The streets at night
Noord keeps the calmest nights of any borough this close to Dam Square. On the south bank the ferries leave from behind Centraal Station, free of charge, and the short hop to Buiksloterweg runs through the night, while the longer boat to the NDSM wharf keeps shorter hours. Standing on the open deck at one in the morning, with the station lights behind you and dark water sliding past, is part of the atmosphere, and part of the reason the women who come here arrive in a warm coat. Once ashore, the streets empty quickly. Around the Van der Pekstraat and in the old garden villages the loudest sound after midnight is a bicycle chain; out at the wharf, the huge shipbuilding hall stands silent under its murals, apart from festival weekends when the whole quay fills. Away from the water, the metro that tunnels beneath the IJ links Noorderpark and the terminus at Noord with the centre in a few minutes, often the quicker route inland while it is running. Waterfront apartment buildings usually have intercoms and a lobby, while older terraced homes open straight onto the pavement. Tell us which yours is when you write.
