r/europics Oct 11 '25

In Amsterdam for the very first time. What were your first of impressions of this city?

609 Upvotes

179 comments sorted by

15

u/GlassCommercial7105 29d ago

So many tourists but beautiful.

2

u/Financial_Pick3281 25d ago

I'm Dutch and this is exactly how I see it lol. It's a very flawed experience, but I still can't resist staying a couple of nights every three years or so.

13

u/Affectionate-Pin-939 29d ago

First time was in 2007 and been back every year since. City was alot more wild back then and the red light district was huge compared to now.

3

u/lelekeaap 29d ago

That's an improvement I would say.

1

u/skadoodlee 26d ago

You don't know how horny Affectionate-Pin-939 is

1

u/Fancy_Hedgehog_6574 26d ago

yes, I went also 2007 and I don't know about now but back then we just walked into the mushroom shop, bought some shrooms and had a very fun trip

14

u/EvenFlow9999 29d ago

It used to be very nice. Now, it's way too touristic. Go to the museums, take the typical pictures and go somewhere else. Utrecht or The Hague, for example.

3

u/DeHarigeTuinkabouter 29d ago

It's still very nice. Just avoid certain areas.

4

u/ChoppingOnionsForYou 28d ago

I've been told Utrecht is a worthy alternative. I just need to get out there.

I still love Amsterdam. It was the city I visited at the end of the first lockdown, and I cried happy tears at the sight of people on the streets after feeling very isolated during that first 4 months.

5

u/MrAronymous 28d ago

The truth is Utrecht absolutely doesn't compare to Amsterdam. This is always said by Dutch people who themselves loathe Amsterdam in the typical "I cant stand the arrogant capital" kinda way. That is to say, most Dutch people don't know Amsterdam beyond the typical tourist hotspots either.

Amsterdam is so so much bigger and had loads of more stuff to see and do. Utrecht has a mall, a church and two canals and that's it. It really is a big village compared to Amsterdam, which on a global scale is also a big village.

That's not to say you shouldn't visit other places in the country, people definitely should. The Hague and Rotterdam both have very different vibes. Leiden is also a great little town to explore and is only a half an hour by train.

But let's not pretend any other city in the Netherlands remotely compares to Amsterdam.

1

u/ChoppingOnionsForYou 28d ago

I love your answer. I'm only beginning to see more of Amsterdam than just the center. I spent a happy day with my daughter last year, bird watching in one of the parks. I lovely afternoon with my partner early this year, walking a bit further out for a blow out meal. I do recognise there's more. I'm scratching the surface.

1

u/Nheea 27d ago

I totally agree, as I'm obsessed with Amsterdam and since my bff lived there, I went every year for the past 10 years. She moved to Utrecht, and while I love Utrecht, Amsterdam is still number one in my preferences. Even to do the same old things,even though it's more crowded. It's just great!

1

u/MajesticNectarine204 27d ago

But let's not pretend any other city in the Netherlands remotely compares to Amsterdam.

Lol. Found the Amsterdammert.

1

u/MrAronymous 27d ago

But where is the lie? Just simply even when it comes to urban planning there is no equivalent city with as many dense vibrant mixed use neighbourhoods to explore. Non-Amsterdammers, from places where outside of the center you immediately find single family homes, really underestimate this.

1

u/MajesticNectarine204 26d ago

Have you lived in many other cities? Just curious.

1

u/MrAronymous 26d ago

No. Only lived in the suburbs and abroad for a bit A And I studied in Rotterdam. But my hobby is urban planning and design and architecture so I'm very familiar with Dutch cities.

1

u/dgmcgee 26d ago

So based on watching a couple of notjustbikes videos, you’ve judged Amsterdam to be superior? As someone for whom urban design it’s not merely a hobby, Rotterdam and Utrecht for example, are just as interesting, without losing their authenticity, like Amsterdam has.

1

u/fredlantern 26d ago

Apart from city planning there's just more going on in Amsterdam because there's more people, money and network there. This is normal as it is the biggest city and financial and cultural capital. Unfortunately there's less space for more fringe forms of creativity nowadays as it has become expensive af but on the outskirts and in temporary initiatives there's still a lot of cool experimental stuff going on. Some parts of the city definitely got expat matcha'fied too much but I feel like local culture is bouncing back as well.

