wikitravel_rwanda/East.txt

Amsterdam East is a residential district in Amsterdam.
 It lies between the Amstel River in the west and the IJ in the east.
 It should not be regarded as a homogeneous area, as there are many different neighbourhoods with their own culture and identity.
 The Eastern Docklands and IJburg stand out as lively areas with modern architecture that show a completely different side of Amsterdam.
The Eastern Docklands (Oostelijk Havengebied) date from the nineteenth century, and as the name suggests, used to be a port that served the growing trade with the Dutch East Indies.
 In the first half of the twentieth century, this area was in full development as warehouses were constructed to facilitate the trade with the colonies.
 After the Great Depression, World War II and the subsequent decolonization, the area fell in decay.
 It was only in the 1990s that this area was reconstructed, turned into a hip and going residential area modeled after the Docklands in London.
 There are some truly stunning examples of modern architecture to be found here.
 Following this project, IJburg [2] is a new middle-class neigbourhood on artificial islands reclaimed from the IJ in the early 2000s.
 More islands are currently being reclaimed to build the Amsterdam of the future.
Directly south of the Plantage is the Oosterpark, the first large park financed by the municipality of Amsterdam as it dates from 1891.
 The Vondelpark is older and larger, but that initially was a private project.
 Activities can be undertaken in the park, and a visit to the Tropenmuseum shouldn't be missed.
 South of the Oosterpark are some ethnically mixed working class neighbourhoods that originate from the late nineteenth century.
 The Dapperbuurt is known for the Dappermarkt, the second largest market of Amsterdam after the Albert Cuyp Market.
 It has been a designated market street since 1910.
 Products for sale aim to a Dutch Antillean, Moroccan, Surinamese and Turkish clientele, reflecting the ethnic make-up of the area.
 Other working class neighbourhoods with a large immigrant population are the Indische Buurt and the Transvaalbuurt; urban renewal projects are underway to improve the living conditions in these neighbourhoods.
Going further south is the Amsterdam Amstel railway station, an emerging business district.
 In 1994 the Rembrandt Tower was completed, with 135 metres the tallest skyscraper of Amsterdam and the first in a series of towers named after famous Dutch painters.
 In 2001, the tower was accompanied by the Breitner Tower and the Mondriaan Tower, both located in the same area.
 East of these lies the Watergraafsmeer, formerly a polder that has been incorporated in Amsterdam in 1921.
 It was home to Stadium De Meer, the home of Ajax football club until its destruction in 1996.
 It is a green neighbourhood with many trees and sport facilities, as it used to be a popular getaway for affluent citizens of Amsterdam.
 Now it is becoming Amsterdam's knowledge centre due to the development of the Amsterdam Science Park.
 This science complex is home to the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX), the second largest Internet exchange point in the world.
You can reach most of the East easily by public transport.
 For IJburg, take tram 26 from Amsterdam Central Station.
 You can also get on bus 66 from Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA to Vennepluimstraat.
You can also reach IJburg by car.
 Take Amsterdam's city ring A10 exit S114 (Zeeburg/IJburg), take highway A1 exit 3 (Muiden) or take Piet Heintunnel from the centre of Amsterdam.
 And you can reach IJburg by bike.
 Take one of the two bridges: the Nesciobrug or the Enneüs Heermabrug.
Tram "9" will get you to Watergraafsmeer.
  The stops "Pretoriusstraat", "Hogeweg", and "Hugo de Vrieslaan" are in the heart of the neighbourhood.
Metro lines 51, 53 and 54 follow the Amstel River along the western part of Amsterdam East.
 If you're coming from Centraal Station, you can just hop on any train as they are all going in the same direction (at least until 2017, when the North-South Line is completed).
 the first useful stop is Weesperplein, which technically is just over the edge in Plantage, but only is a short walk to the Oosterpark.
 The metro lines then head southwards passing Wibautstraat, Amsterdam Amstel station, Spaklerweg and Overamstel, before heading to the South.
There were plans to connect IJburg with a metro line, but all these plans were scrapped.
 After three years of delay, tram line 26 to IJburg finally opened as a replacement.
 This is the only tram in Amsterdam in which it is allowed to bring your bicycle along.
 Due to population increases, the tram's frequency keeps boosting up, as it now goes 10 times per hour during rush hour.
A plethora of tram lines connect the rest of Amsterdam East with other districts in the city.
 Tram 9 starts at Central Station and passes by Dam Square in the Old centre.
 From there, it goes right through Amsterdam East.
 The stop Eerste van Swindenstraat is close to Oosterpark, the Tropenmuseum and the Dappermarkt.
There are plenty of bus connections to the East, but it is better to take the metro or tram as they are less confusing.
 Bus line 357 from Central Station follows tram line 9 through the Linnaeusstraat and the Middenweg.
 It goes right through the middle of the district.
 An important stop is the Eerste van Swindenstraat close to the Oosterpark, but you might as well take the tram.
Most locals get around by bicycle, and so should you.
 Most arterial roads have bicycle paths attached to them.
 IJburg is hard to access by bike, because it is an island.
 It is connected to the city centre by the Piet Hein Tunnel, but it is not allowed to traverse it by bicycle.
 You can take tram 26 to IJburg as you are allowed to bring bicycles on board for exactly this reason.
 If you're coming from Plantage, you can cycle through the Zeeburgerdijk and cross the water using the bridges of the Zuiderzeeweg.
The architecture at IJburg is worth seeing.
 The first island you reach by tram is Steigereiland.
 At Steigereiland South many residents got the chance to design their houses themselves.
 Steigereiland North is all about water and air, with a basin full of floating homes.
 Haveneiland is the main island, and called after its harbour.
 Many buildings here are modern interpretations of the old city centre.
 Blijburg beach is on the main island.
Going out at Blijburg beach, harbour club The Lighthouse, cool restaurant and bar N.
A.
P.
 or Dok48.
 Enjoying the water, the architecture, the nice shops and restaurants.
IJburg has a lot of interesting shops, especially about design, home decoration and boutiques.
IJburg is a favourite among Amsterdam's locals.
 There are some special food shops and deli shops in IJburg and it further has about 25 restaurants and lunchrooms.