Gay Girl in Amsterdam for 2 Days: Where to stay and what to do???

October 24, 2011 7:53 AM

Where should I stay in Amsterdam and what should I check out? I'm going to Amsterdam for two days and two nights the first week of January. I am a 26 year old single lesbian who is very interested in checking out the local hotspots for gay women and also visiting some art galleries. I would like to see some unusual art installations and/or performance art while I am there. Thank you! : )

I have plans to go back to Amsterdam in the summer for a few weeks so if you can think of any intriguing things happening art-wise or women-wise, let me know, please! : ) I appreciate it!

posted by thatgirl1985 to travel & transportation around Amsterdam, The Netherlands (6 answers total)

Go to the Homo-museum! I didn't actually have a chance to go myself when I was there, but I wish I had. It's totally on my list for the next time. There's also a really interesting (for history dorks like myself) self-guided walking tour between the Anne-Frank-Huis and the Verzetsmuseum that's worth an hour or so of your time. The pamphlet with the information was something like 50c.

Also, for your longer stay, get a bike! The place I stayed when I was there (I used CouchSurfing to find a place) had extras that they let people use, and it made staying in Amsterdam so much better.
posted by naturalog at 7:58 AM on October 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

I don't know that much about the queer scene in Amsterdam but the most famous lesbian cafe is Saarein in the Jordaan (corner of Elandsstraat & Hazenstraat). Definitely worth a visit, great atmosphere and open for all "queer-minded people", as it says on the website.
posted by rubbish bin night at 8:28 AM on October 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

No suggestions for the January trip, because I don't know Amsterdam well enough; but if you don't mind some train travel, I have a couple of arty suggestions for next summer.

First, Groningen, for the Groninger Museum (whose permanent collection is older than you're looking for, but whose exhibitions are usually very contemporary, and whose buildings practically qualify as an installation in their own right) and also for a look at whatever's in the Tschumi Pavilion. You can reach Groningen in a little under two and a half hours by train; the museum is just across from the station, and the pavilion is less than five minutes' walk from the museum.

Second, Eindhoven, for the Van Abbemuseum of contemporary art. Here, the whole collection is contemporary, I think, and again, the building itself is worth a look. The train from Amsterdam takes about an hour and a half.

Third, if you'll be here late enough in the summer, Groningen again, for the Noorderzon visual and performing arts festival, which runs for eleven days in the second half of August.

Finally, I know this isn't exactly what you're asking about, but there are a couple of gay pride festivals held in the Netherlands in the summer, which I'm mentioning in case they're of interest. The first is the national gay pride celebration, Roze Zaterdag 2012 (sorry, Dutch only - the "English" link on the left just translates the site's front page), which is to be held in Haarlem on 7th July. Here's Haarlem's official Roze Stad ("Pink City") website, which isn't quite up and running yet but certainly should be by then. (Looks like it's also Dutch only, at least at the moment, sorry.) Then there's Amsterdam's annual Gay Pride weekend, held at the start of August, which looks to be a bigger event.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 9:18 AM on October 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

if you see a stand on the street selling pickled herring, buy it. eat it. you will not regret. ditto for stroopwaffel (it'l like a giant oreo made of waffle cone with toffee caramel in the middle...you cover your coffee cup with it and it gets all melty from the heat) WARNING: highly addictive!
posted by sexyrobot at 11:52 AM on October 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

I don't know where in Amsterdam you will be staying. Gay male here and spent a week in Amsterdam. We stayed at the Marriott that was on the south/west edge of old Amsterdam The old part of Amsterdam has so many different kinds of things to see from a the Bondage Museum, erotic museums to Anne Frank House, the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijks Museum. If you are staying in or old Amsterdam, everything is within walking distance. A bike would help you get around but I personally found that remembering which lane to be in for walking was enough of a challenge as they have separate lanes for walking, biking, and cars.
posted by GeneticFreek at 11:55 AM on October 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

For contemporary art, I would suggest de Appel, (deappel.nl). It's a fantastic small-mid museum in a former school, they put on great exhibitions along with great publications.
posted by Sreiny at 6:06 AM on October 25, 2011 [1 favorite]