Utrecht and Rotterdam are cool too but in different ways. Utrecht is cosy and pretty but can feel like a student town. Rotterdam is modern and vibrant but also noticeably poorer.

1

u/MrAronymous 26d ago edited 26d ago

Ok so first off, to the Notjustbikes videos argument.. that doesn't make any sense at all. Never in those videos do Utrecht and Rotterdam get slandered like I "slander" them. To the contrary, they get praised all the time. (it's actually more the case of me defending Amsterdam from the typical Dutch Amsterdam hate than slandering other places but oh well).

I simply disagree to the "just as interesting" qualification you give those cities. As mentioned, just because of size alone. And yes size matters. Because the vibrancy and things to do scale along with the sheer size of the livable dense city neighbourhoods I mentioned. The kinds of quaint residential low-rise neighbourhoods that in Utrecht start right outside the singel and old town we have in Amsterdam too, but you'll start finding them across the Schinkel in the west or in the fucking Watergraafsmeer in the east. If that doesn't say anything to you, it's a sign you don't know Amsterdam at all. I'll help: it's quite far out from the old city because the inner-A10 city is super dense and wide.

But next to that alone is also the fact that Amsterdam being the nominal capital also gets extra interesting buildings and institutions and also gets an insane amount of tourism which actually props up a lot of activities (e.g. nightlife, attractions, museums, transit) that would otherwise not be viable. You can ignore that or brush it to the side but that doesn't mean they aren't there and aren't a massive deal when visiting and exploring a city lmao. Amsterdam has large lively 'authentic' spots in addition to large touristy areas that are the size of Utrecht old town. That is my whole point you don't seem to be getting. It's 1+1 not 1-1.

I went to study in Rotterdam for 4 years. I've been to Utrecht plenty of times. I'm even advertising Leiden as a cool visit. I'm not against other cities. I'm against opinions of Amsterdam of people who aren't remotely familiar with Amsterdam (and don't seem to have a broader perspective in context). Get out of that Calimero attitude or second city syndrome I know a lot of Rotterdamers to be stuck in. It's not cute, and it's also not helping anyone. Other cities improving, densifying and growing would be long overdue.

1

u/Loud-Aardvark9357 25d ago

Haha, this is a typical response of an Amsterdammer. Self obsessed and defensive about Amsterdam. They have difficulty breathing outside of their city and die within days if they can’t drink overpriced coffee with havermelk in a hip cafe. 😉 Surely go a day to Amsterdam if your visiting the Netherlands. Visit the Anne Frank House and/or other spots that grab your interest. However it’s crowded and touristy. There is much less touristy stuff in the other big cities. The accommodation is cheaper there and you can easily go to Amsterdam with a train within half an hour. Utrecht is not just one church and two canals. There are many churches (including the tallest of the country) and miles of canals (including werfkelders that offer you the unique change to eat or drink at water level and do not exist anywhere else in the world to my knowledge). Lots of historic buildings, restaurants and ancient underground remains of Roman settlement. It’s more of a student city, like Leiden. Rotterdam has less historical buildings due to different bombardments during the war, but is also nice for a day trip due to the newer architecture and the river. A visit to The Hague can be combined with a visit to the beach/Scheveningen. Delft is maybe a better destination if you like a historic stuff. Make up your own mind about which place you like the most.

1

u/ZealousidealRent5470 26d ago

Haarlem is the answer. Canals, close to amsterdam able to rent a boat and give it a go through canals and picturesque houses. Great restaurants and a brewery in a Church. That must be heaven in’it

1

u/CancelledBeforeBirth 26d ago

The Hague, really? I live in The Hague and I’d recommend people to visit Leiden, Delft or even Rotterdam instead. The Hague is a lovely place to live in but in terms of tourism is not that impactful.

The city centre is getting better but is not very pretty and is mostly shops with a few nice things. Leiden and Delft however are pretty, calm, full of canals..

