Amsterdam-West is the city district just west of the Jordaan and the canal ring, covering Oud-West, De Baarsjes, Bos en Lommer and the Westerpark area.
It is dense, young and full of neighbourhood life, with De Hallen, the Westergas park and some of the city’s best everyday markets.
This guide covers where Amsterdam West is, its history, what to do and eat, its markets, how to get there, and what the official figures say about living there.
Where Amsterdam-West is
West starts at the Singelgracht and the Nassaukade, on the far side of the Jordaan, and runs west to the ring road A10.
Its four traditional parts are:
- Oud-West, between the Singelgracht and the Kostverlorenvaart, around the Kinkerstraat, the Overtoom and the Bilderdijkstraat.
- De Baarsjes, west of the Kostverlorenvaart, built around the Mercatorplein and the Hoofdweg.
- Bos en Lommer, to the north-west, with the Erasmuspark and the Bos en Lommerplein.
- Westerpark, to the north, including the Staatsliedenbuurt, the Spaarndammerbuurt and the new Houthavens on the IJ.
Nieuw-West, beyond the ring road, is a separate city district; its market on Plein 40-45 has its own guide.
The Jordaan is right next door to the east; see our Jordaan guide.
A short history
Most of West was built between the late nineteenth century and the 1930s, as Amsterdam grew beyond its seventeenth-century limits.
Oud-West came first, in long streets of four-storey blocks; De Baarsjes and Bos en Lommer followed in the twentieth century.
The Spaarndammerbuurt holds some of the most celebrated Amsterdam School housing, including Het Schip by the architect Michel de Klerk, now a museum of the style.
The former municipal gasworks became the Westergas cultural park, and a former tram depot on the Bellamyplein side became De Hallen.
Things to do in Amsterdam-West
De Hallen holds a food hall, the Foodhallen, as well as a cinema, shops and a hotel under one roof.
The Westerpark and the Westergas grounds host festivals, markets and events through the year; check What’s On in Amsterdam for this week’s programme.
Het Schip in the Spaarndammerbuurt shows how the Amsterdam School architects designed housing for workers.
The Erasmuspark in Bos en Lommer and the Westerpark are good for children; see our Amsterdam playgrounds map.
The Vondelpark lies on the southern edge of Oud-West, shared with Amsterdam-Zuid.
For families, The Science Camp on the Kinkerstraat keeps its listing with us.
Where to eat and drink
The Kinkerstraat, the Jan Pieter Heijestraat, the Overtoom and the streets around the Mercatorplein are the main eating areas, with a very wide range of kitchens.
Browse our directory of Amsterdam restaurants, Italian restaurants and bars.
A few businesses in West keep their own listing up to date with us:
- Himalayan Kitchen, on the Ten Katestraat by the market.
- SILK Amsterdam, on the Bilderdijkstraat.
- Smokey Goodness, on the Bellamyplein.
- Restaurante Dona, on the Nicolaas Beetsstraat.
- Testamatta, an Italian restaurant on the Overtoom.
- Restaurant FAAM, on the Reinier Claeszenstraat in Bos en Lommer.
- PONG, a ping pong bar on the Jan van Galenstraat.
- Plato Loco, a Caribbean restaurant on the Rombout Hogerbeetsstraat.
- BAK, on the Van Diemenstraat by the Houthavens.
Markets
The Ten Katemarkt, just off the Kinkerstraat, is open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 18:00 and mixes daily shopping with street food.
The Jordaan’s Westerstraat market on Monday and Lindengracht market on Saturday are a short walk east.
See every market by day in Amsterdam markets by day.
Getting there and around
West has no metro stop in its centre, so trams do most of the work.
Tram 1 runs along the Overtoom, and trams 7 and 17 cross Oud-West and De Baarsjes towards Nieuw-West.
Trams 5 and 13 run along the Marnixstraat; tram 5 ends at Westergasfabriek, and tram 13 continues via the Mercatorplein and the Jan van Galenstraat to Geuzenveld.
Tram 12 runs through the Bilderdijkstraat area to the Frederik Hendrikplantsoen, and tram 19 links Bos en Lommer with Station Sloterdijk.
Metros 50 and 51 stop at De Vlugtlaan and Jan van Galenstraat on the western edge, and Station Sloterdijk and Station Lelylaan have NS trains.
Lines and stops are taken from the GVB rail network map of 31 August 2026; check the GVB app for diversions.
Look up the local risk in our bike theft by neighbourhood tool before you park your bike.
Living in Amsterdam-West: the figures
Adding up its twenty CBS districts, West had 148,705 residents on 1 January 2026 (CBS, Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2026).
It is a district of young adults: 44% of residents are aged 25 to 44, against 37% for Amsterdam as a whole, the same share as De Pijp.
It is also extremely dense: the Van Galenbuurt in Bos en Lommer had 28,662 residents per square kilometre, the highest of any CBS district in the city, against an Amsterdam average of about 4,950.
18% of households include children, against 23% for the city, and 57% are one person.
The average WOZ value of a home was about €510,000, just below the Amsterdam average of €518,000 (CBS Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2025, valuation date 1 January 2024; our average weighted by number of homes).
31% of homes are owner-occupied and 37% belong to housing corporations (CBS 2025 figures).
Use our rent points calculator to check whether a rent is regulated, and our Amsterdam housing guide for the rest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What areas are in Amsterdam-West?
Oud-West, De Baarsjes, Bos en Lommer and Westerpark, which includes the Staatsliedenbuurt, the Spaarndammerbuurt and the Houthavens.
Is Amsterdam-West the same as Nieuw-West?
No, Nieuw-West is a separate city district beyond the A10 ring road, with Slotermeer, Geuzenveld, Osdorp and Slotervaart.
What is there to do in Amsterdam-West?
De Hallen and the Foodhallen, the Westerpark and Westergas, the Ten Katemarkt, Het Schip museum and the Erasmuspark.
How many people live in Amsterdam-West?
148,705 people on 1 January 2026, adding up the twenty CBS districts in the city district.
Is there a metro in Amsterdam-West?
Only on its western edge: metros 50 and 51 stop at De Vlugtlaan and Jan van Galenstraat; the rest of the district is served by tram.
Other Amsterdam neighbourhoods
Read our guides to De Pijp, the Jordaan, Amsterdam-Zuid, Amsterdam-Centrum, Amsterdam-Oost and IJburg, or start with the Amsterdam neighbourhood guide.
Not sure which suits you?
Take the Amsterdam neighbourhood quiz.
Photo: De Hallen by Marion Golsteijn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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