Behind the Facade in Amsterdam Oost, the Netherlands
The Netherlands is a small country filled with people. As a result, urban planning and architecture has been focused on using the limited space as efficiently as possible. Every single square meter of my country is designed. In the older cities, there is still some organic growth. This picture is an example of that. It shows how these houses in Amsterdam have grown with balconies, satellite dishes and such. No-one really planned how this would look as a whole. Therefore, it was able to develop a character of its own. In some way it even reflects the character of the citizens of these old cities. I have the feeling that people from the city are more flexible, open-minded and loose than people that live in rigidly designed suburbs.
Place you live: Amsterdam
Place your photo was taken: Amsterdam Oost (meaning East)
Occupation: photographer
Preoccupation: running, skating, reading, watching family guy, south park and a wide selection of US TV-series.
What is a perfect day? Picking up some nice bread and drinks for lunch around noon. Grab a couple of Saturday newspapers, then head off to the park with my girlfriend. Stay there for the rest of the afternoon, maybe with some friends and beers joining in. Maybe visit a party at someone’s house later on in the evening.
A perfect meal? The Dutch food culture is very limited. Traditional food is French fries (with mayonnaise!) – which is great hangover food. Besides that, there’s some pretty decent Indian restaurants in Amsterdam. But my favorite would be Thai food from a super crowded restaurant near the central station. It’s called Bird. Cheap, delicious and quick if necessary.
A little known fact? The vast majority of Amsterdam citizens avoid the red light district. I for one don’t regard it as a part of the city. It’s a shady place, flooded with tourists, criminals and junkies.