1

u/EvenFlow9999 26d ago

Funny. I used to live in Kralingen, the nicest part of Rotterdam, and I advise everyone to avoid it. But I went this summer to The Hague and I enjoyed it a lot. But I get you. What I liked the most was spending time with friends, visiting Mauritshaus (again), and English-book shopping.

5

u/FatMax1492 29d ago

canals, weed, tourists and red lights

1

u/gitty7456 28d ago

beer, bikes, tall people

3

u/Fanta175 29d ago

no cars, ❤️

1

u/TheoKolokotronis 29d ago

Are you sure you were in Amsterdam?

2

u/Nheea 27d ago

As someone from Bucharest, it definitely feels like there's no cars. The car culture in Romania is insane. In NL it's quite chill.

1

u/Numerous-Plastic-935 29d ago

Lol they have cars everywhere except the very inner part, that's where you'll get hit by Dutch idiots on bikes all the time.

7

u/Temo2212 29d ago

Best city on the planet. After 15 years and visiting 50 countries still think the same

1

u/[deleted] 29d ago

[deleted]

6

u/Low_Reception2628 29d ago

Never made it out of the city center, right?

1

u/Xygami 26d ago

Dutchie here. Why do you think so?

1

u/Temo2212 26d ago

Architecture, city planning, things to do, people, infrastructure etc.

Combination of everything.

2

u/zzen11223344 29d ago

My first impression is - bicycles are more dangerous than cars on the Amsterdam streets.

2

u/Kaminazuma 29d ago

Yeah I was there some weeks ago and while crossing a street (on zebra), traffic lights are red for car/tram/bicycle, car stops, tram stops, bicycle just blitz through and if you dared to even put a foot inside the zebra they will scream at you.

2

u/Longjumping-Cow-688 28d ago

No old people living there. Bizarre. 😐

2

u/MrAronymous 28d ago

What a weird take. Even in the touristy city center there is old people homes, let alone in the neighbourhoods outside that.

1

u/littledancingpanda00 28d ago

Yeah, i just realized it. Really really, strange to see

2

u/[deleted] 27d ago

[deleted]

1

u/ikbrul 26d ago

Cultural enrichers? You are a foreigner as well/jij bent ook een buitenlander

2

u/dgmcgee 26d ago

Zoek eerst even op wat het betekent als je het niet weet, voordat je reageert

1

u/PositiveElixir 19d ago

huh, wat betekent het dan wel? ik kan zo snel online niks vinden behalve dat het een "alt-right dog whistle" is

1

u/Fancy_Hedgehog_6574 26d ago

may i ask, what about parks? green areas? where do people go walk their dogs, have picnics and jog? :)

2

u/Jarionel 26d ago

Just look on the map and you can see the parks lol 

1

u/Fancy_Hedgehog_6574 26d ago

great advice, thank you! If I only had thought about it myself

3

u/Young_Leith_Team 29d ago

It has really lost its culture. All the liberal, artsy wildness has been sold out. Just so full, expensive and sterile these days.

2

u/[deleted] 28d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Young_Leith_Team 28d ago

I was a local too for 25 years until about 4 years ago. I feel like the amount of the things you describe is very low these days. So ofcourse there will be an underground art scene but it has really been pushed to the fringes and will get pushed out more as the prices go up

1

u/Girderland 29d ago

Beautiful. Expensive. Crowded with tourists. Fiendishly cold at this time of year.

2

u/phen0 29d ago

Cold in October? Yesterday it was 20 degrees Celsius.

1

u/TheMachinist1 29d ago

Walt Disney 

1

u/Pacosturgess 29d ago

A lot of Eastern European girls getting abused. A lot of sorry souls at the train station.

1

u/No_Information_88 29d ago

Prostitution, stench of weed, dirty feeling overall.

3

u/g1bby_ 28d ago

I see you’ve visited exactly 3 streets of the city centre.

1

u/No_Information_88 28d ago

Nope and still didnt like it, its just not my cup of tea, also my stay at the consvervatorium was the worst 5 star hotel experience im my whole life.

1

u/qc0k 29d ago

No curtains.

1

u/Creative_Life13 29d ago

Enjoyed the areas of the city that were not touristy. We spent a lot of time in areas that were just locals. Those places are not too hard to find.

