Amsterdam
Leeuwenhoek was an apprentice in Amsterdam from 1648 until 1654. He lived with his uncle, wool merchant Pieter Douchy, on the Rozengracht. It ran northeast from the Westerkerk about a third of a mile (half a kilometer) southwest to the moat at the edge of the 17th century city, now the Singelgracht. 
The photograph on the right from 1881 of the Rozengracht before it was paved over looks northeast toward the Westerkerk's tower rising in the background. The canal and many of the buildings seen in this photo were new when Leeuwenhoek lived there.
Rozengracht today (left; click to enlarge). As is true of most of today's streets with "gracht" at the end of the street name, the Rosengracht's canal is now paved over for car traffic. Today's Rozengracht is a street of shops in the trendy Jordaan district in Amsterdam's center.
He worked in the business of one of his uncle's colleagues, William Davidson.
