Almere: Honestly, It's...Something
okay, so i just got back from almere. and honestly? i’m a little tired. it’s not a bad place, it’s just… a lot. like, a whole lot of new. i feel like i need a nap just thinking about it.
i’m trying to sort through my notes (which are, admittedly, a disaster - a bunch of scribbled things and random numbers like "223704b6-3f10-4ba6-a37f-7cf77c75a08a" and "2759879"…don’t ask) and figure out how to explain this city. it’s in the netherlands, near amsterdam, in a place called flevoland. apparently, it’s all reclaimed land. like, they built it. from the sea. which is…wild. it’s about 4 meters below sea level, which feels a little precarious, not gonna lie.
i just checked and it's...2.47 degrees celsius right now, feels like 0.16. humidity is a whopping 92%. so, yeah, pack accordingly. it’s that classic dutch “variable weather” they talk about. basically, be prepared for anything.
they call it a “new town,” and it really feels like one. it was designed to take some of the pressure off amsterdam, and it’s still growing. they’re planning on adding tens of thousands of homes by 2050. it’s…ambitious. the whole place is super planned out. lots of green spaces, parks, lakes, beaches. it’s trying really hard to be sustainable, which is good, i guess. there’s this area called oosterwold that’s supposed to be really ecological, and the oostvaardersplassen wetland reserve is nearby.
if you get bored, lelystad and zeewolde are just a short drive away, and amsterdam is only a 20-minute train ride. which, honestly, might be where you end up spending most of your time. someone told me that almere gets a bad rap - people call it “soulless” or “ugly” because it doesn’t have canals or old buildings. i mean, it’s true, it’s not exactly picturesque in the traditional dutch sense. it’s…modern. very modern. it’s got a lot of architecture, like the kunstlinie almere flevoland (kaf) theater, and this thing called “the wave.”
food-wise, don’t expect anything super unique. there’s pizza (de pizza bakkers is apparently good), some street food, and a lot of international options. it’s more about the waterfront vibes and the market than any specific local cuisine. and apparently, there’s a cat café. because, why not?
population is almost 225,000, and it’s a pretty young and diverse crowd. they seem to be really into sustainability and creativity. it’s divided into districts like almere stad, buiten, haven, hout, poort, and pampus. honestly, it feels like a “living laboratory” for urban planning. it’s a showcase of dutch engineering, built “from nothing.” it’s…a lot to take in. it’s definitely not your typical dutch city. it’s a bold contrast to all the canals and windmills. i’m still processing it all, to be honest. i think i need another coffee.
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