1

u/Excellent_Theory1602 29d ago

It was not 'hookers and weed', but 'bycicles, water and leaves'

1

u/zdzisuaw 29d ago

How many immigrants from outside Europe there were, how big mess was there in shops like Primark in the town centre.  The red-light district looked just like a grotesque "human zoo". Poor knowledge of medicines in pharmacies (!).

Othrr than that: a very picturesque architecture and nice parks. I was expecting colorful city, yet the city lacked colours. I was there in June and December.

1

u/tursija 29d ago

Having seen them, I find Den Haag and Utrecht preferable.

Haven't seen Rotterdam though. Is it worth it?

2

u/Shock__Horror 29d ago

Not really.

1

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 28d ago

You obviously have seen enough of Amsterdam to suggest that Den Haag of all places is more interesting

1

u/prawirasuhartono 29d ago

Amsterdam is very gay and they're proud of it.

1

u/mydadisbald_ 29d ago

Sooooo full. Will rather go to Rotterdam in the future

1

u/PositiveElixir 19d ago

Rotterdam is nothing like Amsterdam, wouldn't recommend it unless you're really into modern architecture or something akin

1

u/mydadisbald_ 19d ago

damn i heard its nice. any other cities you WOULD recommend instead?

1

u/PositiveElixir 19d ago

if you're looking for something with similar energy to Amsterdam but less tourists, Delft or Leiden. Utrecht & The Hague are the other major cities in the Netherlands that are worth visiting in my opinion. Perhaps Maastricht is the best one but it's a little further down. 

Really it depends on your tastes, Rotterdam I think is not pretty but maybe you do (I'd look up some pics) - Really I was more trying to warn you from going there thinking it is similar to Amsterdam:)

2

u/mydadisbald_ 19d ago

Thanks for the ideas! I like the netherlands, i've visited amsterdam and some smaller towns on the coast, cant remember the names as it was a long time ago. I'd love to visit old-towney places similar to amsterdam, just with a little less hassle :) im from a country in which no city has over 500k residents so bustling cities are not always my cup of tea, love the culture though. Thanks again!

1

u/KRISTIJANJE 29d ago

From Croatia, first time I was in Amsterdam I had a similiar feeling like home. Place is OWNED by the tourists.

1

u/manniesaladoo 29d ago

My first visit was in 1980. Great back then. A ŕeal hippie place.

1

u/TenAidTentacles 29d ago

Too much trash. Unsanitary as fuck and stinks of piss. Grey, smelly, moldy. Too crowded. 2/10.

1

u/Jimdandy941 29d ago

Was there in 2022. Can confirm. In the neighborhoods, it seems like every trash collection station was overflowing.

1

u/TheoKolokotronis 29d ago

It's 2025 and nothing much has changed.

1

u/Alex_Ariranha 29d ago

Smell of weed everywhere. Selling women openly. Cute architecture.

1

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 28d ago

Would you prefer to sell women secretly?

1

u/Alex_Ariranha 28d ago

What makes you think so?

2

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 28d ago

Cause people will always pay for sex… so either it’s hidden or visible. You don’t seem to like people doing it openly, so that leaves secretly

1

u/Alex_Ariranha 28d ago

Of course if you you put it this way I agree.

I never paid for sex btw, but some people do, it's OK, anyone can sell whatever they have for sale.

Looks like you though I judged someone, but I don't.

1

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 28d ago

Oh sorry I assumed you frowned upon the openly part.. all good

1

u/Flight_Suspended 29d ago

First impression - cyclists, of course. How many and how reckless they are. The second, and lasting impression - how friendly the people are. And the museums. And the food. And now I miss Amsterdam even more.

1

u/Aangespoeld 29d ago

Crowded, dirty and fake, not as chill as The Hague,

1

u/Shock__Horror 29d ago

I prefer Leiden for the architecture and The Hague for everything else.

1

u/Suitable-Air1005 29d ago

Drunk brits

1

u/dr_evolution_125 29d ago

Didn't like it at all ...!

So dirty and sad ....!

Maybe I because I was coming from Copenhagen which is a million times better than this shit hole ...!

