses: The Occii, concert hall, cine forum, bar; the MKZ, the popular restaurant; a theater; a music practice room; an info cafe’; a sauna; a bike workshop. Some artist’s ateliers and residence.

You can pass by during the afternoon to have a cheap coffee’ or beer, a bit of relax in the sauna (very cheap, 9 euro for the entire afternoon and evening or 4 euro from 10 pm. to 11 pm. with a bar inside where you can eat a snake or drink a tea). Have a cheap and good dinner, enjoy some gigs or performance. Speak with people from everywhere or just enjoy a book in the calm of the garden.