Rotterdam Daily Photo: Prewar luxery

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Prewar luxery
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Prewar luxery

On the corner of Coolsingel – Aert van Nesstraat, the luxury hotel Atlanta is located above the shops there. The hotel was built between 1929 and 1931 to a design by the Hague architect Frans van der Togt in the Art Deco style and officially opened its doors on May 2, 1931. When it was completed in 1931, the hotel contained a double-height café-restaurant. on the ground floor where the shops are now. During the bombing of Rotterdam on 14 May 1940, Hotel Atlanta passed through almost unscathed. My grandfather lived in the streets behind the building before WWII. In the summer when the windows and doors were open because of the heat he could here the music of the orchestra in the restaurant/club. It has been a municipal monument since 1998.

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Streetlights from space

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Streetlights from space
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Streetlights from space

Finally a new picture on the blog! One of the new streetlights on the Coolsingel. This mainstreet had a total makeover. A car lane has been removed and there is much more space for cyclists and pedestrians. In addition, these new street lamps have been installed. A bit 1930s style and of course energy efficient 🙂

Cloudy friday, but its weekend, the city is waiting

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Cloudy friday, but its weekend, the city is waiting
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Cloudy friday, but its weekend, the city is waiting

A few days back. Looking up at the corner of the Meent – Coolsingel at the buildings and trafficlights etc. A sort of NY vibe. Its friday, its weekend, enjoy!

Friday, the lion sleeps this weekend…

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Friday, the lion sleeps this weekend...
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Friday, the lion sleeps this weekend…

A photo from the old entry gate Delftse Poort dates from a while back >>. There this lion stands / rests. Quote on the statue: “This lion, which flanked Rotterdam’s coat of arms on the north side of the Delftse Poort, has been lost for years and was found in Blaricum by members of the Nieuwskelder. after which it was located in the facade of building no. 65 A on the Coolsingel in Rotterdam for years. ” Now it has his place besides the model of the Delftse Poort.

It is now Friday, almost weekend, and the lion is sleeping this weekend … Have a great weekend everyone!

A school of fish with a sense of fashion

Rotterdam Daily Photo: A school of fish with a sense of fashion
Rotterdam Daily Photo: A school of fish with a sense of fashion

Windowshopping fish or? Seen at department store the Bijenkorf, Coolsingel.

Not far from his home

I took this photo not far from where he was born, reading his book, executed in bronze, Erasmus. The oldest statue in the Netherlands was on the Grotemarkt before 1940. Unscathed from the bombing and hidden until May 1945, its then was placed on the Coolsingel. When the metro was built in 1963, it was relocated to the Grotekerkplein. The Erasmus statue is in a straight line to his birth house.

Notes:

    1. In Brooklyn on the square of the Erasmus Hall High School is a life-size copy of this statue by Simon Miedema.
    2. “For a few centuries it is actually the only public statue in the Netherlands that has not belonged to a warrior, prince or statesman, nor to a poet, but to a scholar, one who still had quite neglected that homeland.” Quote by Johan Huizinga, Dutch Historian

Confinement, all roads lead to Rotterdam

You can find this signpost on the Coolsingel. And as you can see, all roads lead to Rotterdam …

Friday lookin’ forward to the weekend

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Friday lookin' forward to the weekend
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Friday lookin’ forward to the weekend

Its almost weekend and as you can see, I’m looking forward! Forward to visit the city, take some pictures, stroll around and (hope so) enjoying the weather. But today still have to workbut after that… About the view, looking south direction Hofplein and the Coolsingel, a main thoroughfare but for the last two years adapted and changed towards a car-free boulevard. This summer we hope to sit on a terrace on the spot where the cars first drove! Enjoy your weekend too!

North, East, South and West is one direction

Rotterdam Daily Photo: North, East, South and West is one direction
Rotterdam Daily Photo: North, East, South and West is one direction

This morning I walked through this shopping mall and exactly in the middle of it you can find this shopping mall compass rose! It shows you all the directions, north, east, south and west but actually it is one direction, the shopping mall! This compass rose was unveiled during the opening of the mall in 1996 and has the following inscription:

het hart van de stad is meer dan een verzameling gebouwen
gebouwen, winkels, straten en pleinen, het hart is
die ene plek waar je kunt voelen dan een stad leeft

Translation:

the heart of the city is more than a collection of buildings
buildings, shops, streets and squares, the heart is
that one place where you can feel that a city is alive

Holy window shopping

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Holy window shopping
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Holy window shopping

Walking by the Bijenkorf, a luxury department store located at the Coolsingel, I noticed the shop windows with the theme of the upcoming festivities. The picture above shows just a part of it, many items were animated and there was music in the background. Luckily enough the store was already closed and I was not tempted to buy anything!