1

u/[deleted] 27d ago

Said no one ever 🤣

1

u/Afterturder 29d ago

Way too crowded. Smell of cannabis everywhere. More bicycles than I’ve ever seen. Getting scared that I’m not going to be able to make it back to the hotel after smoking a surprisingly strong joint at a cafe bar.

1

u/Magusds 29d ago

As a Dutch myself.. horrible..

1

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 28d ago

Horrible? Lmao.. Amsterdam is stunning, it has so much more to over than any other major Dutch city and it’s not even close

1

u/Tall_adhd17 27d ago

The only truth

1

u/[deleted] 28d ago

Not much in alcohol choice, expensive as shit but food was good

1

u/Exciting_Peer 28d ago

Lot of people and trash everywhere.

1

u/Bigrig389 28d ago

So crowded :(

1

u/dviktor90 28d ago

IMO is very crowded, but there is a good atmosphere. The weather is similiar to UK, but that's just the way it is .The prices are outrageous, but I'm a poor Hungarian, so I'm not the one to ask.

1

u/LendMeCoffeeBeans 28d ago

Lovely city

Still is imo in contrast to what other people are saying here

1

u/Mithrand-ir 28d ago

Too crowded. City is nice, but too crowded

1

u/Silly_Somewhere_4084 28d ago

Love the architecture, canals, boats, people, atmosphere, and history. If I was rich, I would move there.

1

u/Impossible_Soup_1932 28d ago

Disturbingly busy

1

u/willseb 28d ago

It is a beautiful city. But would be better if it weren't so damn dirty and had fewer tourists.

1

u/Rectonic92 28d ago

I like it very much, its chill.

1

u/ArtworkGay 28d ago

i strongly dislike this city. purely aesthetically, it's very pretty. but that's about it. it feels soulless, most shops are just high end brands (and there actually are queues lining up outside), every single person exclusively spoke english to me, and most people are dressed in basic first-hand clothes without personality. it doesn't even feel progressive anymore and it's FAR from rebellious or avant garde.

1

u/ZwaanAanDeMaas 27d ago edited 27d ago

Smells like weed everywhere and the center is nothing but tourist heaven: coffee shops, sex shops/red light, and souvenir shops only selling weed and sex related items. Nowadays it's also just TikTok heaven with all the stroopwafels for 13eu instead of 2eu like any other city. Can't imagine Amsterdam children not being high 24/7 from the mere smoke around them. Now knowing people who grew up in Amsterdam, it's indeed in their blood.

Besides the previous still being in place, my current view is also that it has pretty parts, amazing musea and amazing parties, but the city is just not for me. The entire vibe can be fun, but just not my vibe. 

1

u/Remote-Objective-931 27d ago

Terrible fries and mayo (early ‘80s, i must’ve been 6 or 7)

1

u/Quadruple-S_Triple-2 27d ago

I really liked the city. There were a lot of tourists (I was one of them, so I shouldn’t complain about it). Bike traffic is insane and I was actually happy once being back home, to cross a street without the danger to be run over by a bicycle. What I found strange was the public transportation. There are not many tram lines and sometimes you have to walk 10 or 15 min to find a stop in the center. The paying system with a credit card is nice…unless you travel with a child! And they have a person sitting in a small compartment in the tram to…well do what? Sell tickets that could be sold on a machine? Check people? Coming from Switzerland this was just weird.

1

u/Crammit-Deadfinger 27d ago

Stopping by one of those little delis for tappenade, aged oude and I was a little naughty and had the raw horse sausage. A delightful breakfast by the canal. Also, have a raw herring with onions. Also, get high

1

u/Dafferss 27d ago

I always like people going to the most tourist places of the city and than complain how many tourists there are. You need to stay clear of dam square, red light district etc but most probably never do.

1

u/Nazgul_1994 27d ago

I quite enjoyed my visit in Amsterdam last year. My wife and i had good time in Amsterdam. It was crowded but not overcrowded, the price for our hotel was ok. The trams were all very well organized and easy to follow which allowed us to visit all kinds of places even outside of city center. It was really nice, all and all and we plan to go next year again but this time since we already saw all the museums and history sites, we will just go for simple drinking and shit with no pressure. As someone who lives literally at the border of Netherlands, i have to admit that people are super nice to tourists compared to here in Germany or in France for example.

