{"id":181345,"date":"2025-09-04T14:19:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T12:19:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=181345"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:54","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:54","slug":"op-kroegentocht-met-de-nachtburgemeester-gebruik-de-experimenteerruimte-van-het-nachtleven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/09\/04\/op-kroegentocht-met-de-nachtburgemeester-gebruik-de-experimenteerruimte-van-het-nachtleven\/","title":{"rendered":"On a pub crawl with the night mayor: ‘Use the nightlife’s experimental space’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Night mayor Thys Boer takes EM on a pub crawl from the campus to the centre. He encourages students to discover the \u2018experimental space\u2019 of going out. “Through nightlife I found a portal into other people’s worlds of experience.”<\/span><\/p>\n

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Night mayor Thys Boer.<\/span><\/p>

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Recognisable by his red-blond mullet, Thys Boer (32) has been in every corner of Rotterdam\u2019s night scene for 18 years. The municipality appointed him last year as night mayor, to look after the city\u2019s nightlife. In this role, and as chair of advocacy group N8W8 R\u2019dam, he shares knowledge about the culture of the night and helps entrepreneurs and policymakers to let the nightlife thrive.<\/span><\/p>\n

With the start of the academic year thousands of new students are arriving in Rotterdam who will want to put down their books at weekends (and during the week) to go out on the town. For Erasmus Magazine Thys has mapped out a pub crawl from the university to the centre. Along the way he explains what makes going out special and offers tips for newcomers: \u201cMake sure you\u2019ve had a good meal, don\u2019t try to be cool, wear good shoes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the fence<\/h2>

The pub crawl begins at Locus Publicus, a traditional brown bar on the Oostzeedijk. Small groups of friends sit outside and there are solo patrons at the bar. When Thys arrives the street is still quiet, apart from the hen parties queuing for the female-focused strip club Bon Ton. The pub sits between the city and the university where Thys graduated in 2019 from the master\u2019s in Cultural Entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018I think nightlife is also a bit of an experimental space for society\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t a very active student\u201d, he says. He skipped the Eurekaweek. As a Rotterdam native who had been sneaking into bars since he was fourteen, he already knew the city well. \u201cI noticed that through nightlife I had a sort of portal into other people\u2019s worlds of experience. A bit like leaning over the fence into someone\u2019s garden to learn how things could be different.\u201d That made him keep wanting to return to the night.<\/p>\n

Finding out who you are<\/h2>
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The terrace at Locus Publicus is often pleasantly busy.<\/span><\/p>

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Now that he teaches at the Willem de Kooning Academy he views his student years differently. \u201cWhat I really want to pass on to students is that you should make use of the space you get during your studies to try things out.\u201d That space is in the knowledge you are given and the people around you at a time with relatively fewer responsibilities. \u201cStudents are fresh, often young people with ideas and ambitions, some are still looking for what they want. I think nightlife is also a bit of an experimental space for society, where you can find out who you are, what you want and who you want to be with. That fits very well with what students go through.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\t

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Why Locus Publicus?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“This is a really nice stop on the way into the city after a long day at Erasmus University. They have a lot of beer and it’s very low-threshold. It’s often busy here, so you can sit alone among all the people, but you also won’t stand out if you happen to be the one with the biggest mouth.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Drink: lager<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Shitty times<\/h2>

Thys Boer gets on his bike for the next stop, caf\u00e9 Verward. He recommends the bike as the ultimate mode of transport at night. \u201cYou\u2019re more flexible and it\u2019s also a good way to discover the city.\u201d He rides a slim, sporty model that he secures with a folding lock to a bike staple. Caf\u00e9 Verward is a wine bar on the quiet Hoogstraat. The waiter is one of Thys\u2019 students, happy to recommend a white wine.<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018Young people drink a lot less alcohol, they care much more about their health, including sleep patterns\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a shitty time to study\u201d, Thys says, \u201csorry.\u201d The housing crisis and the climate crisis weigh increasingly heavily and he notices that young people go out less. He cites a Trimbos study showing that in 2023 visits to pubs, clubs and house parties had dropped by more than 40 percent compared with three years earlier. And he sees only a small recovery. \u201cDigitalisation is a challenge for nightlife. In the past you had to leave the house to find a lover or make new friends. But consumer behaviour has also changed: young people drink a lot less alcohol, they care much more about their health, including sleep patterns.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He welcomes the extra attention to that, but \u201cdancing is good for you too, and stress relief is nice as well. I get a lot of energy from going out, it\u2019s a place where I\u2019m inspired and can recharge.\u201d In the conversations he has at night he sharpens his perspective. \u201cThey can be about anything, from the housing crisis to new shoes. I want to be able and willing to doubt and to be open to others and in that way be tolerant of their ideas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Night mayor Thys Boer enjoys a glass of wine at wine bar Verward.<\/span><\/p>

