Image by Anne-Marie Ros

This is a little GEM at the Nieuwe Binnenweg 107A. Gallery Zigt for contemporary jewelery. Often I hop in after breakfast at Koekela at number 97A (check the Koekela article).

It’s an inspiring place where you can find contemporary jewelery to crown a special occasion or buy yourself a present. The shop is run by two owners and goldsmiths Myriam Oude Vrielink and Neeltje Huddleston Slater. Beautiful interior, just love how they display the jewelery in an original way, like on bended plates as if they are shoulders or hanging on antique wooden hands that just comes out of the wall.

Zigt sells an interesting contemporary jewelery. Made from unique materials such as porcelain, silicon, paper, felt, but also silver, gold, diamonds and pearls.

With a special event ‘Garnet from Aunt Agaat’ Zigt owners changed old jewelery into a new design, with a great sense of humor or style. In case you ever inherent a piece you don’t like, go talk to Zigt as it’s their passion to change it into a jewel you would love to wear. Apart from this, both Myriam and Neeltje create jewelery sculpted from fine structures, looking delicate and beautiful.

Zigt sell collections of contemporary designers. Like Hester Zagt known for her delicate white ceramic designs inspired by Dutch folklore. Jennifer Hoes who use her own body as mold for her ceramic jewelery. Misun Won’s folds silver as if its origami what makes her big silver rings featherweight. Margreeth Muller’s is known for her special jewelery with moving geometric forms.

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Gallery Zigt | Art & culture, Shopping
Nieuwe Binnenweg 107A | Center | +31104369668
Tue – Fri 10:00 – 18:00, Sat 10:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Anne-Marie Ros

Last year during Art Rotterdam Preview I met The PrintRoom people for the first time. They told me how dedicated they are to artists publications. Since 2003 they’ve built up an independent platform for artists, designers and small publishers from all over the world. To bring a growing collection of artists publications, research the possibilities within artists’ publications, follow new developments, discuss, collect, invite people for talks and share this with us. 

The PrintRoom is located in an old characteristic building that used to house a printer. Parallel to the Nieuwe Binnenweg in the Schietbaanstraat 17. I really like artist publications, art magazines and think it’s amazing to have this little gem in West. PrintRoom presents Lubok Verlag, publisher of artists’ books located in the well-known ‘Spinnerei’ complex in Leipzig. For the Lubok series, artist and publisher Christoph Ruckhäberle invites artists to make linocuts that are printed on a mechanical letterpress, which allows large editions. More than 140 artists participated in the Lubok series so far. Recently the 10th edition was presented.

During Art Rotterdam Lubok will transform PrintRoom into a zany colored wonderland, using patterned wallpapers as a background for graphic work by artists they’ve worked with so far. With: graphic work by Christoph Ruckhäberle, Gabriela Jolowicz, Sebastian Gögel, Tobias Jacob, Tal R, Katharina Immekus, Volker Pfüller, Oliver Kossack, Matthias Weischer, Karl-Georg Hirsch, Simone Waßermann and other special guests.

Friday 10 February: 19:00 – 22:00: special presentation Lubok VerlagSpecial event: Saturday 11 February: 13:00 – 22:30 part of Rotterdam Gallery Tour 2012.

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PrintRoom | Art & culture, Festivals & events, Shopping
Schietbaanstraat 17 | West | +31618012478
Thu – Sat 13:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Anne-Marie Ros

I am not a real whiskey drinker but once a friend served me a whiskey that tasted so smooth and soft, what actually changed my idea about this drink. Maybe because of this a new shop ‘WHISKYBASE.com’ attracted my attention?

WHISKYBASE.com started as a website years ago by some Dutch whiskey passionates. If you check out their on-line whiskey community you will see they have members from all over the world. As a member you can upload your own whiskey collection!

Doesn’t a collection always starts with one? I think no one will blame you when you drink your own collection;)

Since late 2011 WHISKYBASE.com openend a shop at the Zwaanshals 540. The only shop in the North of Europe that is 100% dedicated to whiskey from all over the world. 

