Stories of remarkable Amsterdammers and the places that make their city

She loved singing, acting and performing. But when Zoë van der Meer started secondary school, something changed. The social pressure, the fear of making mistakes and the constant expectations became too much for her. At times she could barely manage to go to school at all. She began writing down her feelings, at first just for herself. In September 2026 her story was published as a real book, by one of the best-known publishing houses in the Netherlands. Zoë was only sixteen.

Redactie Amsterdammers.love · 10 min read

In the Spaarndammerbuurt stands a building that looks as if an architect gave his imagination completely free rein. Undulating walls, strange towers, exuberant brickwork and windows that never seem to be the same. But Het Schip is much more than an architectural work of art. Behind the red bricks lies a revolutionary idea: why should only the rich be allowed to live beautifully? More than a hundred years ago, that idea gave rise to one of Amsterdam's most remarkable buildings.

Redactie Amsterdammers.love · 13 min read