Whether you are looking for a relaxing place to enjoy an afternoon stroll or bike ride, a variety of stores that carry designer brands and stylish clothing, an abundance of restaurants or cafes to satisfy any craving, or a nightlife atmosphere fit for any crowd, and most importantly a city that carries centuries of history to be found on the streets of in the local museums, then Rotterdam is a city that should be marked as the next destination as places to visit.

Through my experience in Holland I have had the chance to experience the “new” and “old” of Rotterdam. For seven months I lived on the 20th floor of the Weena Tour, over looking the harbor, the Lijnbaan where there is an abundance of stylish clothing stores, and Hofplein where there is a large fountain near what is known as the newly artistically constructed and innovated Rotterdam. In my second trip back to Rotterdam, to continue my education at Erasmus Universiteit this semester, I am living in the old, historical Rotterdam. I am snuggled in a very old house in an area that used to be the one of the wealthiest parts of the city. This four story, sixteen bedroom ‘house’ is located on the Heemraadsingel near Mathenesserplein, another old street with large buildings that still maintain traditional dutch charm. However for most of these immense buildings they have lost their old function for housing large or wealthy elite families and have been transformed into offices for physicians, lawyers, contractors or housing for students. Nevertheless, walking admist the presence of these immaculate structures today does not diminish their significance they bring to 'old' Rotterdam from their current changes.

Rotterdam has gone through many changes and transformations after 1945, when Word War II had ended in Holland. Rotterdam is one of the largest ports in the world and the largest in Europe, the city received its name from the river 'Rotte' that runs through it and dam seems self explanatory. Therefore this was target for cities that should be destroyed during the war and when it was eventually bombed, sadly it was unrecognizable. There was no option but to rebuild. There was tension within the city about what architects should do to restore what had been lost and what still remained. It’s evident by any who visits that a new metropolitan city was the majority vote. It can be argued that it has made the city less 'gezellig,' a very common dutch term meaning cozy, and therefore less desired by travelers. This is a city that must be searched in order to uncover its charm, for it’s a place that does not give away its hidden secrets and beauty for those who don’t try to discover where the coziness can be found. I recommend spending a day by Blaak, Beurs, Coolsingel and the Euromaas Bridge where unfortunately most of the city is blocked by construction, in order to see and experience this developing city. Then journey to the other side, near Nieuwbinnenweg, translated to "the new inside way," Mathenesserplein, and Heemraadsingel to observe the difference in cultures, inhabitants, resturants, and architecture. The old part has been taken over mostly by the immigrant community and the food in the area tends to immic the culture; Turkish, Moroccan, and eastern europeans. Rotterdam is not only made up of many generations of architecture and history, but possibly it has created to separate worlds. I think you will find many striking differences, something that should be experienced first hand.