Escort Amsterdam West, beyond the Singelgracht

West lies close to where many companions live. From the Jordaan, Oud-West and the Westerpark are only minutes away, and the Vondelpark links the district to Oud-Zuid. Arrival within the hour is typical, and frequently sooner in Oud-West. Hotels near Sloterdijk sit beyond the ring road, so allow the full hour there, a little longer during the evening rush on the A10. Weekend events at the gasworks bring crowds to the park gates, which is worth a word when you write.

West is best enjoyed without too much planning. Dinner at a small restaurant off the Kinkerstraat, a film in the old tram depot at De Hallen, a cocktail in one of the former gasworks buildings, then an easy walk back beneath the trees. Admirers of architecture go further north to the Spaarndammerbuurt, where the museum Het Schip preserves one of the finest works of the Amsterdam School. Karolina, whose idea of leisure is an architecture walk, would not leave the district without seeing it. Tina, confident and easygoing, knows her record shops as well as her craft cocktails. Milena, direct and glamorous, is as comfortable at an espresso bar in the afternoon as at a candlelit table late at night.

In the Staatsliedenbuurt near the Westerpark, streets are named after statesmen, and several names sound alike when spoken quickly. Give the full street name, the house number and the floor, and say whether the bell carries your name. For a hotel near Sloterdijk, name it precisely, since the business area around the station spreads across a wide grid of offices that look much the same at night.

West does not advertise its sights, but it has plenty. The Westerpark stretches from the edge of the Jordaan to the old gasworks, whose brick halls now hold a cinema, restaurants and seasonal markets. In the Spaarndammerbuurt, the museum Het Schip shows how the Amsterdam School built housing as if it were sculpture. De Hallen, the restored tram depot near the Kinkerstraat, gathers food stalls, a cinema and a public library beneath steel roof trusses, while stalls of the Ten Katemarkt line the street outside on most days.

Further out, the Rembrandtpark and the Erasmuspark give the western neighbourhoods generous green space, pleasant for a walk before dinner when the city centre feels too full.

Trams along the Kinkerstraat, the Overtoom and the Jan Pieter Heijestraat connect West with the centre in about fifteen minutes. Sloterdijk station, on the western edge, has trains to Schiphol that take barely a quarter of an hour, and a taxi from the airport to Oud-West runs about twenty minutes outside the rush. The Westerpark is within walking distance of Centraal Station for guests who enjoy a stroll.

Companions from the Jordaan and Oud-Zuid are the nearest, so arrival in Oud-West is often quick. For the business hotels near Sloterdijk, the ring road sets the pace; the coordinator allows for it when giving you a time.

The Jordaan lies directly east, across the Singelgracht, and Oud-Zuid begins on the far side of the Vondelpark. From Sloterdijk, trains reach Schiphol in minutes. For formats beyond the hour, see the rates.