Historical Perspectives of Amsterdam
Upon arriving in Amsterdam, the city’s historical prosperity and cultured-ness becomes readily apparent to any visitor. The founding of the city dates back to the early 12th century, when it was a small fishing village, but it has obviously progressed over time. Although Amsterdam has a rich history, two periods in particular help define the city’s current tourism atmosphere.
During the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century, a period of economic and cultural prosperity, Amsterdam became the we
althiest city in the world thanks to its prominence as a trading port. Ships sailed to the city from North America, Africa, and India, among other countries. Alyson Byrne explains in her blog how “sailors would go [to the Old Church] to reconcile for their sins from the previous night (in the Red Light District),” showing the cities close ties with its history as a major port. Records have stated that the Dutch East India Company actually produced the first stock exchange share, showing the city’s progress as a financial center as well (http://www.oldest-share.com/). The accumulation of wealth helped Amsterdam expand its borders and construct many of the extravagant Dutch-style buildings and neighborhoods still intact today.Much of the expansion of the city during the 17th century was part of the canal planning project, facilitated by the influx of immigrants. The goal of the canal project was “concerned with sanitation, and an interest in the economic function of the city” (http://www.uncp.edu/home/rwb/Amsterdam_l.html). The canals allowed for smooth transportation of goods and people to and from the port. Amsterdam certainly had the budget for such a big project, and its subsequent construction helped to further the city’s prosperity and reputation.
A second important period for Amsterdam’s development was the Second World War. Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940, sending many citizens scattering in fear of being deported. The country’s historical tradition of religious tolerance made it a large target for the Nazi regime. Food and fuel became scarce, putting Amsterdam through a period of suffering. After the war, several new neighborhoods were constructed, offering impro
ved living conditions and more space for parks, natural areas, and other open spaces. Amsterdam’s resilience during the war tells much about its ability to maintain its image over a long period of time.These two periods in Amsterdam’s history effectively explain the city’s layout and sense of Dutch pride. Much of the past architecture remains intact, only blemished by necessary modernization and commercialism. Tourism has certainly taken over much of Amsterdam’s old neighborhoods, but any traveler can find deep history by visiting historical destinations or simply taking a ride down one of the city’s old canals. Much of Amsterdam’s current economy is based upon gaudy tourism, but the wealthy history is what has built the city into the destination it is today.
Amsterdam's Must-See Tours and Sights
The port city of Amsterdam is one of the most unique in Europe with a long and glorious, yet controversial past. All of its scenic parks, canals, rowed houses, churches, and bridges make it one of the most interesting destinations in the Netherlands. Though best known for the vice tourism connected to its legalized prostitution and coffee shops, the beauty of the city and its attractions make it ideal for tours and sightseeing. Simply by taking a stroll along the narrow streets on either side of a canal, a visitor to this city can see a lot of the city’s personality. If a potential tourist to Amsterdam would prefer not to hoof it the entire time, there are numerous canal tours, with canal boats embarking regularly from the vicinity of Amsterdam Centraal Station to cruise the many waterways that wind through the inner city (http://www.viator.com/Amsterdam/d525/canal-cruises?pref=02&aid=g3305).
One of the most popular spots to visit while in Amsterdam Is the Red Light District. Many seedy sex shows, pornographic stores, and windows with working women behind them waiting for customers can be found. So as not to be discouraged, this part of the city is actually one of the safest and most scenic of all of Amsterdam’s neighborhoods. It’s typical to see not only men, but couples and families touring through this area. Walking tours are offered in the Red Light District and will normally have former prostitutes as tour guides who can offer a depth of knowledge of the neighborhood (http://www.viator.com/tours/Amsterdam/Amsterdam-Red-Light-District-Walking-Tour/d525-2550LIN13).
Amsterdam has a very compact layout with a ringed shape(http://www.europe-cities.com/GoogleMapPage.aspx?tid=1317). In the inner ring of the city, much of what was constructed during the 17th century (Amsterdam’s Golden Age) can be seen as distinguished by the row houses, many canals, churches, and also its infamous Red Light District. In this part of the city, the port appeal of Amsterdam can be seen. This is likewise one of the most tourist-ridden areas and a visitor can expect to deal with large crowds. In the outer ring, there are fewer canals and the museums, squares, and parks that the city offers can be found. As Amy Burke states in her blog, “The cluster of museums are tucked back into this cozy residential looking area, which begins to confine some space just as the Red Light District did, however, with high bushes, fences and homes.”
