Amsterdam/Oost

Oost (Dutch for East) is a borough of 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 cultures and identities. The main area is around the Oosterpark. The Eastern Docklands and IJburg are also lively upper middle class areas and their modern architecture shows a completely different side of Amsterdam.

Understand
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 and around the park, and you can visit the nearby Tropenmuseum. South of the Oosterpark are some ethnically mixed working-class neighbourhoods that originate from the late 19th century. The ethnic make-up of the area is best reflected in the local markets. The Dappermarkt, a designated market street since 1910, has products for sale that primarily aim to a Dutch Antillean, Moroccan, Surinamese and Turkish clientele. The Indische Buurt is another working-class neighbourhood with a large immigrant population, as can be seen at the street market along the Javastraat.

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 trade with the colonies. After the Great Depression, World War II and the subsequent decolonisation, the area fell into decay. It was only in the 1990s that this area was reconstructed and turned into an upper-class 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 was a new middle-class neighbourhood on artificial islands reclaimed from the IJ in the 2000s. More islands are being reclaimed to build the Amsterdam of the future.

Further south is the Amsterdam Amstel railway station, an emerging business district. In 1994 the Rembrandt Tower was completed, 135 metres the tallest skyscraper in 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 in the same area. East of these lies the Watergraafsmeer, formerly a polder that was 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 sports 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.

Get in
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By public transit
You can reach most of the district easily by public transport.
 * Metro lines, and  all run along the west side of the Oost district between Amsterdam Centraal station and Amstelstation. There are several metro stations in Oost, some with tram connections.

By auto
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.

Metro
Metro lines 51, 53 and 54 follow the Amstel River along the western part of Oost. If you're coming from Centraal Station, you can just hop on any train on the upper platform as they are all going in the same direction. the first useful stop is Weesperplein, which is just over the border 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 Zuid.

Tram
Tram travels to IJburg from the centre. This is the only tram in Amsterdam on which you can bring your bicycle. The tram runs 10 times per hour during rush hour.

A plethora of tram lines connect the rest of Oost with other districts in the city:
 * Tram starts at Amsterdam Centraal and passes by Dam Square in the Binnenstad. From there, it continues along the edge of Oost.
 * Tram 19 starts at Amsterdam Sloterdijk in West and on the longest tram route in Amsterdam passes Leidseplein and the Spiegelgracht (Rijksmuseum) before passing straight through Oost. The stop Eerste van Swindenstraat is close to the Oosterpark, the Tropenmuseum and the Dappermarkt.

By bus
There are plenty of bus connections to Oost, but it is better to take the metro or tram as they are less confusing. Night bus line N87 from Central Station follows tram line 19 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 if it is still running.

By bicycle
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.

IJburg
The architecture at IJburg is worth seeing. The first island you reach by tram is Steigereiland. At Steigereiland-Zuid many residents got the chance to design their houses themselves. Steigereiland-Noord is all about water and air, with a basin full of floating homes. Haveneiland is the main island, and is called after its harbour. Many buildings here are modern interpretations of the old city centre. Blijburg Beach is on the main island.

IJburg consists of several islands connected by bridges, with a harbour and a beach. The first house at IJburg was built in 2002. The islands have a population of 15,000 and it's still growing. The two main islands are Steigereiland (Pier Island) and Haveneiland (Harbour Island). Amongst the attractions are modern architecture, the waterfront, nature, good restaurants, entertainment venues and hip shops.



Do
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
IJburg has a lot of interesting shops, especially about design, home decoration and boutiques.



Eat
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.