A little street in the north end of West, the Spaarndammerstraat used to be a factory workers' street, but now houses a variety of little shops, green grocers, libraries and restaurants. Take a leisurely stroll outside the buzz of the city centre. The Spaanrdammerstraat and its surroundings will make for an excellent non-traditional slice of the city far from its reputation as a Mecca for sin. In short, you can see how the locals live away from the canals and debauchery of Centrum and see some pretty spectacular 20th-century Amsterdam School architecture as well.