A visitor can expect to find the city’s cultural landmarks, the Riijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and also to the west of this area (called the Museumplein) the beautiful Vondel Park is located. If beer is a point of interest for a visitor to Amsterdam, the Heineken brewery can be found also to the east of the Museumplein. Therefore, for anyone that visits the outer ring, there is still a great deal to see and will not be as confined or crowded as the area surrounding the Red Light District.
Another point of interest in the city, with connections to a more recent past, is the Anne Frank House. With a very unimpressive, normal façade, some very extraordinary history can be found here. During the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam, Anne Frank hid along with the rest of her family to evade capture and deportation to the concentration camps. The diary she wrote in hiding told her story, which the world knows now. This is a significant memorial to visit in order to experience first-hand the reality of the time for Jews in Europe who had to go into hiding (http://www.annefrank.org/).
It goes without saying that Amsterdam offers a plethora of different tours and sights within the city, which should hopefully dispel any apprehensions about the city only offering “mature” attractions to visitors. A Dutch citizen would tell you the same thing, that there is a lot of culture and beauty to be found in this wonderful port city and it shouldn’t only be defined by the tolerance it has for sinful behaviors. Anyone going to Amsterdam will certainly have an impression made on them that will last a lifetime and it is well worth seeing!
Need to Know: Coffeeshops
One of the main draws to the Netherlands, and Amsterdam in particular, for many college age students is the toleration of Marijuana. Before visiting Amsterdam it is important to learn the history and laws associated with cannabis within Holland.
The start of coffeeshops in the Netherlands dates back to the 1970’s when the government drew a line between the definition of soft and hard drugs (examples of soft drugs are alcohol and tobacco). The country took the first steps to decriminalize cannabis in 1976 and focused their law enforcement on harder drugs, mainly heroin and cocaine. The new law stated you could possess thirty grams of cannabis and it would no longer be a criminal offence. However, it is important to remember marijuana is NOT legal it is tolerated. Coffeeshops stayed illegal until 1980, but through Amsterdam’s City Council and the coffeeshop union Bond van Cannabis Detaillisten (BCD) it allows these shops to operate with a licenses and a set of strict rules. (http://www.coffeeshop.freeuk.com/GenCS.html)
When you visit Amsterdam today it might be a little difficult to find where marijuana is sold because it is illegal to advertise the sale and availability of cannabis. However, if you walk into any coffeeshop/café or follow the clouds of smoke, weed isn’t hard to find. When going into a shop many times there will be a menu booklet on the counter where you can buy marijuana. You MUST be eighteen years of age to smoke and many times they will id you even if you look older than eighteen. Coffeeshops can only sell five grams per customer and the prices will vary from place to place, but tend to be higher in the more touristy areas. You can also smoke your own weed in the café’s but it’s then expected that you purchase a drink out of courtesy. (http://www.amsterdam.info/coffeeshops/)
IMPORTANT: Remember marijuana is not tolerated in other parts of Europe and it is a criminal offence to smuggle drugs out of Holland.
Amsterdam's (In)Famous Red Light District
“I do believe that the Red Light District represents a certain culture that is very different from my own. This does not necessarily mean that it is wrong but it is a way of life that is hard to grasp because it is so unusual and unique to the rest of the world.” -Jenna SternWhen one thinks of Amsterdam two things come to mind: legalized prostitution and legalized marijuana. The legalized prostitution has become one Amsterdam’s most famous tourist attraction to the city of Amsterdam. The Red Light District is an area that consists of roads and alleys containing hundred of small room apartments rented by female sex workers in eye-popping underwear. Typically illuminated with red lights, these female workers offer their services from behind a window or glass door to just about anyone who walks by. Although it may seem like a dangerous and unsafe place, The Red Light District is a safe environment for the women as well as their clients.
