I stayed in Amsterdam a few years ago, a good five miles or so from the train station. At first I thought we were too far from the best parts of the city, but once we got to our hotel the whole area was just so picturesque. There was this little square near our hotel that almost looked like it was from a movie— a pub, a couple restaurants, coffee shops, and some other stores, all surrounded by some of the prettiest trees. 

We did our exploring through most the rest of Amsterdam, but this was by far my favorite part.