Named for the Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (Netherlands Dock and Shipbuilding Company), which operated here from 1946 to 1979, former shipbuilding yard NDSM (ndsm.nl; free) fell out of use from the 1980s, before squatters filled the void. Today it has numerous cool waterside restaurants, a street-art museum, a hangar full of artists' studios and a huge monthly flea market, IJ Hallen (ijhallen.nl; adult/child €6/2.50) with hundreds of stalls selling vintage clothes, antiques, vinyl, art and more.
At massive warehouse NDSM Loods (ndsmloods.nl), more than 80 studios have some 250 artists working in the NDSM broedplaats (breeding ground). Huge artworks hang from rafters. Up scaffolding-like stairs, exhibition space NDSM Fuse (ndsm-fuse.eu; entry by donation) opens Thursday to Sunday.
Follow the smell of fresh paint and spot artists working up fresh designs. Graffiti around here is legally regulated, and new works appear regularly. At the world's largest museum for graffiti and street art, Straat (straatmuseum.com; adult/child €19.50/free), more than 150 works created on-site spread across 8000 sq meters.
Events include Easter weekend’s three-day electronic music and arts festival DGTL (dgtl-festival.com).