Located 10 minutes south of the main train station, The Red Light District is part of a neighborhood where businesses connect to the sex industry. This district covers a large area of the oldest part of the city where the buildings are thin and crowded together. Known for getting busier as the sun goes down, the red-light district attracts more than 4 million visitors each year. (Amsterdam Red Light District Guide)
It was during the 14th-century was when The Red Light District became a more popular attraction for travelers. According to Kim Mehan, “This area represents a part of Amsterdam because the people there are proud that they have something so well known. This area has been active since the 14th Century when sailors would arrive for some female attention.” According to The Red Light District website, http://amsterdam-red-light-district.info, when sailors arrived in Amsterdam they were in much need of some female company, the red-light area would fulfill their wants and needs. Although it is still used for the same purposes, The Red Light District is currently full of sex-shops, brothels, gay bars, cinemas, hotels, and different kinds of museums.
According to Colleen Shields, “Prostitution became legalized in The Netherlands in 1815. Since then, 380 windows are open for girls to stand and flaunt their bodies. Although, it costs the girls about 75 to 100 Euros to rent the window for an eight hour shift. Recently, they are apart of The Netherlands Department of Commerce. For an encounter with one of these women you’ll drop fifty Euros for about fifteen minutes behind the red curtains. A lot of this information I retained from our free tour by Sandmen’s New Europe: Amsterdam. This tour is everyday at 11 am and 1 pm leaving from the tourist office. It gives a great overview of the city and tells a lot of the mundane particularities of the city.”
“Not only is it full of women from all parts of the world who parade themselves for money in tiny windows, but also it’s a beautiful part of the city that contains cobbled streets and 14th century architecture.” wrote Jenna Stern in her travel blog. Because of the tolerant attitude toward prostitution, girls from many countries come to work in The Red Light District (Amsterdam Red Light District Guide).
In her blog, Jenna Stern mentions, “Whether I was prepared or not I knew that I needed to experience it, especially because of all that it symbolized for Amsterdam as a country. To many of us, images of pornography and drugs might not be something that makes us feel pride in our country, but to people living in Amsterdam it represents a liberal and tolerant attitude that embraces all people of any background.”
Whether or not you decide to partake in The Red Light Districts many activities, it is a significant part of Amsterdam’s culture and nightlife. “Aside from the marijuana and prostitution, the Red Light District certainly adds a lot to the atmosphere of Amsterdam” -Colleen Shields.
Accommodations and Nightlife in Amsterdam
Planning a trip to Amsterdam can be very overwhelming. Everyone knows about the famous Red Light District and the coffeeshops with legalized marijuana, but with the many neighborhoods and districts all offering a different atmosphere it can be hard to decide where to stay. It is important to start with the type of place you have in mind, hostel, hotel, apartment, or even a houseboat.
Hostels: there are hundreds of hostels all over Amsterdam that can accommodate everyone’s needs. These range from youth hostels ideal for Eurotrip backpackers looking to meet other young people to Christian hostels. There is also a wide range of prices for hostels, depending on the type of room you are looking for. If you don’t mind sharing a room with strangers and using the public floor bathroom the cost of a bed can be as low as 15 Euros. If you feel more comfortable staying in a private ensuite room, add about 10-15 more
Euros. If you’re going to Amsterdam in the summer book early! The prices also go up considerably during this time. For young travelers I recommend the Flying Pig Hostel. There are two in Amsterdam, uptown and downtown. The uptown one is located next to Leidseplein, this is a great placefilled with great restaurants, coffeeshops and lots of clubs and bars that are open late! The downtown one is in the Red Light District. I do not recommend staying at Hotel Annemarie near Lidseplein or Travel Hotel in the Red Light District; it is easy to find nicer hostels for cheap.Hotels: If you are planning to stay in Amsterdam for more then 3 days I suggest getting a hotel. Hostels are great for short stays but aren’t the nicest places. Hotels are just as easy to find as hostels but plan on spending more. The Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam is a beautiful hostel across from the main train station and a 5-minute walk from the Red Light District.
Houseboat: Houseboats are everywhere along the canals of Amsterdam. Again if you were planning a longer stay a houseboat would be a unique way to go. Depending on the time of year, houseboats can be very affordable.
After deciding what type of sleeping accommodations best suits your travel plans it is important to look into the many neighborhoods/districts. There are about 11 possibilities. This makes Amsterdam sound huge but it is not. If you stay on one side of the town it is easy to walk, bike or take the tram to the other side. Deciding where to stay depends on what you are trying to see and do in Amsterdam.
