Westerpark

I love Westerpark for a few reasons:
1. It’s a park with a wide variety. Kids, pets, adults who just want to lay in the sun… it’s all possible here. There’s plenty of room for everyone!
2. There’s an area that is like a stroll in the woods. I miss the woods where I grew up and I’m so happy to have a place that reminds of home… even if it’s just a little bit.
3. Lots of winding paths. I love to just follow a path to see where it leads.
4. Bike friendly to a point, then it’s pedestrian only. I like it though, because if I’m going for a walk I don’t want to worry about being run over by a cyclist. Though, some bikes still manage to get through.
5. Festivals and markets in the Westergasfabriek area all the time! But you can easily get far from the commotion.
6. Restaurants and cafes are there so you don’t have to go far to eat or drink.
I love seeing how people use their public spaces, from mini BBQs to flying kites, to sun-​bathing, I’ve seen it all and more. Oh, and there’s cherry blossoms in the spring. Love!

It’s time to give it up for Westerpark.
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1) Because Westerpark is still a park.
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A place where you can stroll around and daydream without almost being knocked over by other visitors, running or cycling (yes, I’m looking at you, Vondel).
Parents come here on hot days to get some minutes of rest while their kids are having fun in the wading pool. Everyone else brings a book and a towel to relax next to the water in the actual park area.
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2) Because Westerpark is also a great event venue.
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This year is not over for a long time yet and still there have already been so many cool events at Westerpark/​WesterGasfabriek.
These were my highlights so far:
summer: Neighbour Food Market — Skip home-​cooking once a month on Sunday to indulge in the amazing variety of lovely home made food.
May: Las Dalias on the road — Ibiza’s famous hippie market with a lot of handicraft like jewelry, clothes, furniture etc. Plus some nice food stalls.
May: Food film festival — You can’t go wrong with food and film, who doesn’t like either or both?
May/​June: Rollende Keukens — The free fantastic 4-​days munten-​less cash-​only gluttony aka food f

America is seriously never going to pull off parks the way the Europeans do. I love love love this place! I walked here since it’s a bit inconvenient to get to by tram from city center. Absolutely worth a stop if you’re looking for something peaceful or if you’re just looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of traveling. I was lucky enough to be in Amsterdam during a perfectly sunny weekend so I took the time to relax and rewind for a bit by napping in the park. There are tons of people in the area and so much beautiful greenery. I saw a couple of bikers and joggers as well. It’s a huge park and I definitely recommend exploring! I love that it also parallels the canal – something different from most of the parks I’ve been to.
tldr; awesome park, definitely make the trip to see it!