Shirleys place is in a quieter, more ‘neighborhoody’ part of town. It is about a 5-7 minute walk to a big grocery store and to the metro. Once on the metro, it’s just four quick stops to Central (the touristy hub of the city). From the house, it’s about a 12 minute slow walk over the Amstel river into the Pijp neighborhood. You’ll find lots of great little shops and restaurants over here. We especially loved a little specialty beer bar called Foeders.
Shirleys house is very lived in. I get the impression that they leave so you can arrive. This being said, the home is well appointed with everything you would need. There’s a big working kitchen (tricky oven), with any kitchen tool or spice you might need. It’s homey and accommodating. We were a family of five and we had plenty of room to spread out. My daughter slept on the couch and found it very comfortable. We didn’t use the loft bed as it seemed pretty high up, but this may not be a problem for others. Great views of the Amstel river from the living area. There is also a rooftop deck and other outside spaces that would be amazing to hang out on when the weather is warmer. If you stay here, you may want to ask about the special way to open the front door and the little tricks for using the washer/ dryer etc. These are small things though. We really had a wonderful stay and would recommend this to anyone coming to Amsterdam. By the way, the bit about this place having a lot of stairs is very true. While typical of Amsterdam style, somone with mobility issues would really have a hard time here. Two steep flights of steps to get to the entrance of the house, and then another flight to get to the ground floor. Still another to get to the floor where the bedrooms are. Surely this must contribute to the locals all being so thin and beautiful. This place is spacious and super fun. Highly recommended!