An obvious development area following the cutting of the four central canals, Jordaan (garden) sprang up in the 17C and the working-class neighbourhood was frequently the scene of unrest. Gentrified in the second half of the 20C, today it is a delightful network of little streets (filled-in former canals) and canals named after flowers. Its atmosphere and anti-elitist feel appeal to students and fashionable lefties.