Amsterdam Noord and the NDSM Wharf

Amsterdam Noord, across the IJ from the historic centre, is where the city goes to see what comes next, and getting there is free. For most of the twentieth century this was an industrial district of shipyards, factories and workers' housing, separated from the old city by water and largely ignored by visitors. When the shipbuilding industry collapsed, the huge sheds and slipways were left empty, and artists, squatters and entrepreneurs moved in. The most famous of these sites is the NDSM wharf, once one of the largest shipyards in the country, where the vast old ship-assembly hall became a city of artists' studios and the waterfront filled with converted cranes, shipping-container offices, festivals, cafés and bars. Today NDSM is a sprawling open-air gallery of street art and graffiti, home to a dedicated street-art museum, regular flea markets in the old IJ-Hallen that are among the biggest in Europe, and some of the city's most relaxed waterside terraces, with views back across the river to the docks and the skyline. Closer to Centraal, on the Overhoeks waterfront, the Eye Filmmuseum's angular white building and the A'DAM Tower with its Lookout face the station. The GVB ferries are the key: from the IJ side behind Centraal Station, free ferries cross to Buiksloterweg (for Eye and A'DAM) in about five minutes and to NDSM in about a quarter of an hour, with bicycles welcome on board. Noord is also reachable by the Noord/Zuid metro line, but the ferry is the better experience. Entry to the wharf is free; markets, museums and events have their own fees.

How to spend an afternoon: take the ferry to NDSM and wander the wharf, looking at the murals and installations on the old sheds, the cranes and the waterfront. If it is an IJ-Hallen flea market weekend, give yourself a couple of hours among the stalls, which sell everything from vintage clothes to furniture. Then settle at one of the waterside bars or restaurants for a drink, or explore the studios and galleries in the shipyard hall when they open to the public. Ferry back toward Centraal via Buiksloterweg, stopping for the Eye Filmmuseum, whose exhibitions and cafe terrace are excellent, and the A'DAM Lookout for a sunset view from the top of the tower. With a bicycle, you can go further, into the quiet villages and polders of Waterland to the north, among the most beautiful rides near the city.

What to know: NDSM is an evolving, sometimes rough-around-the-edges site, and that is its charm; expect construction, temporary installations and a changing roster of bars and events. It can be windy and exposed on the waterfront, so bring a layer even in summer. Weekends are busiest, with markets, festivals and brunch crowds; weekdays are quiet and better for photography. Check the ferry timetable for the NDSM route, which runs less often than the short Buiksloterweg shuttle, and note that the last ferries run late into the night for those heading to concerts and events. The IJ-Hallen flea market is held on selected weekends with a small entry fee; check dates in advance.

Who will love it: creative types, photographers, flea-market fans and anyone who has done the canals and wants to see a different, contemporary Amsterdam. Families will enjoy the ferry rides, the open space and the street art, and couples should plan a waterside sunset drink. Noord pairs naturally with the A'DAM Lookout and the Eye Filmmuseum, and it makes a refreshing change from the crowds of the old centre on a busy summer weekend.