Centrum is the innermost district of Amsterdam and the Binnenstad (1012 postcode) is the innermost zone of Amsterdam-Centrum borough. At the north end of Binnenstad is Centraal Station, Amsterdam's main railway station. The spine of Binnenstad is the former course of the Amstel River, which once flowed northwards to its mouth where the station now is. Nowadays it's a major tram route from Centraal Station, down Damrak, across Dam square and onto Rokin. In addition to being a major thoroughfare, it cuts Binnenstad into two sides. The former left and right banks of the river.
Oudezijds (Old Side) is the right bank and is the site of the ancient settlement from which Amsterdam grew. It includes the historic Warmoesstraat and the main Red Light District (De Wallen or De Walletjes).
Here was once the greatest concentration of coffeeshops in the city but many have been closed since 2007 as part of 'Project 1012', a municipal initiative that has taken out much of the soul of the area. Nevertheless, there are still many shops here as you will see listed below. Coffeeshops in this area are also shown on the Amsterdam Map.