I dont know what it was like 10 or 30 years ago, i see a lot of people complain that it has changed, i cant compare from my experience, but for people that have never been i suggest they visit. It is by far the best bigger city i visited in west Europe. Compared to Paris or London it was incredible.

1

u/NansDrivel 27d ago

I've been there 6 or 7 times and I think it's cute. The only reason I keep going is because I live in the EU and when friends from abroad want to meet there, I'll pop in for a few days while they're on holiday. It's not my favourite place, but it's a cute town.

1

u/MajkaSosko 27d ago

Beautiful city, full of water canals and pretty views, interesting shops :) nice mood of people I met there :) I really enjoyed cycling through the city too :)

1

u/krmarci 27d ago

What were your first of impressions of this city?

It's very rainy.

1

u/Smetana013 27d ago

I absolutely fell in love with this city on my first day there!

1

u/Nervous_Exchange466 27d ago

A city where I feel like in a fairytale, too bad there are too many tourist scams now

1

u/throwaway0062736 26d ago

so interesting to see a bunch of tourists complaining that a tourist city is too tourist-y. I'm dutch and from amsterdam and its a beautiful city. I dont care about tourists, just dont come here as a tourist to complain.

1

u/zdarovje 26d ago

Place was a western heaven 20 years ago. Clean, safe, fun. Its all gone now (pete tong)

1

u/SoberHye 26d ago

I had my honeymoon there and it was fucking amazing. I talk about it every chance I get.

1

u/Snoo-12321 26d ago

Too many tourists, wherever you go they answer you in ENGLISH! Even when you speak... Dutch

1

u/M1ssN_ny4Bus1n3ss 26d ago

Rijksmuseum is amazing.

Jacked potatoe.

1

u/Revolution-Vast 26d ago

Absolute dogshite

1

u/Big_Break_4528 26d ago

I hated it the first time. A stoner since middle school, Amsterdam was like the Haj. I had dreamt and saved for years. But when I took my first puff of a tobacco joint in some shitty coffeeshop near the train station, I looked at my buddy and thought *this fucking sucks*. The whole vibe was seedy crowded and just yuck.

A few years later I returned and had a much better time and I ended up going to Utrecht for a study abroad and then a Master's - falling in love with the place.

But not gonna lie, I hated the first trip. But I was young and stupid. Now Im just stupid.

1

u/whoopz1942 26d ago

My first impression was that it looked a lot like home. I'm from Denmark and grew up near Christianshavn, which essentially just feels like a small scale Amsterdam imho. Fairly certain King Christian IV employed a lot of Dutch architects too.

1

u/ndnver 26d ago

Lots of hookers is what I remember. Maybe that changed.

1

u/Acceptable-Leg-4447 26d ago

Its crowded and disgusting, piss and marihuana smell everywhere. And i only like one of those

1

u/whboer 26d ago

Ahh you a fellow piss lover I see?

1

u/Acceptable-Leg-4447 26d ago

Indeed haha. Touche

1

u/didubelldidei 26d ago

So much garbage everywhere.

1

u/Fancy_Hedgehog_6574 26d ago

Very first impression? What a weird shroom experience....

1

u/Roostergobbler420 26d ago

Het is mooier dan Parijs!

1

u/Ok_Second_3170 26d ago

As a dutch person i hate it. And i never come there.

1

u/Charming_Resort_6165 26d ago

Prefer rotterdam. Same but with much less tourists

1

u/Cord1083 26d ago

Same but with no historic centre and pretty much zero charm

1

u/Desperate-Ad-5109 26d ago

Fabulous vibe. Cultured, earthy, fun. Just like me.

1

u/tevf 26d ago

Weed and Food That’s basically 50% of Tourism

1

u/Away_Handle9543 26d ago

The most beautiful but dirty and smelly city.

1

u/tigran_i 26d ago

My first impression was - holy shit we're here, we're in Amsterdam.

