Rotterdam: a perfect location
by uss_yorktown
The city has a fine transportation system both above and under ground.
For a small city (about 650.000 people) there is enough shopping, restaurants and nightlife.
Every last Saturday of the year they organize the tropical carnival which attracts almost a million visitors, 2 weeks later there is a dance parade (like the one in Berlin)
In January the International Film Festival
Then there is the famous North Sea Jazz Festival
Every weekend you can catch a soccermatch or any other sport
Rotterdam is a modern city with lots of new buildings
But the biggest advantage is the location. Within an hour travelling you can reach:
Amsterdam, Keukenhof (flowers) ,the Hague, Delft, Utrecht or Kinderdijk (famous windmills)
Belgium (Antwerp) or Germany
There are trains running every day to Paris
For more information: http://www.rotterdam.info/uk/
EXPERIMENTATION
by RubenE
The twenties and thirties of the last century were times of experimentation with new residential forms. The growth of Rotterdam's population (both blue collar and in general) and it's generally dismal housing conditions was a spur to improve the constructionof new housing. Prompted by new insights into social hygiene, the Municipal Housing Authority strove to improve daylighting, air circulation and the working man's intellectual life. Since the new homes had to be attractive-looking as well as efficient and affordable, Rotterdam architects such as J.J.P. Oud and W. van Tijen proffered radical solutions to the housing problem. The traditional pattern of houses ranged alongside a street was replaced by a new one: dwellings grouped into open urban blocks, parallel strips and high-rise blocks. Technical builing requirements, cost-cutting and the desire for a contemporary look in the homes stimulated the use of new builing materials such as concrete, steel and glass. A combination of idealism and cost-saving motivated the provision of communal facilities, such as washrooms and central heating for the dwellings.
Examples:
- De Kossel
- Kiefhoek
- Mathenesserplein
- Bergpoldeflat
The Zoo 'Blijdorp', a modern...
by cowhand
The Zoo 'Blijdorp', a modern zoo;
the 'Euromast', a kind of spacetower with restaurant, with wonderful sights (when the wether is clear!)
and the city-center, completely renewed While I'm not living in the center of Rotterdam, I like the environment, where the traffic is not so busy. But I don't miss Rotterdam very much when I'm travelling, however, I can be mighty glad whem I'm home again!
Tourist Information Office
by Imbi
Once you are out of the station, the Tourist Information Office is across the road. Every time we walked pass this office it seemed very busy as people enquiring about their problems. There are few more offices all over the city.
How to use your coins in NL - buying train tickets
by Airpunk
That has nothing to do with your restaurant bill, but with your daily shopping, especially in supermarkets. Currently, the Netherlands are in a process of withdrawing the 1 and 2 cents coins from daily use, so everything is rounded up to the next five cents. That means that if you buy stuff for 3,47 Euro, you have to pay 3,45 Euro. But if you have 3,48 Euro your bill will be 3,50. It's a system similar to the one in Finland or to the one used in Guilder times in the Netherlands.
Other useful hints for coins: Train tickets are cheaper when you buy them from a machine instead of a counter. Problem: Unlike Amsterdam, there is no change machine in the central train station of Rotterdam and the shops will not change your money unless you buy something. So try to gather a lot of 2€ coins - and get rid of the 5 cent coins as (unlike in Germany) no machine takes them.... The most important thing you should know when you travel within the Netherlands is how to use the "Nationale Strippenkaart". But close to that comes the use of money :)
Sign in with Facebook
Boat trip 'Nehalennia'
Typical bar
My Sorta Bar
Football Supporters Of All Ages At Cafe Visser
