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Westergasfabriek

Over in the Westerpark area (which is up-and-coming in a real estate way, not a tourist-speak way, so don't expect pretty gables and windmills), the industrial buildings that make up this defunct 19th-century gasworks have been an unofficial arts and culture nexus. Artists' studios and performing troupes have rented out space since the early ‘90s, but in 2003 the Westergasfabriek received official backing—and funding—from the Culture Ministry. With waterside parks planted with cypress trees, it's now a major weekend hangout both day and night, with three of Amsterdam's coolest boîtes (Proef, De Bakkerswinkel, and Pacific Parc), an art house movie theater, and a wide range of artists, designers, and galleries.