Check them out, as it will be a nice experience. The owners are on a mission and that is ‘sharing their love for whiskey’ with you. They sell small sampling bottles for you to try.

Since the opening I have been there several times to buy a nice whisky to give away as a present and each time they suggest a different kind, depending on the person I am buying it for.

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WHISKYBASE.com | Shopping | Taste samples € 2.50
Zwaanshals 540 | Noord
Tue – Thu 10:30 – 18:00, Fri 10:30 – 21:00, Sat 10:30 – 17:00, Sun 12:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Trendbeheer RawBridge

Over the last couple of months I have checked so many times if I could make a short cut on my bike. On Wednesday Feb 8th, 2012 the new Rijnhaven bridge for cyclists and pedestrians will connect Wilhelminapier with Katendrecht. 

This gives you the opportunity to make a new walk starting at the Erasmus bridge. Explore the Wilhelminapier with the Photomuseum, the Rotterdam by Rem Koolhaas and other sky scrapers like Montevideo by Mecannoo and the world famous Hotel New York, great for a drink. Next to Hotel New York on the south side of the pier you find the little harbor with the water taxi and the new bridge.

When you cross this bridge you get to Deliplein with nice places like the shop Iszomooi, restaurant Kwizien and theatre Walhalla. If you pass Deliplein and continue on Sumatraweg. At one corner you’ll find Warmoes Market, a small supermarket and canteen. A nice local meeting point where you can have a good coffee, sandwich, soup and more.

Turn right and keep heading straight towards the end of the pennisula where you’ll find SS Rotterdam, the big steamship with hotel rooms, restaurants, bars and a shop. You continue your route towards Rijnhaven, follow the Hillelaan along the Player and RAAF back towards Erasmusbridge. Cross or turn right on Stieltjestraat. Explore the architecture on the Kop van Zuid and head back into town via the Willemsbrug.   

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Rijnhaven Round | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants
Rijnhaven | Zuid
24 hours daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Rénia Sastrowidjojo

In between the Zwaanshals and the river Rotte tucked away in a block of houses is Rotabs. An interestingly shaped building.

It was empty for some time after having served as a building for the municipal sanitation service Rotab. Hence the name Rotabs.

Luckily this place was included in the renovation plans to spruce up the entire block which is still in progress. The building is now turned into a creative warehouse where entrepreneurs of diverse disciplines have put up small businesses.

The inside is divided into several units which have tenants like a photographer, a publisher, a goldsmith, a café and a gallery. There are some units left waiting for other daring adventurers to set up shop and where new neighbors have opened shops on the Zaagmolenkade recently.

Initiator Paul Posse is active in the neighbourhood and hopes to create an area like a Camden Town in the Oude Noorden. As Rotabs can be pretty hard to find even for locals, a special bus service is in the making to transport anyone interested to visit this part of the town where much is waiting to be discovered.

Want to find it yourself? Just walk into the Zwaanshals where there’s an entrance through a building leading you to Rotabs. Or do a Route du Nord weekend or visit the Swan Market which is organized several times; an introduction to this area and it’s creative spots, artists and variety of shops.

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ROTABS Stylecenter | Art & culture, Festivals & events, Music, Shopping
Zaagmolenkade 46 | Noord | +31653623230
Wed – Fri 10:00 – 18:00, Sat 10:00 -17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Marieke Koets

One of my favorite shops in town is ‘La Bourse’. This perfumery sell beauty products of the better brands. The service here is so good and the staff is very friendly. They know the products well and know what they’re talking about.

Also, the prices here are sharp. You get a good discount anyway, but as a regular client (which I am) you get even more. They alway give you nice samples and you can choose if you want a perfume or cream sample, how good is that! I always leave this shop happy.

The only “flaw” might be that they sell ‘Essie’ nail-polish instead of ‘OPI’, but hey nobody’s perfect. La Bourse has three shops. The biggest one is on the Coolsingel, the other two are on the Meent (almost next to the Vlaamsch Broodhuys) and the Korte Lijnbaan.

