The neighborhood was perfect. After all, that was the main reason why I myself had chosen the Jordaan to live in. Linked to and as old as the famous World-Heritage canal area it's an attractive small-scale neighbourhood with a mixed population of all ages and backgrounds: working-class people, artists, intellectuals, middle-class, families that have lived here for generations. A gentle, relaxed atmosphere, many restaurants, bars, supermarkets, streetmarkets and shops. Little traffic and hardly any tourists but right in the old heart of the city. Amsterdam Central Train Station is on a picturesque 10-minutes walk away. Ann Franks' House is even nearer.
Around every corner one stumbles into breathtaking glimpses of the past. Every big European city happily still has these pre-industrial areas where for centuries artisans and working-class use to live together: St. Germain in Paris, Trastevere in Rome, the Barrio Gotico in Barcelona, Prenzlau and Kreuzberg in Berlin, Santa Cruz in Sevilla, Lavapiés in Madrid. They all are still relatively unspoiled. No doubt the Jordaan too has to be on that list of still authentic historical quarters of which people dream to live in. They all offer the best of two worlds: the conveniences and culture of a big international city, but also the feeling of still being embedded into the continuity of time in a friendly almost village-like ambiance.