Amsterdam’s beauty does not come from the landscape; the city sits below sea level in flat marshland so there is not really much to work with in that department. Its beauty does not really come from its architecture because the buildings are fairly austere. The beauty of Amsterdam comes from its perfect scale. The streets are just small enough not to overwhelm but protect you. Everything is just the right size for strolling or riding your bike around. The city feels like one big room -- a room in the house of Miami drug lord which has some sort of inside water feature.
The Vernacular of Amsterdam is the canal house! Canal houses are narrow yet extremely deep. This is because everyone wanted real estate facing the canal. They are usually built out of brown brick with white moulding and orange terra cotta tile roofs that add just a touch of Mission Viejo! One unique feature of Amsterdam buildings is the crane lift on the top of the building. I guess this is to move furniture and stuff inside?
The Canals of Amsterdam radiate out from the center of the city in rings. The names of the canal rings traditionally denote the status of the people who live there. Herengracht is one of the innermost rings and was home to the wealthy business elite. Kaizergracht (king) came next and then Prinsengracht (prince). Outside of that lie the working class neighborhoods of the city such as the Jordaan and the Pijp. These areas were where the laborers lived, but they are also the true heart of Amsterdam. De Pijp gave birth to the 1980’s punk band Dei Pijp Squeaks and was also the home of Andre Hazes whose quivering voice belting out Jongen Kinder could wet the eyes of an entire nation.
The Vernacular of Amsterdam is the canal house! Canal houses are narrow yet extremely deep. This is because everyone wanted real estate facing the canal. They are usually built out of brown brick with white moulding and orange terra cotta tile roofs that add just a touch of Mission Viejo! One unique feature of Amsterdam buildings is the crane lift on the top of the building. I guess this is to move furniture and stuff inside?
The Canals of Amsterdam radiate out from the center of the city in rings. The names of the canal rings traditionally denote the status of the people who live there. Herengracht is one of the innermost rings and was home to the wealthy business elite. Kaizergracht (king) came next and then Prinsengracht (prince). Outside of that lie the working class neighborhoods of the city such as the Jordaan and the Pijp. These areas were where the laborers lived, but they are also the true heart of Amsterdam. De Pijp gave birth to the 1980’s punk band Dei Pijp Squeaks and was also the home of Andre Hazes whose quivering voice belting out Jongen Kinder could wet the eyes of an entire nation.
1 comments:
this guy's a leaner. just like the real thing!
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