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La Bourse | Shopping
coolsingel 54 | Center | +31104135893
Mon 11:00 – 18:00, Tue – Thu 10:00 – 18:00, Fri 10:00 – 21:00, Sat 10:00 – 17:30, Sun 12:30 – 17:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Carel Van Hees

The Netherlands Architecture Institute just reopened after a year of renovations. The museum has great new exhibitions: ‘Dutchville’ where you can experience every side of the city, ‘New Haloheim’ shows the ideas of the participants of the Ymere NAI price.

In ’The Netherlands- off the shelf’ you can see the work of photographer Hans van der Meer. He made a series of photos of town centres to show what’s typically Dutch design in these towns. The exhibition ‘Treasury’ shows about 100 masterpieces from the NAI collection.

The NAI expended with a new café, where you can get lunch, good coffee or stay for something stronger. There’s a big sunny terrace which is great to relax. Coming with kids? They can play, build and create at a space above the Café called the ‘Hands-on Deck,’ while you enjoy you’re beer/wine .

Oh and don’t forget to visit the inside bookshop!

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NAI | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Shopping | Adults € 8.00
Museumpark 25 | Center | +31104401200
Museum Tue – Sat 10:00 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Marieke Koets

What do you do when you come to a country where they don’t even have good cupcakes? That’s right, you make them yourself and share it with the others. That’s what Rebecca did at least. She came all the way from Southern Virginia, via London and Bangkok, to Rotterdam and opened her store; Alice in Cakeland.

This fantastic cupcakes shop on the Van Oldenbarneveldstraat has two floors. Downstairs is the workshop area. About one or twice a month Rebecca organizes a workshop with a different theme. Themes go from SATC and designer handbags to Sinterklaas, Christmas and Easter. Anything you can imagine and that’s suitable for that time of year. The new workshop calender is online, plus there are more workshop theme’s coming.

Then there’s the shop on the upper floor. Here you can buy the most delicious cupcakes. Now you can buy cupcakes basically everywhere, but these cupcakes are the real American ones.

Rebecca has worked hard and long to find the right ingredients and sizes to make the cupcakes perfect. Plus, she’s come up with special flavors. For new year’s for example she made champagne flavour cupcakes, and there’s ’mad berry’, ‘Lemon Vuitton’ and ‘The Cure’. The best thing is; she keeps on trying new things every time! Just too much and they all taste great. My favorite right now is the Oreo with chocolate, but I still need to try the tiramisu one…

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Alice in Cakeland | Shopping, Snacks | Cupcake € 2.50
Van Oldenbarneveldstraat 117 | Center | +31629290597
Wed – Sat 11:00 – 18:00 (closed when sold out)

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Marieke Koets

I can write a lot about this cute little bakery, but only one thing is important…

Koekela has got the best cakes and cookies in town and I dare say, maybe even the country!

And now they’ve moved a couple of shops up the road to a bigger place where you can also sit and enjoy their goodness.

For muffins or cupcakes I’d suggest going a bit further to Alice in Cakeland (check the article), but stay in for the cookies and brownies! Don’t want to go out? They have a webshop!

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Koekela | Shopping, Snacks | Muffin € 1.10
Nieuwe binnenweg 79a | Center | +31104364774
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 18:00, Sat 08:30 – 17:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam

Image by Alexander

More 2nd hand clothing shops = better. It’s not the cheapest one, this one, but that’s also not the strong point (though it has some nice offers every now and then).

The best thing is that the collection and the interior strike a perfect balance between smelly garbage shops and over-hyped vintage. Forget rummaging through grannypants and oversized sweaters from the 80s, this shop has a complete outfit for nearly every semi-hip event and theme party you can think of. From sheepskin carpets to leather catsuits to Palestinian scarfs to hillbilly diamond blouses and high heeled shoes.

I think my last outfit that came from this shop turned out as a white, 1920′s summer outfit worn by French dandy youth who did nothing but read philosophy, flirt in gardens and play games. I had a petanque tournament, so yes, this was perfectly acceptable.

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Cheap Fashion | Shopping | Accessories € 7.50
Meent 25 | Noord | +31104126473
Tue – Thu 09:30 – 17:30, Fri 09:30 – 20:30, Sat 09:30 – 16:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Rotterdam