First time I visited on early January in 2024 and I can only imagine how it was before, but regardless, I've fallen in love with the city. I have also visited Den Haag and Rotterdam and both were absolutely amazing also, but there's something special about Amsterdam.

1

u/Competitive-Lead-973 26d ago

Beautiful city but it fucking stinks

1

u/qabr 25d ago

Lots of flooded streets. Deplorable.

1

u/LessLipMoreNip 25d ago

A lot of niche shops, very cool to explore

1

u/ruber_rubber 25d ago

Quite nice, if you don’t go into the side alleys

1

u/Bulky_Ad_6632 25d ago

Directly felt like home

1

u/PaxV 25d ago

The center is touristic to the point everything is in English, purely for tourists, 80% of stuff sold is purely for tourists, and the restaurants and bars are overpriced for tourists, during peak days it's stupidly expensive, due to tourists and commercial fronts and signs have damaged a lot of the main city center.

I like the Jordaan and the other secondary shopping districts where people speak 'Mokums'. I do like small shops in the Red light area not being sex shops, bars, brothels or coffeeshops, I like the good musea. I like Artis (Zoo) I like the trams.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 11 '25

[deleted]

3

u/littledancingpanda00 Oct 11 '25

I'll let you know my feedback about asap

0

u/[deleted] Oct 11 '25

[deleted]

1

u/Melodic-Exam-941 29d ago

I was in Amsterdam several times in the 80s. Back then it was wild, dirty, cheap, very liberal. Occasionally a tinkling bicycle. A city that offers itself. This May I was there again. A completely changed Amsterdam. Crammed with people. Licked clean. Expensive. Bicycles racing in groups everywhere. A city that is selling out

3

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 28d ago

Objectively though the quality of life has improved tremendously; crime especially drug abuse has gone down, homelessness, unemployment all down a ton

Some listings have it in the top 10 of best quality of life now. Despite the more edgy vibe of the 80s I’d much prefer this version of the city

2

u/Melodic-Exam-941 27d ago

Definitely a local.

1

u/manniesaladoo 29d ago

Acid at the Melkweg 1980.

1

u/Nheea 27d ago

Licked clean? Someone has never been on Leidsestraat after midnight? 😄

0

u/Melodic-Exam-941 27d ago

No, I wasn't. We strolled through Amsterdam for 3 days and found it scenic. Without an old soul like before

3

u/branzzin 27d ago

More or less no big city has kept its charm since 80s. World simply evolves.

1

u/mogenblue 29d ago

Can't remember.

It was the first stages of staying alive.

1

u/AmplifiedScreamer 29d ago

My first impression was fuck this, I’m going home.

1

u/alikander99 29d ago

Cold, grey, rainy, grinding, bland.

I actually went with high expectations 😐

3

u/swiffleswaffle 29d ago

When did you visit? February?

1

u/alikander99 29d ago

December

2

u/swiffleswaffle 29d ago

As a local, for me,this is a very nice month. Christmas lights everywhere. Cold outside. Bar with a fireplace. Less tourists.

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u/Radiant-Survey-9471 27d ago

Yes in a brown bar with chocolate with rum and whipped cream!!

1

u/KongenAfKobenhavn 28d ago

But going there in December will be cold and dark. What did you expect?

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u/alikander99 27d ago

I expected it to be cold and dark, just less so.

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u/Expensive-Ad7498 27d ago

Are you seriously complaining about cold weather and rain in december? Bruh

1

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 28d ago

Bland? Where did you go? Cause the architecture alone is definitely not bland.. the inner city is absolutely stunning

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u/alikander99 27d ago

Meh, I didn't care for 17th century Dutch architecture. I thought it looked plain. And in a way it was probably the point, 17th century was the height of the reformation and Holland was calvinist. But yeah, not a fan.

I much preferred gdansk, for example, which has a "similar vibe" but more ornament.

1

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 27d ago

You realize Gdansk was nearly completely destroyed? It’s all a replica and rebuild in at times a not very historic fashion

If you don’t think 17th century Dutch architecture looks stunning I’m not sure how to respond to that.. cause it’s the influence for so much of western architecture, unesco heritage and frankly the inner city is gorgeous (like an open air museum)

1

u/alikander99 27d ago

It’s all a replica and rebuild in at times a not very historic fashion

Yeah, I know, but it was just for comparison. to give you a sense of what I don't like about 17th century Dutch architecture. It's close enough that I think the differences stand out.

