Question Amsterdam, really as bad as its reputation?

[Grover]

woo! my holiday to amsterdam/venice/croatia(for a festival ) is almost complete! but its got me thinking:

is Amsterdam really as bad as most people make out? it cant be that bad, else it would just dissolve into chaos, wouldnt it?

i know about the legal weed and slack laws on prostitution, but seriously, its still here isnt it? so it cant be so bad (except that accomodation and food will turn out to be expensive)

just so excited!

Woooooooo
-=Grover=-

 

[Urwumpe]

is Amsterdam really as bad as most people make out? it cant be that bad, else it would just dissolve into chaos, wouldnt it?

Are we talking about the same Amsterdam here? In the Netherlands? Which is pretty calm for being a big city? I mean...Amsterdam is not Hamburg. And luckily not as boring as Brussels.

i know about the legal weed and slack laws on prostitution, but seriously, its still here isnt it? so it cant be so bad (except that accomodation and food will turn out to be expensive)

You have not been often on continental Europe, can it be? The laws are not much different to the laws of other countries, they just appear more liberal in details, but are also much stricter than in other countries.

 

[Dambuster]

Oh, I'm going there in a week-ish

And from what I've read, as long as you use common sense (like you should anywhere), it's fine. Apparently there is much bike thievery, though.

http://wikitravel.org/en/Amsterdam

 

[TSPenguin]

Amsterdam is supposed to be bad? Where did you hear that?
Amsterdam is actually very much fun and has tons of educational and cultural sites to visit. It is amazing how gigantic parts of the city sink into red light once the sun goes down, a sight to be seen.

As far as my experience goes, it is quite safe to run around intoxicated at 3 in the night. I only had one attempted mugging, and that was a drunk brit, so...

Urwumpe is right though, Amsterdam is not Hamburg

 

[Urwumpe]

And of course, you can really stay in a normal hotel in Amsterdam, and not need to pay astronomic prices for beer and the room per hour...

If you are not interested in prostitution, you can stay away from it easily. It wasn't even a problem in Prague, despite Prague at that time really turning into a huge cheap brothel at sunset. There are always places where the normal people go at night.

 

[Yoda]

Beeing Dutch myself and having spend a lot of time in Amsterdam, no it is not as bad as ( mostly americans) think.
It's like any other big city; if you're looking for trouble you can definatively find it in some area's but on general it's a fun city with lots of culture, museums and sights !

Everybody always make it out to be some sort of "Sin filled" city; but it's no more or less than any other big city.

 

[Urwumpe]

Everybody always make it out to be some sort of "Sin filled" city; but it's no more or less than any other big city.

You have legal prostitution there, for some more puritan people, this is one step wilder than eating your enemies and keeping slaves. The coffee shops are just adding a bit of the flavor there.

But don't mention that prostitution is so deep integrated into German culture, that it is now completely legal, has to pay taxes and health insurance as any other industry, need to do mandatory health checks not different to other industries...just getting job suggestions from the employment agency is currently just a one-time joke of fine German humor. Just like they still don't fulfill the legal requirements for having apprentices.

Don't tell that around...people might think that we are wild uncultured natives.

 

[IronRain]

Yes Amsterdam has 4 hotels on the list of the baddest hotels in Europe/the world... That doesn't mean that whole Amsterdam is bad. Of course we have prostitutes in Amsterdam and yes it's legal and yes there are coffee shops.. but it's LEGAL. I guess that's better then all the illegal stuff that we never hear from. Ever been to madame tussauds?:

dicaprio made out of wax.

And there is this place called 'Mueseum plein'. Here are all kind of entertainers and people are really enjoying it.

In Amsterdam you can also make these boat trips through the canals. These are pretty cool if you imagine that whole Amsterdam is connected to each other via these canals

and btw, Since it's our capital, it has more then 4 hotels.. A lot of 4-5 stars hotels

 

[cjp]

and btw, Since it's our capital

Ah, a perfect opportunity to confuse people:
Amsterdam is probably the only capital in the world that does not host the government. The largest government that is located in Amsterdam is the municipal government of Amsterdam.

The government of the Netherlands is located in a city called 'The Hague' in English, which corresponds to 'Den Haag' in Dutch. But in Dutch that city is sometimes also called "'s Gravenhage". To confuse foreigners, I believe that is the name they put on road signs.

Den Haag is also the capital of its province, Zuid (South) Holland. But the largest city in Zuid Holland is actually Rotterdam.

Speaking about Holland: that is not the name of the country, it's only the name of two (originally one) provinces. You might insult the people from other provinces if you make that mistake! In English, I believe 'the Netherlands' is the correct country name. The people are called the Dutch, but that is something specific to the English language. I guess the English mistook us for the Germans, who call themselves 'Deutsch'.

Amsterdam is not the capital of a province either: it is located in Noord (North) Holland, but the capital of Noord Holland is Haarlem.

