Navigation Menu+

Living on the water

Posted on Nov 3, 2013 by

« Previous: Morning sun | Next: An autumn sunset »

Houseboats — a very interesting way of living. One that is quite popular here in Amsterdam, where the number of houseboats went up to approximately 2500 at the last count. Many view it as a very romantic way to live, while others may consider it more of a fad for free spirits who don’t want to feel tied down to any fixed location. Whatever the reasons, people have been living in houseboats for a long time in Amsterdam and lately they are doing it quite comfortably: a modern houseboat offers all the amenities a normal house would such as a living room, kitchen, bedroom, toilet, bathroom (connected to the sewer systems of course) and often a small terrace. One could happily call that a home without having any second thoughts.

Although I don’t see myself living in a houseboat (I’m used to having solid ground under my feet and I’ve heard they can get quite cold during the winter), I still admire them when walking along the canals, always looking for unusual decorations or just constantly wondering about how one can have a floating home.

My favourite place for spotting houseboats in Amsterdam is the Amstel River, the place where I would love to anchor my houseboat if I had one.

The street is called Weesperzijde and the best part starts from Torontobrug going south until Berlagebrug: a quiet, green street, where many locals go for jogging or for walking their dogs in the evening and where every houseboat has a garden in front of its doors on the riverside. There are houseboats also on the opposite side of the river, and that’s a nice area too — but I prefer this one, I found it much more charming. It’s a place where I often go for a walk in order to clear my mind or to enjoy a great sunset.

Here are some pictures, taken on a lovely Sunday morning. I’ll let you enjoy a virtual walk while pondering what it would feel like to live here.

2 Comments

  1. When I first arrived in Holland I lived in Amsterdam not to far from an area with a lot of house boats. I always used to enjoy walking pass them and checking them out too.

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. Amsterdam is not Venice of the North | Amsterdamian - […] Italian spoken on the streets). You will see a lot of stunning canals and bridges, a lot of boats, houseboats,…
  2. A beautiful houseboat | Amsterdamian - […] post is about a lovely evening I spent with my friend who is living on a houseboat for a…
  3. A walk in the Oude Houthaven | Amsterdamian - […] of my favourite parts of Amsterdam: Oude Houthaven. This place between Pontsteiger and Silodam is a residential area for…
  4. The beauty of a winter evening | Amsterdamian - […] the next cosy cafĂ© and you have to decide if you stop or go further. You marvel at the…
  5. Amsterdam is not Venice of the North | Amsterdamian - […] spoken on the streets). You will see a lot of stunning canals and bridges, a lot of boats, houseboats, flowers…
  6. Houseboats of Amsterdam | Amsterdamian - […] you know there are around 2500 houseboats in Amsterdam? They fascinate me and I love everything about them, especially…
  7. Houseboats of Amsterdam | Amsterdamian - […] my walks along the canals, I always like to take the time to admire the boats —  it’s a…

Leave a Reply to Invader_Stu Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *