The eastern docklands have been completely transformed in recent years - demolished, cleaned up and rebuilt. Once the old warehouses were full of die-hard squatters and artists, now its all modern buildings and a hip design boulevard (so they say).

The dockland area is made up of the old kades (quaysides) and the KNSM and Java island.

The KNSM island has its own (Dutch) website. Java island (a continuation of the KNSM island) is developing one.

On the website of art historian Kees Kaldenbach - who does organised walks - you can see before and after pictures of the island.

I need to get out and research this part of town some more. In the meantime, here is a pretty decent article.