The flat is situated on the first floor and is part of an apartment block that belongs to a car free, environmentally friendly housing area. As we are on the edge of this area, the front side of the flat (living room) looks out onto a no-through road with parked cars. The other side however (bedrooms and dining area) looks out onto a green communal area full of trees and small garden allotments, making it relatively quiet at night. In the summer you can look out from the balcony and see almost nothing but trees, a unique sight for a flat situated in such a densely populated city.

We live in a colourful and diverse neighbourhood. Just 5 minutes down the road is the Westerpark, quickly becoming one of Amsterdam's most popular parks.http://www.westergasfabriek.nl Its a beautiful green space, with a children's farm and various play areas including a small lake and an adventure play area. its also a popular place for sports, tennis, rollerblading and, of course, cycling. Furthermore, it has a thriving social scene. There are great cafes with outside sitting areas and restaurants in the park. There is also a local cinema and various theater venues. Plus it is host to many social events, from art markets and exhibitions, fashion events, alternative energy fairs and music festivals featuring an enormous variety of acts from small scale local artists to international artists. It provides an enormous variety of entertainment on your doorstep and somewhere to relax and chill-out. There is also a public open-air swimming pool about 15 minutes cycle ride from the house.

Shopping is easily done; the local shops are a few minutes walk away, everything from bakeries, supermarkets and the wonderful local (Turkish) corner shop and a health-food shop are all within easy reach. On Saturdays there is a fantastic organic produce market also about 15 minutes cycle ride away.

About 3 minutes walk from the flat are two bus stops (nr. 60 & nr. 21) and a tram stop (nr. 10). Bus 21 will take you through the neighbourhood to the Haarlemmerdijk (a popular shopping street), and from there it carries on to the Central Station, Amsterdam's main bus and train station. From there it's a five minute walk to the Dam square and the main shopping area.
Tram 10 takes you to the Marnixbad, a brand new swimming pool and fitness center on the edge of the beautiful Jordaan area. From there its a 5 minute walk to the famous Dutch canals. If you decide to stay on the tram 10, it will take you to the Leidseplein, a busy night-life and entertainment center, followed by the Museum Plein, where you will find the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum.
Basically, the public transport from our flat will take you just about anywhere you want to go. Alternatively you can use our bicycles and get to anywhere in the city center in 15 to 30 minutes.

My name is Natasha and I moved to Amsterdam from the UK more than 30 years ago. I currently work as a receptionist at the Greenpeace Netherlands office and I am also a freelance translator and English teacher. Amongst my many interests are gardening, yoga, theatre, drawing and environmental and community issues. I live with my son Laurens who is 16 years old, my other son Daniel (24) also lives in Amsterdam is currently studying film at the Utrecht school of Arts, and works as a documentary film-maker
We have already done three successful home swaps and we found them to be great experiences. We would of course respect your home like we do our own. Even though we do not have pets of our own we love animals and are more than happy to look after yours. We are a busy and sociable family and we are looking forward to another fun and successful house swap!Sometimes I travel with my sons and sometimes with friends and/or with my mother, so in general there would be between 2 to 4 of us.
I am open to offers for this year and flexible as far as dates go.