Negen Straatjes

De Negen Straatjes
Neighborhood of Amsterdam
Country  Netherlands
Province North Holland
COROP Amsterdam
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
Street signs of the nine Straatjes.

De Negen Straatjes (Dutch for "the nine little streets") is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It consists of nine side streets of the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Singel in central Amsterdam which have been promoting themselves with that name since the 1990s. Together they form a sub-neighborhood within the larger western Grachtengordel ("Canal Belt"), one with many small and diverse shops and restaurants. The construction in this area goes back to the first half of the 17th century.

The Negen Straatjes is bordered on the north by the Raadhuisstraat and on the south by the Leidsegracht. In between, the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Singel are interesected by three cross streets - but each of the cross streets has different names in each of its sections between the canals.

From the Prinsengracht towards the Singel and beginning with the northernmost streets, the streets are:

The names are reminders of many of the types of work that were carried out here in centuries past, especially the processing of skins (cow, bear, wolf and roe deer skins).

History

The idea to promote the Nine Little Streets as a shopping area came from Djoeke Wessing. Still a local shop keeper, she wanted a common name for the area to give the same allure as the Jordan. This, she felt, would promote cooperation and business growth, but also attract more tourists to the hitherto relatively unknown area. The Association of The 9 Streets was founded on November 12, 1996. Nobody thought it was a good name at the time, but the name has stuck, and the area retains de 9 Straatjes' name.[1]

Area attractions

The yearly Prinsengrachtconcert ("Prinsengracht Concert") in August takes places at the corner of the Prinsengracht and the Reestraat.

The "tenth" street

In recent years the Hazenstraat, a side street of the Elandsgracht in the Jordaan, close to the Negen Straatjes, has called itself the Tenth Street (Dutch: Tiende Straatje).[2]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to De Negen Straatjes.
  1. ↑ Djoeke Wessing, art deco and: the woman behind the 9 Streets
  2. ↑ De Hazenstraat is het Tiende Straatje

Coordinates: 52°22′12″N 4°53′09″E / 52.37000°N 4.88583°E / 52.37000; 4.88583

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