De Pijp

De Pijp has Amsterdam's busiest market and best international food scene. Pickpockets work the crowds hard, but good foot traffic makes it feel safe. Great solo dining options if you avoid the market area.

Albert Cuyp Market is Amsterdam's busiest street market and gets completely packed by noon - you'll be shoulder-to-shoulder with tourists and locals buying everything from fresh stroopwafels to knockoff designer bags. The pickpockets work this crowd hard, so keep your bag in front and phone buried deep. Side streets like Gerard Doustraat have authentic family-run restaurants - Ethiopian, Turkish, Peruvian - with better prices than the tourist zones. The Heineken Experience is right here but it's basically a marketing exercise with overpriced beer. Young professionals live in this area so evening foot traffic is good, but weekend nights can get rowdy with bar crawls.