But Amsterdam is the largest city in the Netherlands. However, with a population of about a million, it might be a bit disappointing for experienced travelers, unless they like the smaller cities of course.

I've not been often in Amsterdam, but when I was there I enjoyed it. If you don't mind (or like) the brothels and coffee shops (which sell more than just coffee, if they sell coffee at all), you'll like the city center with its canals and traditional architecture. I never really felt unsafe, but I think (like in all cities) that people who look/behave like tourists are always a bit less safe.

I think Amsterdam is the cultural center of the Netherlands, as well as the center for media production (not limited to pornography) and many Internet companies and ISPs. The second city of the Netherlands, Rotterdam, has a more pretending skyline with its tall buildings, which were created when rebuilding it after WWII, and it is a large business center, partly because of its huge port. Personally, I prefer Amsterdam, even while I live closer to Rotterdam.

 

[Ghostrider]

Amsterdam bad? I think you're mistaking it for Amsterdamnation, which is another place entirely and we do not discusse it here, or anywhere else. Save for a class at Miskatonic University, of course.

 

[jedidia]

It's like any other big city; if you're looking for trouble you can definatively find it in some area's but on general it's a fun city with lots of culture, museums and sights !

Ahhh yes... I do remember the sights... :embarrassed:

Apparently there is much bike thievery, though.

I think it's not that high if you put it into proportion with how many bikes there are. I mean, I NEVER in my whole life saw that many bikes in one place!

 

[dumbo2007]

Well I am a student in the Netherlands and I travel to Amsterdam often to party on Friday nights...its a beautiful city and loads of pubs(n chix)....you ll have fun for sure !!

 

[Linguofreak]

woo! my holiday to amsterdam/venice/croatia(for a festival ) is almost complete! but its got me thinking:

is Amsterdam really as bad as most people make out? it cant be that bad, else it would just dissolve into chaos, wouldnt it?

Well, it just depends what you mean by "bad". Europe in general has fairly low violent crime rates, so you're probably not in much physical danger.

If you're a devout and theologically conservative Christian (or Muslim, Jew, etc. for that matter), you'll find the place quite bad, though, from what I hear.

 

[JEL]

They park pretty radically: http://aaronfu.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/smart-car-into-the-river-2.jpg :blink:

 

[IronRain]

They park pretty radically: http://aaronfu.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/smart-car-into-the-river-2.jpg :blink:

We're just saving space...? :uhh:

 

[N_Molson]

I went to Amsterdam with friends a couple of years ago. It's like any other capital as long as you keep away from the hard drugs traffic, which is pretty active in the suburbs. And you have no reason to put your nose into that. Be aware that the customs of your country will probably be quite suspicious when you'll return, so be sure to clean your pockets if you plan to enjoy the local laws

Other than that the downtown is lovely, the canals running through the town are a very enjoyable view. The town is an historical seaport and a major naval trade center since the middle-ages (which explains the strong tradition in legal prostitution, there used to be a lot of sailors in town). Now, most of the sea trade has moved to Rotterdam, which has much larger harbor facilities.

 

[ryan]

I want to really visit Amsterdam, canals in the pictures of seen are awsome, and the nightlife music is off the charts.

 

[IronRain]

WC 2010 in Amsterdam:

 

[Urwumpe]

Also, the red-light district is at least something, that you should have seen:

Not that I am a friend of prostitution, but such old amusement quarters give a city soul.

 

[Moach]

i've been to Amsterdam once - it's a BEAUTIFUL city! - tourism-wise it's quite a rich destination...

if you're not into substance usage and erm, "adult entertainment", worry not - that whole "side o' town" is amazingly well organized and discrete (yes, i do mean "discrete", not "discreet")

that whole "dark side" is quite interesting to see, actually - coming from Brazil, i was quite awe-struck that such a thing being anything close to "civilized" was even possible...
but there it was, the so called "red light districts" (which are available in other cities throughout Holland as well) are notoriously well distinguished and regulated...

they have those streets with little shop-like installations where the scantly-clad working girls stand invitingly poised at the windows for the viewing pleasure of those that walk by... if you choose to go in, you get a treat - but it'll cost ya -- and if you don't, it's still fun to see, lots of people just go there for kicks, anyways... (you can't take pictures though, it's prohibited)


so, whatever your idea of "fun" may be, i quite recommend it! it's a most enjoyable destination! - and no, i didn't do any weed or whoo-hoo's while i was there (but their beer is beyond this world!).... anyways, there's just a lot of stuff to see - a MAJOR historical background, and all - and make sure that if you get the chance, have a ride through the country as well, it's really neat... :thumbup:

i was meaning to go back there ever since i went... i just got to spend a short afternoon there... so much stuff i didn't get to enjoy... but for now, i'm not quite up to it finacially, i fear...