Like the city or town you grew up in, Amsterdam has a long tradition of the neighborhood shop. That shop could be the cheese shop, the fruit stand, the barbershop, or any such business that has been there for years and functions not only as a place of business but also as a social hub. The fruit stand owner see's everyone on a regular basis, listens to and passes on stories, keeps in tune with everything and anything going on in his/her area.

Just like the city or town you grew up in, many of those shops have closed down and been replaced by franchises or something of less social value. They may even be nice places, but let's face it, they're not the same as the old fish market that stood on that site for more than 40 years.

Well a new project at the Amsterdam Historical Museum seeks to shine the spotlight on those neighborhood shops past and present. In doing so, they will feature collected stories, photos, and other artifacts from those shops, while also talking about establishments that are still there today. What's more, this project isn't limited to what is offered inside the museum, at select points around the city, exhibits will be set up in existing neighborhood shops or at locations where they once stood.

The project's website (Dutch only) features many stories and gives further details about the locations as well as what is being featured. This project begins now, and lasts until the 21st of August. So bring your nostalgia and perhaps even your taste for fresh fruit or fine cheeses, and start over at the Amsterdam Historical Museum for a well deserved tribute to the Neighborhood Shop.