Elandsgracht Amsterdam

Studio Stroop is all about passion, craftsmanship and diversity. Three concepts that virtually all businesses along the Elandsgracht have in common. Business is good, as its growing clientele is as diverse as its treatments and range of products. 20somethings rub shoulders with octogenarians,  the rich mingle with the less rich,  locals or people from way outside the city limits – they all find their way to the Studio. What matters most to owner Wilfred is to make someone feel better and more confident after a treatment because ultimately, confidence and feeling comfortable give a person true beauty, Wilfred says. It makes perfect sense. You connect with it because that is how you want to be treated. Wilfred employs eight people, all of whom have been trained internally by means of a course that is Studio Stroop’s own. It was devised by Wilfred, who saw this as a great way of spreading his filosophy and creating an unofficial stamp of approval of his Studio and his methods. Besides this shop, he also runs a studio at the very heart of the Dutch broadcasting industry, in Hilversum. Plenty of celebrities pop in there on a regular basis for some treatment or other. All of this together really make any advertising superfluous. The brand speaks for itself by now.

This Rob Peetoom hairdresser is one of fourteen nationwide. The imporium has turned the owner’s name into a widely recognised brand name. Fourteen years ago it opened the shop at number 68 where Vincent Langedijk became creative director. Vincent more or less grew up inside the company, having started out as a trainee at age 17.  The company operates by a certain philosophy: a hair cut works if it matches the customer’s personality. It is all about the individual and his or her uniqueness. Especially in this case, the phrase ‘everyone is unique’ is not a paradox, but something to strive for: highlight that uniqueness in everyone. Moreover, the brand has its own academy that trains its future hair stylists. They are then differentiated in Junior Stylists, Stylists and Senior Stylists, ranked according to experience and ability. They have their own price range, so you decide how much you want to spend on your haircut. It is the focus on what suits every individual, the details of each face and the classy environment that make a trip to Rob Peetoom quite an experience.

In just seven years, Jurgen Ambrosius and his wife have found a home on the Elandsgracht for their toy store ‘De Kleine Eland’. In turn, the Elandsgracht has embraced this shop with its old-school toys, dolls, puzzles, games and any other classic toys you could think of.  With a primary school  nearby, their target market is just around the corner. The couple started their toy store in 1993, so 2013 marks quite the milestone.Through a coincidental meeting with the owner of the building, they kept in touch and were able to take his place in 2006 and open their doors to what must look like a true paradise for any kid that is not glued to an iPod, mobile phone or other electronic gadget. Even adults have a field day here, as it will doubtlessly take them back to their childhood with a lot of the toys on display. Expect to leave the shop with a big smile, and most likely some “ new, old toys”.

The Elandsgracht has been the proud host to the fifth and smallest establishment of the Vlaamsch Broodhuys since 2007, when the bigwigs of the company decided on this location because, well, it’s the Elandsgracht and its central location is very hard to beat. This shop may be small, but its attractive warm interior fits the size perfectly. It is all geared towzards a cosy place for coffee, brunch and lunch.  Its excellent sandwhiches and sweet, sweet pastries, made to order right in front of you,  will make any discerning customer’s mouth water. The bread is made from a company own recipe, top secret of course, and delivered to each of the Broodhuys’s shops around dawn every morning. Refreshingly it does not have wifi, so turn all your gadgets off and take your time when you step in here. One further interesting detail is that cash is not accepted here – you can only pay with debit cards.

Johnny, the owner of the coffeeshop that bears his name, started his career peddling fresh vegetables on markets around the city.  Until he decided one day to go into business for himself. Fast forward twenty-odd years and this place still exists. The interior is small but tidy and organised and a faint, sweet smell lingers in the air. It has a separate, closed off smoking area, installed to comply with the latest regulations on smoking in public places. Johnny found the location at Elandsgracht 3 through the same grapevine Marvin Gaye used to sing about. Once he obtained the necessary permits, Johnny opened its doors and after a short warm up period, the business started doing well. Celebrities like the Ramones and several American movie actors have walked through the doors here, looking for a Dutch treat, shall we say. The closure of numerous coffeeshops around Amsterdam obviously did not hurt Johnny and despite ever stricter regulations, this is one coffeeshop that isn’t about to roll over and play dead.