Reflections of a shopping night

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Reflections of a shopping night
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Reflections of a shopping night

Remember friday night, shopping night? This is the same spot but the picture is taken from the other side, facing the location where I stood then. I like this photo for the festive lights reflections in the stairs and sidewalks, it was a rainy monday evening but I was there!

Friday night, shopping night…

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Friday night, shopping night...
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Friday night, shopping night…

Its a friday night and beside a night on the town its also a shopping night. Shops in the center of the city are open till 21.00 hours. Festive lighting is coming into place for the coming months as you can see in this picture of the nicknamed “Koopgoot” – slang for buy (koop) ditch (goot). I didn’t buy anything tonight but enjoyed the ambiance. Have a nice weekend!

Creepy shoes for halloween

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Creepy shoes for halloween
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Creepy shoes for halloween

Here in Rotterdam the shops decorate the windows and throughout the city there are parties with the theme Halloween. Halloween (also known as Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Eve, or All Saints’ Eve) occurs on the day before All Saints Day. It is a day that is dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed. Halloween is a holiday celebrated annually on October 31 in the United States and throughout the world. Walking by this shops window I thought of halloween, the red blooded shoes leaking over the stand, scary!

The city hall of Rotterdam

Rotterdam Daily Photo: The city hall of Rotterdam
Rotterdam Daily Photo: The city hall of Rotterdam

I photographed already a ornament on the facade of the city hall but I didn’t show you the city hall! Here it is (the front of the city hall it is). With proudly displaying the flags of Rotterdam and the Netherlands. If you look closely you can see exactly the time I took this picture, not the day, about two weeks ago, sorry!

Before e-mail you’ve got the postoffice

Rotterdam Daily Photo: Before e-mail you've got the postoffice
Rotterdam Daily Photo: Before e-mail you’ve got the postoffice

A couple of days ago I passed the rear (Rodezand) of the old Main Postoffice located at the Coolsingel. This was an entrance to the innercourt for the lorries with the mail and packages etc. Build between 1915 and 1923 in a classic style with some art deco elements. It survived the second world war but was closed in 2007 and out of use since but plans are to reuse it for appartments, a hotel and shops…

We got it! The world’s fanciest McDonald’s!

Rotterdam Daily Photo: We got it! The world's fanciest McDonald's!
Rotterdam Daily Photo: We got it! The world’s fanciest McDonald’s!

Yes its true! This McDonalds, located at the Coolsingel, won in 2016 a German Design Award given by the German Design Council. Apparently one of the most prestigious awards. I don’t know if the guests who visit this restaurant 24/7 do like the beauty or favorite the Big Mac…

A rainbow walks in the rain

Rotterdam Daily Photo: A rainbow walks in the rain
Rotterdam Daily Photo: A rainbow walks in the rain

When walking home today from the bookstore (bought a new dayplanner) it was raining and an autumn mood coloring the city. But these two people took care of a rainbow of colors and lighten the day! Happy saturday and enjoy this weekend!

Rotterdam Pride 2019, House of Colours

I took this colourful picture at the Coolsingel in the centre of our city. Its a shop window of the Bijenkorf, a big department store. 22-29 September 2019 is Rotterdam host to Rotterdam Pride, House of Colours. There’s plenty to see and attend. The 28th of september the streets of Rotterdam will light up with al the colours of the Rainbow with the Pride Walk. Many (Pride) shop windows will show their colours and many more events. More info here >>

A shipbuilder on city hall?

Rotterdam Daily Photo: A shipbuilder on city hall?
Rotterdam Daily Photo: A shipbuilder on city hall?

Looking up to our city hall, build between 1914 – 1920 and a survivor of the bombardments in 1940 by the German Luftwaffe, there a many figures and one of them looks to me to be a dockworker or shipbuilder from the past…