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14-653: Originally a working-class neighbourhood, the Jordaan has become one of the most expensive, upscale locations in the Netherlands. It is home to many art galleries, particularly for modern art, and is also dotted with speciality shops and restaurants. Markets are held regularly at Noordermarkt , the Westerstraat (the Lapjesmarkt textile market) and Lindengracht . Rembrandt spent the last years of his life in

28-407: A kind of charity. By the 1970s most of these courtyards were in very bad condition, like the rest of the neighbourhood. Since then many have been restored and are now inhabited mainly by artists, students and some elderly people. During the summer some of these yards are opened on Sundays during free concerts known as hofjesconcerten . Many houses in the Jordaan have a stone tablet on their facade,

42-502: A lively music scene in the 20th century. Several of the most popular musicians now have a statue in their memory at the corner of Prinsengracht and Elandsgracht . The singer Willy Alberti is commemorated with a memorial plaque on the Westerkerk church. The Jordaanfestival, celebrating the neighbourhood's music tradition, is held annually. Starting in the 1960s, many of the neighbourhood's original working-class residents moved out of

56-420: A stone sign displaying the profession or family sign of the inhabitants. For example, a butcher displayed a pig, and a tailor a pair of scissors, carved in stone above the entry. The first such stone tablets were made in the 16th century, when citizens were ordered to use these tablets instead of big wooden gables that obstructed the traffic in the narrow streets. Construction of the Jordaan began in 1612, when it

70-476: Is dominated by the 17th-Century Noorderkerk church, and is lined by cafés and restaurants. Markets are held on the square every Monday. On Saturdays, a popular organic farmer's market is held on the square. On Mondays a market (mainly for textiles) is also held in the adjacent Westerstraat street. Noordermarkt dates back to 1616 and was originally named Prinsenmarkt, after the Prinsengracht canal which

84-622: The Pottenbakkersgang (Westerstraat nrs. 216-226) were taken apart in 2002 and moved to the Nederlands Openluchtmuseum in Arnhem . The group had the status of Rijksmonument , and neighbors and organizations had protested against its planned demolition. The 17th-century buildings were the last of their kind in the Jordaan and were part of a standard system of pathways, buildings, and courtyards. Queen Beatrix opened

98-562: The Jordaan are named after trees and flowers. Another theory is that the Prinsengracht canal was once nicknamed after the Jordaan (which is the Dutch name for the river Jordan ), and that the neighbourhood beyond the Prinsengracht was so analogized. The Jordaan has a high concentration of hofjes (inner courtyards), many of them with restored houses and peaceful gardens. These courtyards were built by rich people for elderly women, as

112-642: The Jordaan, on the Rozengracht canal. He was buried in the Westerkerk church, at the corner of Rozengracht and Prinsengracht, just beyond the Jordaan. The Anne Frank House , where Anne Frank went into hiding during World War II , is located just beyond the neighborhood, on the east side of the Prinsengracht. The most common theory on the origin of the name posits derivation from the French word jardin (meaning garden ); indeed, most streets and canals in

126-701: The Noorderkerk church. Westerstraat The Westerstraat is a major street in the Jordaan , a neighborhood of Amsterdam , in the Netherlands. The street was created by the filling in of the Anjeliersgracht . It runs from the Noordermarkt to the Marnixstraat . Besides residential homes and shops, including a supermarket, there are restaurants and cafes. The Anjeliersgracht was dug in

140-577: The canals again, but citizens and businesses protested. There is a market every Monday morning. Many streets in the Jordaan had alleys between the houses; some of these were covered by other buildings in the course of time. These alleys dead-ended in the yards behind the houses; in those yards were older, frequently dilapidated, buildings that housed the poor. On the Westerstraat these included: Most of these alleys were repurposed after buildings were renovated or torn down. The group of buildings on

154-463: The city to more affordable locations, mainly to Almere and Purmerend . 52°22′35″N 4°52′54″E  /  52.37639°N 4.88167°E  / 52.37639; 4.88167 Noordermarkt The Noordermarkt ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈnoːrdərˌmɑr(ə)kt] ; English: Northern Market ) is a square in the Jordaan neighborhood of Amsterdam in the Netherlands . The square

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168-526: The first half of the 17th century as part of the city's expansion program . The canal was dug in 1650; it was filled in in 1861 (the water quality was poor, and there was a need to create room for traffic ), and was called Westerstraat. Between 1922 and 1932 streetcar 20 ran from the Marnixstraat through the Westerstraat to its terminus on the Noordermarkt. There have been plans to open up some of

182-526: The square borders. After completion in 1623 of the Noorderkerk, the square came to be known as Noordermarkt. Until 1655 the square served mainly as a graveyard for the church. During World War II , the organisers of the February Strike of 1941, to protest deportations of Jews by the Nazis , held their first public meetings on Noordermarkt square. This is commemorated by a plaque on the south face of

196-577: Was called Het Nieuwe Werck (The New Work). The streets and canals were built according to the old ditches and paths, which explains its unusual orientation compared to the rest of the city. In the 19th century, six of the Jordaan's canals were filled in, including the Rozengracht . The neighbourhood was traditionally a leftwing stronghold, with a stormy history. Heavy riots broke out in 1835, 1886, 1917 and 1934. The February strike of 1941 started with meetings on Noordermarkt square. The Jordaan had

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