Netherlands Amsterdam City Centre Old Nickel Hotel Night Street Scene Black And White Photography

Every time I wander through Amsterdam’s City Centre at night, I catch myself slowing down in places that most people rush through. This little stretch of Nieuwebrugsteeg—home to the Old Nickel Hotel—has that kind of pull. The street might be narrow, the architecture stacked and leaning in that wonderfully imperfect Dutch way, but after a rain, the whole place transforms. The wet cobblestones turn into a mirror, picking up every glint of light from the old hotel sign, the bar windows, and the soft glow spilling out from the doorways. That’s what stopped me here. And that’s what I wanted to bring into this print.

This photograph is rendered in black and white because the mood demanded it. Amsterdam at night has a way of stripping itself down to its essentials—the geometry of the windows, the ripple of reflections along the pavement, and the contrast between old brickwork and polished glass. Removing colour gave me the room to emphasise those details. You see the textures more clearly this way: the slick shine on the street, the timeworn edges on the hotel sign, the interplay of shadow and light between these tight rows of historic buildings.

Nieuwebrugsteeg sits right in the heart of Amsterdam City Centre, close enough to the central station that you still feel the pulse of people moving through the city, yet tucked away just enough that moments like this can unfold quietly. While taking this shot, the city noise softened behind me. A drizzle had just ended, the air carried that cool Dutch dampness, and for a moment the street felt almost suspended in time. These are the scenes I love capturing—ordinary places that reveal themselves in extraordinary ways.

What pulls me back to Amsterdam again and again is precisely this blend of character and atmosphere. The city has layers: centuries of architecture, decades of signage, and endless small businesses that leave their mark on the streetfronts. The Old Nickel Hotel sign became a visual anchor for this composition. Its vertical geometry settles the frame, while the surrounding storefronts bring warmth and life back into the shadows. When paired with the reflective street and soft-edged lighting, the whole scene becomes cinematic.

If you enjoy black-and-white night photography—or you appreciate quiet, rain-soaked European streets—this piece has a strong presence. It’s moody without being heavy, nostalgic without leaning too far into sentimentality. It’s a familiar view of Amsterdam, but seen in a way that’s usually overlooked.

If the feeling of this scene resonates with you, you may also appreciate Amsterdam Architecture Mirrored In Water.

© Dan Kosmayer, 2024