Buurthuis Het Anker: Community centre in Bloemenbuurt, Amsterdam

★★★★★ 4.5

Buurthuis Het Anker is the neighbourhood centre of the Bloemenbuurt in Amsterdam-Noord, at Wingerdweg 260-B on the edge of the Noorderpark. It is run by and for residents, and the point is that you can just walk in for a coffee or join whatever is on: cooking and eating together, bingo and dance evenings, sport, children's activities or creative workshops. The name goes back more than half a century, to a community building in Floradorp. It closed, and was revived by residents who collected signatures for a reopening in 2008 on the Kamperfoelieweg. That building had to be demolished after a decision in October 2018 because of its unsafe roof, and after a spell in temporary premises on the Floraweg the centre moved in 2020 to this triangular building. A festive reopening followed in September 2022, after the pandemic delays. Volunteers, local groups and social organisations keep the programme going, and residents with an idea can use the space to try it out. Taekwon-Do, country dancing and exercise groups all meet here. Rooms can be hired in four-hour blocks for meetings, parties and workshops. The large hall is on the ground floor and wheelchair accessible, while the upstairs room has a stairlift and no toilet. Drinks come from the bar, and you can use the kitchen for a fee.