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Why Caf\u00e9 Verward?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

“We’re now heading in a fun loop into the centre. My default is lager, but I know there’s a growing group who drink wine. Caf\u00e9 Verward is a place for the student who values good food and drink. Especially for the wine lover, because they really do have hundreds of different bottles.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Drink: crisp white wine<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Puddle of beer<\/h2>

When the sun goes down it\u2019s colder than expected. The heat lamps at Bokaal, opposite Erasmus University College, cast a red glow over groups of friends at high tables. What does the night mayor advise students who are going out for the first time these weeks? \u201cIf you\u2019ve never been out, I\u2019d go out the first time with someone you like. If you\u2019ve been out more, I\u2019d go alone sometimes. I\u2019d mostly go and find out where the people you find interesting hang out, that\u2019s different for everyone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He never had much to do with student associations, for example, but he sees them as places where people can find each other. \u201cThe people make the place. I\u2019ve found myself in basements where I wouldn\u2019t have been without those people. In a puddle of beer, or what I hoped was beer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Night mayor Thys Boer in front of the terrace of Bokaal.<\/span><\/p>

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Why Bokaal?<\/strong><\/p>\n

“It’s very central and appeals to many people. They have a very large terrace and you never have to wait long for service. Handy if you want to go out with a big group.”<\/p>\n

Drink: nothing for now<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

The night is for everyone<\/h2>

On the street it is noticeable that this evening mostly men are out. \u201cNot every woman is safe, unfortunately\u201d, Thys says as he passes a cigarette from hand to hand. The violent murder of 17-year-old Lisa after a night out in Amsterdam last month has led to increased attention to violence against women. As night mayor he insists that the night should be a place for everyone. \u201cWe cannot, must not, should not accept that women are unsafe, and we must not victim-blame women. The problem always lies with the perpetrator, and that is almost always a man.\u201d He does not want to tell young female students to stay at home. \u201cYou\u2019re not the one doing anything wrong, you should simply be able to do what you want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the next bar, Thoms on Meent, he says safety is an important issue for N8W8. \u201cWe\u2019ve been lobbying for the return of the night bus for years.\u201d From 5 September they will run on weekends to the outer neighbourhoods of Rotterdam. This makes going out more accessible for people who don\u2019t want to cycle through places like Kralingse Bos in the dark. Next to us a group of girls with carefully applied make-up sit on a bench. A few tables away a birthday is being celebrated.<\/p>\n

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At Thoms Thys sees the transition from terrace to night.<\/span><\/p>

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Why Thoms?<\/strong><\/p>\n

“What’s really cool here is that they also have a cellar. And in that cellar there are DJs playing. Here you can nicely see that transition from terrace to night, and I like to see that. That combination is fairly unique.”<\/p>\n

Drink: cola<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Guru<\/h2>

The final stop is Brewdog, tucked behind the town hall. A large place with a collection of polaroids of dogs next to the front door. Thys\u2019 brother works here and he buys him a tap drink that tastes like a supermarket smoothie with alcohol. \u201cI don\u2019t find it as nice as fruit juice and nor as nice as beer\u201d, he notes.<\/p>\n

He goes on to describe his plans as night mayor. With his team he is putting together a night agenda, with weekly curated tips and an overview of all events. \u201cWe notice that many people coming to Rotterdam, first-year students, have no idea where to go.\u201d He wants to help people find their own place in society. But please don\u2019t take him as an example. He laughs: \u201cI\u2019m not a guru.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A collection of polaroids of dogs can be seen by the front door of Brewdog.<\/span><\/p>

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Why Brewdog?<\/strong><\/p>\n

“On Tuesdays they have a pub quiz on a large screen, which is fun for students. They have fairly priced food and beer. There are also many internationals here. In summer, if there’s a European Championship or World Cup, you can watch all the matches of other countries here too.”<\/p>\n

Drink: mango-passionfruit-mandarin pulp sour<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t