The Nine Streets (Negen Straatjes) occupy nine short connecting streets that link the three major ring canals — Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht — between Raadhuisstraat and Leidsegracht. The area is roughly the size of a few city blocks, but it has become one of Amsterdam's most compelling shopping districts: independent boutiques, vintage clothing, specialist bookshops, artisan food shops, and a handful of very good cafes.
The streets themselves are some of the best-preserved in the city. The gable types vary from house to house — step gables, neck gables, bell gables — and the ground floors, which were originally warehouses and tradesmen's premises, now mostly hold small shops whose owners actually know their stock. Wolvenstraat has design boutiques; Hartenstraat leans toward vintage; Runstraat is a good starting point, with antique shops and specialist bookshops; Berenstraat is the densest for cafes and food.
The best approach is to cross the canals on foot, moving between the bridges and doubling back on parallel streets. The neighbourhood is compact enough that you cannot get lost for long and interesting enough that getting mildly lost is part of the point. The canal views at each crossing are excellent: you see the Jordaan to the west and the Canal Ring to the east simultaneously.
Weekend crowds are significant. Come on a Thursday afternoon or a weekday morning and the streets are quieter, the shop owners more available for conversation, and the cafes actually have seats. The district rewards slow movement and unplanned stops over any attempt at a systematic checklist.