Amsterdams hippest neighbourhoods

It's easy to get caught up in Amsterdam's city centre; its boat-filled canals, mega art museums and pungent coffeeshops might tempt you never to leave. But by venturing that bit further you'll find bohemian clubs, hotels atop cranes and hidden cocktail lounges await you in neighbourhoods on the fringe. They're also great places to mingle with locals. Here our some of Amsterdam's hippest neighbourhoods.

Amsterdam Noord (North)

The avant-garde thrives in Noord, the vast community across the IJ river from downtown Amsterdam. Ferry over to the gleaming EYE Film Institute for arthouse movies and the view-tastic bar/restaurant at water's edge. The 3D Print Canal House rises up nearby to blow your mind. A few steps onward the Tolhuistuin cultural centre hosts African dance troupes, grime DJs and more on its garden stage under twinkling lights.

Fifteen minutes upriver, NDSM-werf is a derelict shipyard turned edgy arts community. It wafts a post-apocalyptic vibe: an old submarine slumps in the harbour, and abandoned trams rust on the streets. Industrial castoffs get repurposed into lodgings like the Faralda NDSM Crane Hotel, with three rooms set at dizzying heights, while old shipping containers morph into restaurants such as organic-focused Pllek .

Free ferries depart behind Centraal Station for Noord's hot spots.

Haarlemmerbuurt

Less than 500m west of the train station, Haarlemmerbuurt is a bustling commercial zone. The main veins are Haarlemmerstraat and Haarlemmerdijk, which together formed the old road to Haarlem. Today Mediterranean delis, record stores, denim boutiques and cookbook shops pepper the thoroughfare, and make for a delectable stroll. Sniff out Petit Gâteau , a family-run patisserie that bakes tarts sweet (salted caramel and pistachio) and savory (bacon and Gruyère). Amsterdam's best espresso brews nearby at Two for Joy Coffee Roasters . Swanky cocktail bars and canalside bistros hide in the surrounding streets. Everything pops up in a densely packed, one-kilometre span.

Westerpark and Western Islands

Artsy young professionals beat a path to the enclaves in Amsterdam's northwest corner. Here pond-dappled Westerpark blends into the Westergasfabriek, a former gasworks renovated into a complex of wildly popular cafes, leafy patios and pop-up restaurants.

The Western Islands float next door. Several artists have studios in the wee drawbridge-crossed neighbourhood. Foodies flock in for sausage-y tapas and wines at Worst Wijncafe. Scenesters take the party a few kilometres onward to REM Eiland, an oil-rig-like platform 22m above the IJ river. The bar/restaurant is a haul to get to but rewards with unforgettable drinks on the rooftop's old helipad.

Trams 3 and 10 swing by Westerpark. Bus 48 runs to the Western Islands and REM Eiland.

Jordaan

South of the Western Islands and Haarlemmerbuurt, the Jordaan is Amsterdam's 'it' neighbourhood for convivial cafes. The dark wood bar, flickering candles and frothy beers at 't Smalle have drawn locals since 1786. Waterkant provides a new take on the scene: the rollicking, canalside pub, tucked under a parking garage, serves pumpkin rotis and other Surinamese-tinged specialties with its brews.

The Jordaan is also known for bountiful markets. Collectors have a field day perusing Antiekcentrum Amsterdam, a knick-knack mini-mall. The outdoor Noordermarkt sells troves of secondhand clothing and trinkets on Monday mornings, while farmers markets fill the narrow lanes on other days. Trams 10 and 17 roll by it all.

Oud-West (Old West)

The action is revving up in this friendly, working class district next to the Jordaan. De Hallen opened in October 2014, giving hipsters a new place to hobnob. Prepared food stalls, a cinema, hotel, bike recycling shop and fashion incubators now pack the century-old tram depot after its slick revamp. Lot Sixty One Coffee Roasters percolates in the vicinity, offering daily espresso menus and coffeemaking workshops. Vegetarian restaurants and squats-turned-alternative-cultural-centres are also part of the scene. Tram 17 from Centraal Station gets you there.

Eastern Docklands

The former warehouse district at the city's east is a hotbed of modern architecture. Pride of place goes to the sparkling glass Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ, Amsterdam's main performance hall, and the black-box-shaped Bimhuis, often cited as the world's best jazz venue. But missing – until recently – were victuals to accompany the visuals. Now gastropubs and designer bars are colonising the area.

Delirium Cafe Amsterdam shows how it's done, stocking 500 different beers to go with goat cheese croquets on its splendid terrace. A stone's throw south, locals arrive by foot and by boat to Hannekes Boom, where brews, burgers and decor cobbled from salvaged objects provide a beach bar ambience.

Tram 26 clangs here from Centraal Station. Or hop on a bike for the 10-minute ride.

André P. Meyer-Vitali

De Pijp

Artists and intellectuals have hung out in De Pijp since the 19th century. The district still wafts bohemian flair, chock-a-block with cool cafes, ethnic eats and jazzy little clubs.

The Albert Cuypmarkt sits at the epicentre and unfurls a multi-block bazaar of cheeses, fabrics, spices and stroopwafels (hot caramel-filled cookies). Behind the stalls hide trendy restaurants like The Butcher, which flame grills 14 types of burgers and pours cocktails in a secret lounge (through the silver door, by reservation only).

Badcuyp is the neighbourhood's quintessential music hall, a cosy room hosting low-price (and often free) shows of modern jazz, Surinamese kaseko and open mic crooning.

De Pijp is 3.5km south of Centraal Station. Trams 16 and 24 make the trip.

Wibautstraat

Once dubbed the city's ugliest avenue for its industrial architecture, South Amsterdam's Wibautstraat got a boost when the Volkskrant newspaper closed its office. In vintage Amsterdam fashion, squatters took over the building, and an art community developed. People started visiting the studios and improvisational club/restaurant that sprouted. And voila: it's now transformed into the stylish, 170-room Volkshotel, complete with rooftop hot tubs and panoramic lounge. In the warehouse across the street, the influential club/arts centre Trouw is in the process of being reconfigured into the Student Hotel, which will bring more fresh energy to the area. Keep an eye on this space! The Wibautstraat subway station puts you in the thick of it.