Oosterdokseiland and Oosterdok - a personal appreciation

Why the Oosterdokseiland ?

Of all the millions of tourists who visit Amsterdam every year, there's only a small percentage, who really makes some serious efforts to dive more deeply into the rich history of the Oosterdok, this part of Amsterdam, which lies east of the Central Station.

Yet, there is so much to explore and I'm not talking about the famous Nemo Science Museum or the Seaport, where the huge  ocean liners moor to spill out heaps of travellers, who pour into the city, overcrowding the famous shopping streets like Kalverstraat.

The history of the Oosterdok is all about water, about draining and flooding, about ship construction and sailings to acquire goods and conquer the world. Mostly about constant dramatic changes during the course of history.

Amsterdam - a personal experience

My first visit to Amsterdam was in the late 70's, shortly after having finally gotten my drivers license, when I secretly drove alone with my father's car to Amsterdam. It was the post hippie era and Amsterdam was something like the promised land, well..., at least according to the stories of my friends, who had already been there.

But, to be honest, I must say that it was a huge deception for me. Everything seemed so dirty and run-down, street dealers on every corner and dog shit everywhere. Moreover, on my way back home to Luxembourg, the car had a total breakdown a few kilometres after Brussels. I had a hard time, having to explain the circumstances to my father, which, of course, I altered a bit in my favour.

It was not until a couple of years later, after some more visits with friends, that I gradually came to appreciate the city. Many things have changed since that time. The pushers on the street have become nearly invisible and the municipality has undertaken some serious steps to keep the sideways and streets more clean. On the other hand, the freaky atmosphere in the shops, with loud music and crazy stuff has slowed down, having become more sober and boring and looking all the same.

The headshops are still there, although having lost a bit of their wicked flair. Lately, while entering the headshop in the Damstraat, the song "Light my fire" by the Doors was playing and I thought to myself "history repeats itself - same place, same song, same feelings". The only thing is, that more than 40 years have passed since then.

XXX Amsterdam rules

Over the time, Amsterdam has become for me one of the most adorable cities in the world, worth visiting more than a couple of times in a year. Although there are parts, like the business district, where you find huge, modern style buildings, the inner city looks more like an amalgam of little towns, living side by side, with their numerous canals, narrow streets and cute old lopsided houses. The only thing which I find meanwhile annoying are the hordes of tourists who are literally blocking the numerous narrow lanes.

Anyway, I fell in love so much with that city that I searched for more than two years to find the right living place there, which allowed me to avoid the breathtaking prices they ask meanwhile in the hotels and I'm not talking about the horrendous parking fees (which is a good thing in the end, ecologically speaking).

The Oosterdokseiland and the Oosterdok - a discovery

I had been looking a bit everywhere, with a clear preference for the Western part (the Westerdok), but searching even more up to the North, in Amsterdam Noord. But finally, by sheer luck, I found a flat on the Oosterdokseiland, which hadn't been on my radar at all. A choice I don't regret till now.

That's when I gradually started to show real interest in the history of the Oosterdok and I wanted to share it with the world by creating this site. But to be honest, I mainly did it for myself, for fun and maybe also for the challenge and alongside, learning some more interesting stuff about this place, where the water is omnipresent.

Concise infos

Hopefully you will find some useful information here. I tried to make it compact and simple, without having to read a ton of pages just to find the basic information you're interested in.

Enjoy!   Nick - Luxembourg April 2024  

PS. The site is only at the beginning, some things might not work properly and more stuff will be added over time. The design has been optimised for viewing on a computer, so some parts might look strange on a smartphone or tablet.   Pls be patient.

Important notice

My goal was to use exclusively copyright free materials, mainly from the Amsterdam Stadsarchief, together with photos I have taken myself and maps from OpenStreetMap.

In case somebody finds anything protected by copyright, please let me know and I will remove it immediately or reach out to find an arrangement. The same counts for errors or inaccuracies in the text.

Thx

Oosterdokseiland

Enjoy