Where are the really nice areas in Amsterdam to rent an apartment, and what areas should I stay away from?

Question

I will be in Amsterdam in April and May on business and travel, but I've been thinking about moving to Europe on a more permanent basis, and I would like to know which areas in Amsterdam I could rent a really nice apartment in a safe area, and which areas to stay away from? I'm figuring around $2500/month for rent, can I get a nice apartment for this amount and in which areas would be the best?
Thank You

Answer 1

USD 2,500/month would get you something quite upmarket in almost any area. Of course the inner city, especially within the "canal ring", is great to live in, but also very expensive -- $ 2,500 would get you something relatively basic there. A bit further out, almost any place inside of the A10 ring road is good, and this amount of money would get you a luxury apartment with at least two bedrooms. Stay away from De Baarsjes and Slotervaart/Overtoomse Veld; although there are plenty of nice areas in those boroughs, it is a bit of a gamble for somebody who doesn't know the place.

Amsterdam is very compact, and you might want to consider to rent something in the suburbs (actually separate towns but so close to Amsterdam as makes no difference) like Duivendrecht, Abcoude, or the rural part of Northern Amsterdam (close to the open water of the IJmeer). This has a very nice outdoorsy, rural feel about it (five minutes walking to get into farming areas and nature/national parks), but you could still get into town in about 20 minutes driving. Stay away from Diemen (as dead as a doornail), Amstelveen (pretentious and overpriced), and the Bijlmermeer (a failed social experiment that is only slowly recovering -- might be nice again in a couple of years -- also known as "South-East Amsterdam" or "Amsterdam Zuidoost").

Answer 2

relies upon on your budget. For a single individual i think of better Fillmore, Nob Hill, the Panhandle, the Haight, Hayes Valley, would be interesting. each thing is costly. Get used to that. You pay $1500 a month for a studio or a a million-bdrm. reckoning on the area. For a no longer so super area you will pay below $900 for a storage apartment interior the sundown or the Excelsior.

Answer 3

These are in good areas: http://www.amsterdam-accommodation.nl/

Currency conversion: http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic

Travelogues: http://www.thetravelzine.com

Hope that helps!