I HEART ROTTERDAM

Welcome to IHEARTROTTERDAM! I am Marnell de Jong Beekhuijsen, second-year student at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. Since Rotterdam is a great city with a lot to offer, I have decided to make a blog on which students from Rotterdam can share their favorite spots with you! Enjoy!

[iheartrotterdam]

[iheartrotterdam]

"Want a truly amazing night out? Then Maassilo is the place for you! This is no regular venue: the club is located in an old factory, which gives it an amazingly unique feel. Even though you might have to cross the Erasmus Bridge for this one, it is definitely worth checking out!"

[iheartrotterdam]

"Let's be honest, we all like to hipster it up every once in a while. Well, for those days we have the Witte de Withstraat! This street offers galleries, shops, cafes, restaurants and a whole lot of other trendy stuff. Apart from all of this, it is also very close to Cinerama, a cinema with a vintage, old-school vibe. Perfect for a day of hipsterin'!"

[iheartrotterdam]

"Museumpark is more than the name suggests. Sure, it is a park surrounded by museums, but apart from that it is also a very nice park to have a picnic in. Furthermore, a lot of cultural activities are planned in Museumpark throughout the year. For instance, the monthly Swan Market that takes place in the park has a great atmosphere and even greater food." 

[iheartrotterdam]

Even though it was originally called Erasmus Bridge, everyone in Rotterdam agrees on calling it the the Swan. The bridge connects Rotterdam North to Rotterdam South. Although you will probably spend most of your time on the Northern half of Rotterdam, be sure to check out the South as well, since it offers a lot of small nice shops and cafes." 

[iheartrotterdam]

"Everyone loves Asian food. Fortunately, Rotterdam, like New York, has its very own Chinatown. Located close to Rotterdam Centraal, this neighborhood has Asian supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries.. And even a few other exotic foods, like Surinamese."

[iheartrotterdam]

"Located not too far from the Erasmus University, the Kralingse Plas is a huge park, perfect for barbecues and chilling sessions. Apart from that, the park also offers a lot of fun activities for students! Fun Forest, for instance, is a great idea for doing some fun, outdoorsy activities with a few friends. Warning: this blog does not stand accountable for any injuries or blisters you may obtain while climbing around in Fun Forest, however, this blog can be held accountable for the endless laughs and fun it may cause ;)"

[iheartrotterdam]

"Since the beginning of this academic year, we got a new campus at Erasmus University Rotterdam! And with that campus, came a new food court: the Erasmus Paviljoen. This is definitely the place to be on campus, be it for a meeting, to kill some time inbetween classes or simply to grab something to eat (like and amazing sandwich, pizza, burgers.. you name it!)" 

[iheartrotterdam]

"Shopping is necessary, be it for relaxation, enjoyment or simply because you reaaaally need that new thing right away. Well, I am here to tell you that you will not have to worry one single bit about the shopping-possibilities of Rotterdam. Behold, the Koopgoot! Located in the heart of Rotterdam she lies, and trust me: you will be able to find anything you need!"

[iheartrotterdam]

"Be it for drinks, dinner, a night of clubbing or an amazing small-scale concert, Rotown is definitely one of the hottest spots in Rotterdam. Located on the Nieuwe Binnenweg, it is one of the nicest and most authentic venues of Rotterdam."

[iheartrotterdam]

"Do you have a sweet tooth? If you do, you should definitely go to Koekela! If you do not, you should still definitely go to Koekela! Koekela is an amazing, as well as a very cheap, pastry shop. You can buy the most amazing cookies, brownies, scones, carrot cake...the list is truly deliciously endless!"

[iheartrotterdam]

"This is one for the lads: unfortunately, us ladies cannot witness the amazingness that is Schorem (website in Dutch). Schorem is a vintage-style barber shop, only for men. The men who work there, as well as the store, all look extremely badass. In the case of Schorem, the best way to explain its amazing appeal is by looking through the pictures and videos you can find on their Facebook page. Enjoy!"

[iheartrotterdam]

"The night life in Rotterdam is one of the most vibrant, diverse ones you will encounter. Whether you like techno, dance, top 40 music, hiphop.. you name it, we have it! Nothing is as exciting as getting to know all the different hot spots that Rotterdam has to offer!"

For more information on Rotterdam night life, as well as Toffler and Perron, visit http://en.rotterdam.info/visitors/places-to-go/nightlife-clubs/

[iheartrotterdam]

"The number one food you'd have to try when living in Rotterdam is without a doubt kapsalon. You can buy this deliciously greasy dish on basically every street corner in Rotterdam. The nicest thing about this dish: you can get it at any time, so even after a night of partying! And trust me on this one: every student craves a kapsalon after a night on the town!"

[iheartrotterdam]

"Living in Rotterdam means you are going to come across some weird, beautiful and strange street art. One that definitely stands out? The butt plug gnome (officially called Santa Claus, but let's be honest, no one calls it that). Located at the end of the Nieuwe Binnenweg, which happens to be one of the most vibrant, hip streets of Rotterdam, the gnome stands tall and proud for all of Rotterdam to see."