If there is one place in Amsterdam that disproves the old Dutch adage that you have to travel a ways for the best things in life, it is the houseboat-museum, situated alongside the Prinsengracht, at the very beginning of the Elandsgracht. The Hendrika Maria, as the boat is called, is situated in this beautiful location since 1997.  Owner Vincent van Loon got the idea for the museum when he used to live in a houseboat himself and dealt with dozens of curious glances at his home on the water every day. His idea was golden, and visitors numbers have exceeded all Vincent’s expectations. The boat that houses the museum dates back to 1914. It even spent some time at the bottom of the canal during World War Two, to keep the occupying forces from getting their hands on it. The museum offers a unique perspective on living on the water as well as, through the small windows, on the Elandsgracht and the Prinsengracht.

This  garage-turned-pharmacy was a welcome addition to the gracht when it got here in 2006 and has proven one of those places that people like coming back to. You listen to general manager Conny and it all sounds so straightforward: it is all about product knowledge and honesty. Her personnel is supposed to know what they’re talking about if they are to offer reliable advice to their customers. The fact that they get to try all new products is not only a great way of achieving this, the staff take great pleasure in it, too. Their modest yet professional attitudes make Etos a great place to wander around in. Browse at your leisure without feeling accosted by pushy people looking for a quick sale. The Etos employees had rather they gave you good advice without selling you something then making you buy something that does not really benefit you. Result: a steadily growing number of regulars as well as new customers. Common sense is good business.

This store that takes its name from the French word for sneakers, opened in April 2012. It focuses on sneakers. Not just trainers, the ones we wear on weekends or holidays preferably until they disintegrate with wear. We’re talking about proper sneakers, from high end brands, and acceptable footwear in most of Amsterdam’s hotspots and on the occasional catwalk. Aside from the familiar brands, this new specialised shoe store also carries the lesser known, more exclusive brands. As a nice extra touch, it also has room for some of the local brands such as Locals AMS. The store interior is exciting in a toned down way, clean and beautiful but not exaggerated or pretentious. Baskèts is owned by Jeffrey Sluijzer and Daan de Greef.

This bio-butcher’s has barely reached middle age, a respectable fourty six years old in 2012, but in a bustling city, specialising in what is still a niche market, that is quite an achievement. The bio-market may still be niche, but owner Niek does see the demand for biological meat grow. Niek inherited the artisanal approach to this profession from his dad Siem, the name that still adorns the front of the shop.  Siem was the co-founder of the ISC ( International Free range meat Control organisation). The traditional approach and work methods is also reflected in the pleasant interior. It is of course, spotless, but it has a hint of authenticity about it, with decorated woodwork, and some stained glass details. The customer truly is king here, as Niek says. Interaction with his customers, and their satisfaction with his productts, is all inherentin Niek’s dedication to his profession. And there is not a  recession or an out-of -commission bridge that will change that.

Owner Stef Comman is a third generation bicycle repairman. Both his grandfather and his father were in the business before him. As a teenager, Stef never really fancied a career fixing bikes. Until he started lending a hand in the shop on busy days.  His dad, not about to have his own son as his apprentice, sent Stef to some of the biggest names in the business to learn the trade. Once he was qualified, Stef went to work for his dad, and now, nearly twenty years on, Stef runs the place, with a passion and interest he’d not imagined possible as a young lad. He welcomes his customers with a joke and friendly banter, but as everyone who steps into his shop soon finds out, the advice he offers is never less than sound, honest and professional. Talk to him for more than five minutes and it becomes clear this man loves what he does. And as he witnessed the biggest brands in the business starting to use inferior materials on their bikes in a desparate attempt to survive the economic downturn, he grew frustrated but also determined not to go along with that. So he started a brand in his own name: superior materials, amazing design, and best of all: manufactured locally, Stef Comman has virtually guaranteed his name and survival. He will not bike gently into the night, that much is certain.