Watergraafsmeer

Area

Watergraafsmeer’s borders are formed by the Amstel River, the Ringvaart canal, the A10 ring highway and the newly arising Amsterdam Science Park. It is bisected into four equal parts by arterial commercial roads Middenweg and Kruislaan.

History

‘Water Canal Lake’ (Watergraafsmeer) is the lowest-lying area in Amsterdam. As a polder, reclaimed land, it was first pumped dry in 1629. In the 17th and 18th centuries, wealthy Amsterdammers built estates to escape the city on weekends—only Frankendael, with its restaurant and garden, is left as a reminder of those times. In the 20th century, ‘worker villas’ like Jeruzelum and the oddly futuristic Betondorp were built without ‘church, bar or capital’.

Later, Watergraafsmeer became a city focus as home to the football stadium De Meer where Amsterdam Ajax played until 1996. Not only did iconic footballer Johan Cruijff call Watergraafsmeer home, but also Dutch writers such as Gerard Reve and Karel van het Reve.

Highlights

Watergraafsmeer offers a wide range of green. Many residents have garden allotments and the area is dotted with sports fields, Amsterdam’s largest cemetery Nieuwe Oosterbegraafplaats (and its curious Netherlands Funeral Museum Tot Zover) and the city’s largest skating rink Jaap Edenbaan.

For commuters it has the major train station Amstel as well as easy access to the A10 ring highway.

Your neighbourhood

It’s really a whole series of smaller neighbourhoods: some fiercely working-class areas with a strong sense of community, to middle-rise apartment blocks to high-rises along the Amstel River. Besides lower- and middle-income families, there’s a significant aging population. One can also speak of a ‘brain gain’, as the Science Park with its academic research institutes and technology companies reaches completion.

Eating, drinking, etc.

Although the emphasis here may not be on nightlife, there are a couple of the city’s most highly-regarded restaurants such as De Kas (who grow food in their own greenhouses), Dauphine on Prins Bernardplein near Amstel Station, and Kaap Kot with its views over the Amstel River. And happily, residents are relatively close to the vibrant Oost and Dappermarkt.