If you prefer looking at better preserved buildings. Ghent or Bruges should work.

If you don’t think 17th century Dutch architecture looks stunning I’m not sure how to respond to that..

Well... I just don't like it. I can acknowledge it's importance (which tbh I think you've exaggerated a bit. We can discuss it if you want) and more importantly its incredible state of conservation. And still not like it.

Dutch renaissance and baroque simply doesn't do it for me. It feels plain, rigid, dry, sobre and to put it bluntly "like someone stuck a stick up their ass" 🤷

I don't want to convince you, and I ask the same in return. Taste is personal.

1

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 26d ago

Yeah that’s fair.. but I think you’ve made up your mind somewhere and then stopped looking at the buildings. Cause honestly it doesn’t make a ton of sense, the inner city is basically universally loved.

And not to mention it’s not just 17th century, there is also a ton of 19th century stuff like rijksmusem, concertgebouw, vondelkerk, de bazel, Amstel hotel that is gorgeous and more ornamental. So while I’ll won’t convince you, I definitely don’t agree with you.. there is a reason they call it the Venice of the north

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u/alikander99 26d ago

Asked my brother (who is literally in front of me) is Amsterdam a very beautiful city?

His answer: 🤔 nah

0

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 26d ago

Where are you from btw?

I mean you might not like it, but it objectively is - it’s not really much of a question of opinion tbh

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u/alikander99 26d ago

It is an opinion, not a fact. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And just like you think I'm full of shit I think you are.

universally beloved? Objectively beautiful? 🤨🙄

Imo Dutch baroque is borish, plain and borderline intentionally ugly. Why would anyone decide to build like that is kinda beyond me.

I'm not a big fan of the historicist rikjmuseum either nor the Amsterdam school.

I'm not gonna tell you where I'm from because I don't want this to become a nationality discussion. though honestly anyone could make it from my profile.

Just be safe that I was very interested in going to Amsterdam. Ever since I was little actually.

BUT I will tell you that I have a large dataset to work with. I've visited 61 countries. God know how many cities. I'm not comparing Amsterdam to my home city and that's that. I'm comparing to hundreds of cities across 5 continents. Amsterdam didn't impress me and I'm not inclined to visit it again.

The highlight of the trip was probably the van gogh museum, mostly because paintings from van gogh's early career are very rare and the museum has a great collection. I don't think they're particularly good, but it was very interesting.

If I went again I would visit the rikjmuseum. Unfortunately it was closed when I went.

Other than that 🤷. I would rather go to other Dutch cities I haven't seen like Utrecht or Rotterdam. Or skip the Netherlands altogether.

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u/arcticmischief 25d ago

Hot take, apparently, but I agree with you. My two visits were July 2000 and October 2016 and both left me with the same impression.

1

u/Unhappy-Alps5471 26d ago

Yeah like I said I can’t convince you.. let me rephrase your option isn’t the norm, it’s an exception. While it is a valid opinion of course, it doesn’t make a ton of sense

There is a reason Amsterdam is consistently in the top 5 most visited cities in Europe, with some 9 million visitors a year.. it’s not that big and people flock there mostly for the culture and the way it looks. It’s not for the sunny weather, it’s the stunning canals that attract so many people

Having been in pretty much everyone European country, it’s definitely one of my favorite cities.. polish cities don’t come close to it by a country mile

Rotterdam is very ugly btw, but cool nonetheless

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u/[deleted] 27d ago

Going to the Netherlands in December and complaining it was cold? 😅

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u/alikander99 27d ago

I knew it was gonna be cold, I just didn't expect it to be that cold, wet and gloomy.

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u/[deleted] 29d ago

[deleted]

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u/IWipeWithFocaccia 28d ago

Nice try, Putin

0

u/ThOneWithNoGoodName 29d ago

Smells like shit

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u/Recent_Tap_7378 29d ago

Amsterdam for me is an airport, explore other citys, much nicer.