You could try Rotterdam, that city is really coming up right now, it’s the only city in Holland with a skyline and it invests alot in architecture.
If you’re looking for a more old fashioned style, check Delft, whenever a Dutch movie is being made about WWII, they always film in Delft because it’s the most authentic city.
Hope that helps:)

Personally, I like the vibe of Utrecht as well. An old city in the centre of the Netherlands, but lots of small trendy enterprises.

Hi jozigirl!

I lived in Nederland in the 80’s. One of my favorite places was Bergen, also called Bergen-aan-Zee. It is near Almaar in Noord Holland. It is known as an artist colony and has very good energy. Also really beautiful. It’s not a large city, but rather a seaside town. Here’s a link you can start with:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergen%2C_North_Holland

Some good answers have been given, so far. If you also want to try smaller towns/villages, you could try Brielle which is about 30 km (20 miles) west of Rotterdam. This is a very historical town with a vibe of its own. It’s the first town that liberated itself from the Spanish colonists on the 1st of April 1572 (this is no joke).

This link may also help you out with what you may want to know:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brielle

Good luck!

I haven’t spent any time there professionally, but I think Utrecht may have the vibe you are looking for. I really enjoyed my visit there—the city seemed very alive and fresh, culturally speaking.

Amsterdam is about it. Rotterdam… not so much.

I’d say Utrecht. In Maastricht there’s also an Art Academy.
The big cities all have their own nice places, maybe it’s best to travel around a bit.