State Of The Map 2009

OK, you’re in Amsterdam, and the State Of The Map thing is all good and nice, but how ’bout some action in town? And how to get (back) to the conference venue?

Venue location

CCC conference venue, the location for SOTM09

SOTM09 will be hosted at CCC (web site in Dutch only, location), a brand new conference facility right in the middle of Amsterdam. Located on the top floor, it provides a wonderful view over the city. A flexible floor plan allows for larger and smaller breakout sessions. A representative lounge area, wireless network throughout, and very good catering facilities will make for a first class SOTM experience.

Transportation

Rent. A. Bike. Rent. A. Bike. It is by far the best way to get around. Amsterdam is not big and biking is good for you. Get one at Rent-A-Bike Damstraat or one of the MacBike places scattered around the city.

If you insist on public transportation – the trams are not all bad. Buses go where trams can’t and we even have something that resembles an underground network. All operated by GVB, more info at their place. Taxis work like you would expect, but they’re quite expensive (count on €15 for a 10 minute ride in the city, more at night) and the drivers not always very savvy to the Amsterdam streets. More local travel info at the official tourist site.

What to map?

The Big Question! Amsterdam looks fairly complete, but looks are quite deceiving. Although the road network looks quite good, we are lacking detail in many respects. For starters, almost no coffeeshops have been mapped, and only a small number of bars and restaurants. We will come up with suitable mapping challenges in time for you to buy extra batteries for your GPS devices.

Restaurants / pubs / bars / nightlife

Amsterdam has too many good places to single out some, but some general direction we can give. For small pubs and little restaurants in a picturesque old city atmosphere, check out the Jordaan area. Nightlife revolves around Leidseplein and Rembrandtsplein squares, with some interesting spots off the beaten track for you to discover.

For a comprehensive city guide, head over to Steven Pembertons ‘Internet Guide to Amsterdam‘