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Borough of Amsterdam in North Holland, Netherlands
Photo: Tasja, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Zuidoost (Dutch for Southeast), often colloquially referred to as the Bijlmer, is a borough of Amsterdam. It is an exclave, separated from the mainland by Duivendrecht and Diemen.
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In 1992 a Boeing 747F jumbo freighter crashed into two flats in the Bijlmer. This is a monument to the people on the ground who died or lost their houses in the disaster. 39 residents are known to have died, but due to many unregistered illegal immigrants living in the cellars of the flats at the time, which were completely incinerated in the crash, it is possible that more died than could be accounted for. The monument was designed by architect Herman Hertzberger and is built around a tree that survived the crash, with the names of the known victims and mosaics laid by survivors. The foundations of the destroyed buildings are also still visible.
Formerly Amsterdam ArenA
The Johan Cruijff ArenA, built from 1993 to 1996, has a capacity of 55,865 seats during sports matches. It's the home ground of AFC Ajax, who play in the Eredivisie, the top tier of football in the Netherlands; the Dutch national team also play here. The arena can hold up to 71,000 people during concerts and regularly holds popular music events. Ajax offers multiple daily tours through the stadium.
OSCAM is the museological platform for art, fashion, design, craftsmanship and development in Amsterdam. It has a rich background in curating art, fashion and design exhibitions with a speciality in young (sub)cultures. By involving known and unknown creative talents in our exhibitions and programs, OSCAM inspires and fulfils the need for a connection platform with other social art institutes in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and beyond.
Protected monument to the original 1960s urban vision of the modernist Bijlmermeer expansion of Amsterdam. It consists of the high-rise flats Gooioord, Groeneveen, Grubbehoeve, Kikkenstein, Kleiburg and Kruitberg, the brutalist metro viaduct running between them and the parks they are all located in. You can get a tour of parts of the Grubbehoeve flat by appointment, but if the weather's good just grab supplies for a picnic at the Ganzenhoef or Kraainest shopping centers and walk underneath the metro line.
Formerly Heineken Music Hall
Large-scale music venue with plenty of international stars having performed here. More "headliners" are booked in Amsterdam for AFAS Live than any other venue. Best reached by train or metro (station Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA).
Indoor music venue.
One of the largest cinemas in the country, and it also has IMAX movies.
Recreational area and nature reserve with a lake and water-sports centre. The centre offers facilities for canoeing, swimming, rowing, sailing and a surfing school. Explore the park (5 km around the lake) by foot, bicycle or horseback. On the edge of the park is the Gaasper Camping campsite.
A well-equipped outdoor gym with permanent workout stations, made out of green plastic & metal. If you spend some time in Bijlmer, this is a good spot to workout for free during the daytime, and talk to locals. Just beside the running tracks and tennis court which you will see from the metro station and the Kraaiennest Winkelcentrum.
There are a plethora of spots to go skateboarding in Amsterdam Zuidoost. The biggest attraction is the new skatepark in Bijlmer Park with two large bowls.
Surinamese and Indonesian cuisine. Very good Moksi Meti (marinated pork and sausages with noodles). Popular with the locals. Take-away.
Sandwich bar. Mainly caters to office workers in surrounding buildings. Try the hummus & sun-dried tomato.
One of the few Ghanaian snack bars in Amsterdam. Specializes in Kenkey (a sort of sourdough dumpling), but has a wide range of West-African cuisine at very reasonable prices.
Relatively up-market Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant in the fancy new building opposite station Bijlmer-Arena. Great food, presentation and service - definitely worth the price. On cold days, avoid sitting anywhere near the door as it frequently fails to close properly.
Inevitably, hipsters have even found their way into the Bijlmer. Part-funded by crowdfunding. Very worthy 'Swedish style' coffee house. Coffee, biological lemonade and cakes. Also showcases art by local artists.
2 Chefs Circular Restaurant
Restaurant dedicated to circular economy. Occupies a formerly derelict building, all furnishings are second-hand, and as much food as possible is home-grown or locally sourced. Profits are invested in local community initiatives, and the whole restaurant functions as a low-key gallery for local artists. Also, the food (surprisingly traditional French/European fare) is delicious.
Surinamese Caribbean vegan food made by a local collective. Also delivers within Zuidoost and Diemen.
In 2015 the first monastery - the Kleiklooster - opened in the Bijlmer, and as good monks do, they started brewing beer. Good beer, if somewhat eccentric. This is their tasting hall where you can sample the current Kleiburg brews. Avoid late afternoons, particularly on Fridays, as it can get very busy when nearby offices are empty. Clientele consists more of office workers and tourists than locals. You can frequently spot a tall grey-haired man with a large beard - the monastery's preacher - buzzing around.
Large cafe under the Hampton/Hilton hotel. During the day mainly caters to the nearby office crowd, but in the evenings it gets more local.
First - and as of September 2021, only - coffee shop in Zuidoost. Caters to locals, day trippers to large venues nearby and tourists in the surrounding hotels. Take-away or smoke in.
The capital's largest campsite.
Immediately adjacent to metro station Bullewijk, 5 min walk from train station Amsterdam Bijlmer-Arena. Free wifi. Free parking. No curfew. This hostel is the largest in Amsterdam, opened in 2015 in a completely renovated former office building. Clean and very popular, it spearheaded the revitalisation of this part of town. Location is logistically perfect, less than 20 min door-to-door from Schiphol airport, near the major train station and the junction between major motorways leading into Amsterdam, and with an excellent metro connection into the center of town. The only drawback is that there isn't much to do in the immediate vicinity and that the metro doesn't run at night. Fortunately Amsterdam night buses do run every night and stop at Amsterdam Bijlmer-Arena (5 min walk away).
3-star hotel. Free Wi-Fi. Free parking.
3-star hotel. Free parking. 8 conference rooms. Restaurant. The bar is open till 01:00.
Exactly what you'd expect from Easy - affordable, no-frills but generally clean.
Surprisingly affordable, straight across from Bijlmer Arena station.
Largest shopping centre in Zuidoost and indeed one of the largest in Amsterdam. All the usual big chain shops, but toward the eastern end, particularly in the "Shopper Hal" a lot of local/Caribbean/African places. Be sure to try the sausage or tripe from one of the vending cards, but beware the 'pepper' is very spicy.
ArenA Boulevard
On the west side of the railway so caters less to locals than people from elsewhere in town or indeed the country, consisting of a number of very large stores. Could be useful if in need of electronics or sporting equipment.
One of the larger local shopping centers. The main attraction is the metro line, which passes over the shopping street and disappears through a building on the eastern side. You'll also be sure to spot the herons (reigers) the area is named after.
By train
The architecturally-acclaimed Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA railway station provides easy access to Amsterdam and the rest of the Netherlands. It serves the Bijlmermeer neighbourhood.
By metro
Metro lines 50, 53 and 54 link the Bijlmer to the rest of Amsterdam.
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