IJ Waterfront (Westelijke & Oostelijke Eilanden)
Centered on Centraal Station and stretching east and west along both banks of the IJ, this fast-redeveloping area includes the artificial islands, warehouses, and other installations of Amsterdam's old harbor (the new harbor lies west of the city). A shiny new kind of Amsterdam is taking shape on parts of this waterfront where old facilities have been demolished and are being replaced by new apartments and modern offices.
Royal Dutch Shell Building in Amsterdam-Noord
Main attractions in this area are the Maritime Museum, The Amsterdam, NEMO, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ. Cruise ships dock at the Passenger Terminal Amsterdam 
. There are many mooring facilities for touring boats and inland cruise operations. Every year over 100 sea cruise ships and more than 700 river cruise ships are ariving in this part of the city and their number is growing.
A two-decade makeover of the southern bank of Amsterdam's IJ inlet has seen disused shipping wharfs, dockside warehouses and industrial estates replaced by a new urban zone, nestled into the historic city center. Densely stacked apartment blocks, offices and businesses have been joined by cultural institutions, restaurants and schools, in a combination of new and old building stock.
Developments like those along the IJ waterfronts - like the new residential neighbourhood being realized on the island of IJburg, the redevelopment of the central and western harbour areas, and that of the waterfront of Amsterdam-Noord (Amsterdam North) - are better understood on the background of Amsterdam's recent housing policy and of its role in the city's development strategy. They in fact represent important urban pieces in a strategy aiming at strengthening the city's attractiveness by raising the city's stock of private property housing - historically largely below the national average - to at least 35%, in particular, by increasing the offer of new attractive high quality middle-class housing.
nearby Attractions
Bimhuis house of the jazzCentraal Station central railway station
De Waag old city gate
Het Scheepvaartmuseum national maritime museum
Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ concert hall for modern music
NEMO science center
Nieuwmarkt
Red Light District
SEARCH
nearby Lunch places
nearby Restaurants