Red Light District: It is definitely something to see to say you saw it (not a lot of over places to see this!), just make sure you don’t take any pictures of the prostitutes. It is very disrespectful and the bouncers will make sure you get out of there! There are also a lot of coffeeshops here, I recommend Hill Street Blues for a chill and relaxing time. There are lots of bars here but if you are looking to stay
out until 5 am this is not where you’ll want to be. All the bars close at 1 am except one little pub called Pinocchio where all the locals head at 1. This district is also conveniently close to the main train station and a short walk from Dam Square.
Leidseplein/Rembrantplein: These two areas are very similar. Squares lined with restaurants and cafes fill up in the afternoon with tourists and street performers. The area transforms at night to a very lively party scene. People head to theaters for shows and bars and clubs to party until 5 am. I highly recommend signing up for a bar crawl the first night there. It is a great way to have fun and meet people, it also shows you a variety bars that you might want to go back to instead of wandering around trying to find a place to drink. There
are people all over handing out bar crawl information. The Ultimate Party Amsterdam is a great bar crawl consisting of free shots for an hour, a free drink at each of the 6 bars, shots along the way and a free t-shirt all for 20 Euros.Museumplein: This area is located about a 10-minute walk from Leidseplein. Famous museums such as the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Stedelijk Museum are all located here. After visiting the museums it is a lovely place to sit and have drink and admire the famous I AMSTERDAM monument. While this area is great to hang out and experience some cultural sights, if you are looking to party at night this is not a suitable area to stay.
Relevant Student Blogs (Summer Program 2010)
A free tour is the best kind of tour---Alyson Byrne
One thing I came away with this weekend was that people in Amsterdam know how to have a good time. The hostel I stayed in was right in the middle of a main street in Amsterdam, close to the train station, and it was crazy how late people stayed up and how early they got up on Friday and Saturday mornings. We would wake up at like 8am to the sounds of people talking and walking by our window and the fresh smell of smoke. What was really funny was how quiet it was Sunday morning; no one was kidding when they said Sunday’s are a day of rest.
My group of friends and I did a free walking tour on Saturday morning that went into the early afternoon that I really liked. It was given by Sandeman New Amsterdam Tours (see link below). It was REALLY nice to not have to pay to do something; especially since it could have been 15 or 20 Euro. Our tour guides name was Mason and he was originally from New Zealand, but has lived in Amsterdam for about 5 years now. He gave us a brief history of how the crazy city of Amsterdam came to be and then we walked around the city seeing some pretty cool sites. There was beautiful weather as well, which really made it a perfect day for a walking tour. We walked along one of the many canals in Amsterdam and with the water and the sun out, I realized how much I enjoy this city. The bright and beautiful colors of the buildings and the houses were nothing like in the U.S. Since the sun was shining, the flowers, plants and trees along the streets and by the canals were blooming and catching my eye as we walked. We stopped at The Old Church, close to the Red Light District, where we learned sailors would go to reconcile for their sins from the past night and pray before they left to go out on their next trip at sea. Like we talked about in Geography, the church represents something more than just a big building to the Dutch, it has holy and sacrificial meaning. We took a break in the middle of Dam Square and I couldn’t even explain how many people and of different backgrounds there were in one area. It was interesting to be standing in such a big space with so much history behind it. The feeling was surreal.
Our group decided to break away from the tour to go see the big I AMSTERDAM sign. It took us about 15 minutes to walk to from Dam Square. The sun was beating on me and I could feel sunburn starting to make its way onto my shoulders. We stopped at a cute café right by the sign that was the best meal I’ve had since I’ve been to Europe. We sat outside and you could hear kids playing on the playground and tourists taking pictures in front of the sign, it was definitely a moment I couldn’t capture on camera.
Going back to geography, I noticed how many different territories in such a small amount of space Amsterdam had. The canals split up the different mini towns within the big city and down every other street was a different atmosphere. 
