There is something to be said about a city that has achieved the perfect balance between historical value and modern-day cultural relevance. We are talking of course, about the hottest metropole of the moment: Amsterdam.
Oh Amsterdam, city of canals, of music, of lights, of culture, of art, fashion, music. And people, lots of people. Despite its small size compared to other major cities in the world, Amsterdam manages to pack anything and everything one could wish to find in a city. Could it be the place to be in Europe right now? We think so.
Amsterdam, The City For The Next Generation of Professionals
It’s not every day that you find a place with a buzzing creative scene, as well as rising business and commerce opportunities, on top of incredibly rich history and vibrant tourism. All of which find themselves being fuelled by innovation.
Amsterdam: One of Europe’s Leading Smart Cities
Embracing its recently appointed role as mentor city in the European Union’s Intelligent Cities Challenge, Amsterdam is spearheading the integration of technology into the city as means of evolving into the future of urban life. The Intelligent Cities Challenge is a European Commission project that supports 136 cities in making use of ground-breaking, innovative technologies to usher intelligent, green, and socially responsible recovery.
Amsterdam is a historic city but there is technology everywhere. For example, we are experimenting with autonomous boats, with drones, and ultimately what’s important to us is that we use technology in an ethically responsible way that actually protects people’s privacy and autonomy
Cornelia Dinca, from Amsterdam Smart City
Amsterdam’s Growing Tech Industry
A study from the Ministry of Finance showed that the amount of fintech companies in the Netherlands has grown by 300% in the past three years, most of which are based in the Dutch capital. Amsterdam has moved ahead in the ranks and is now one of the most favoured start-up cities in Europe. The opportunities are booming, with a generation of highly educated, determined trailblazers leading the way.
Moreover, the city has an incredibly impressive digital infrastructure, with the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) being one of the world’s largest data transport. Paired with the city’s affordability and burgeoning cultural scene, it comes as no surprise that professionals from all across the globe come here to advance their careers.
Amsterdam Is A Creative Hub
Amsterdam has long had this sort of… cool factor per se. Almost like a mixture of Berlin edge, Madrid’s homely feel, Parisian bohemian vibe, and New York’s nitty-gritty. The art, music, and fashion culture is palpable as you walk through the streets and canals of this city. However, it was always rather niche, incredibly respected yet at the same time relatively unknown for those who hadn’t experienced it first hand. Lately, the creative scene seems to be drawing international attention, the attention it has long deserved if you ask us.
Everyone Wants To Dress As If They Lived In Amsterdam
GenZ has broken so many rigid fashion norms that held the industry hostage for so long. Gender-bending, fluidity, loud, quiet, it all goes. And Amsterdam’s is the ideal playground for it all. The fashion scene is booming in this city right now, and you needn’t go to a runway show to notice. Amsterdam’s stunning fashion style can be witnessed simply by people-watching on the streets.
There is an increasing number of fashion brands emerging from the entrails of this city. Particularly when it comes to streetwear. Not only that, the city is a pioneer when it comes to sustainable fashion, being home to countless brands seeking to truly transform the industry into a force for good.
Collective Music, Art, And Fashion In Amsterdam
Amsterdam has an unimaginably vibrant and active artistic community. A sort of collective synchronicity permeates all aspects of creative life and work in this city. It’s almost like the arts -be it music, art, digital, fashion, and anything else-, feed of each other, and are deeply and intrinsically interlinked. This is what truly sets Amsterdam apart as a creative hub compared to other cities, the creative scene is a community. Rather than thrive on competition and bringing others down, Amsterdam’s creative scene has prospered to such an extent and continues to do so thanks to a community way of life. It’s a “you and I can do one thing, together we can do it all” mentality. The art, music, fashion, and even digital scene, lift each other up.
For all these reasons and more, we’ve decided to talk about Amsterdam in today’s Editor’s Pick. Because maybe what we all need right now, is a little Amsterdam attitude. Creative, innovative, intelligent, and most of all, collective.