Amsterdam is a very touristy city and there were so many different people I met throughout the weekend from so many different areas that Amsterdam is almost like a bunch of territories thrown into one city. I only saw a small amount of the whole city, so I could definitely see myself making my way back there again in the near future!
http://www.newamsterdamtours.com/nat/
Hotel, Motel, Anne Marie---Annie Kishman
Amsterdam
I have never had many apprehensions about traveling. I enjoy trying new food, meeting new people, and even find getting lost to be exciting (to a certain extent). But, I encountered a new unease when the search for hostels was a necessary step in planning our weekend travels. I knew Amsterdam was going to be an entirely new adventure for many reasons: my friends and I planned every last detail including train times, food, living arrangements, and site seeing; the easy-going, everything and anything is legal lifestyle; language barriers; and even geographical landscaping- all of which I was ready and excited to witness and experience, all except the hostel.
Kelsey, Jenna, Kristina, a few new friends, and I all sat around our laptops for several days discussing and researching potential weekend living arrangements. “This one is only fifteen euros a night”, “This is thirty minutes from the Van Gogh museum”, “Free linen! Free breakfast!”, all were great candidates, but because we were a bunch of girls traveling together, we wanted to ensure safety first. Finally, we chose to book the Anne Marie Hotel (which was really a hostel) because it had one of the higher safety ratings (68% is now considered high) and it was a decent location. So now this task was over, and I had three full days to stew on my thoughts and create what I hoped to be preposterous situations in my head.
After two days of anticipation, and seven hours of traveling, we arrived at the Anne Marie Hotel (but again, don’t let ‘hotel’ fool you). Upon entering the small building across from the Chinese restaurant and next door to the super market, I immediately felt out of my element. The Dutch man sitting behind the counter was less than pleased with our large group of giggling nervous girls, and the three 45-year old men sitting at the old wooden table to our left would not stop staring. To our surprise we were given a mixed ten-person room for the eight of us girls. Visions of creepy, drugged out men came flying through my head. After climbing two flights of extremely narrow teal painted stairs, we entered the room to find five sets of bunk beds with blue and green comforters, huge red curtains, and brown carpet. It was quite the combination. Also, two of the beds were claimed, and the possessions clearly belonged to men. Thankfully we were all so hungry that we didn’t stay in our room too long or else I think my curiosity would have lead me to investigate these mens’ things.
Several hours passed of eating a fast food Chinese dinner and exploring Amsterdam and we were ready to head back to Anne Marie. My friends are surprisingly have a knack for finding their way through foreign cities, so we didn’t encounter any problems with the 250 bridges Amsterdam has to offer, or the fact that we were illiterate due to the Dutch street names. We rang the doorbell to be let into the hostel (one of the more attractive features of our living situation) and the same unfriendly Dutch man answered the door. Once we got to our room I was both relieved and even more concerned that the two men (or boys?) weren’t back yet. To me this meant that they were out taking full advantage of Amsterdam’s culture. I was on the bottom bunk closest to the door and was laying on top of the comforter in hopes to avoid any potential bugs or diseases, this left me completely vulnerable to the two crazed men that were going to be home any moment. “Kristina, can I please sleep with you?” thank goodness for friends. I relocated to a different bottom bunk, slightly closer to the unknown men, but further from the door.
Needless to say I didn’t sleep a wink until our roommates got home. Not only because I was paranoid of the possible situations that may occur, but also because of how cramped and hot I was sharing a twin bed with my snoring friend. At 3:12 (yes, I looked at the clock) the long awaited roommates opened the door to our room, room seven. They turned on all of the lights and were stumbling around the room; I was literally holding my breath. The first words out of the guy’s mouth were “God, I love Miami”. I could see each boy plain as day, clearly American, and the taller boy’s t-shirt said “Miami Redhawks”. That was all I needed to see, I had never seen these boys before, and had no idea what their names were; but they are Miami students, so they must be safe, right? My weekend in Amsterdam and three nights in a hostel confirmed that it is not really the hostels that concern me, but the apprehension of what I perceive to be unknown. If it weren’t for the boy’s outspoken love of Miami or the other boy’s Tshirt, I wouldn’t have been capable of sleeping. But because these two were in my imagined community, I felt safe. This weekend taught me more than I expected about not only a foreign culture, but also the comfort of what I perceive to be my own.
Amsterdam Culture Seen From the Red Light District---Colleen Shields
Although we visited three wonderful and postcard-picture cities (Amsterdam, Brugge and Brussels) in three and a half days, the culture in Amsterdam really struck me as fascinating. Aside from the marijuana and prostitution, the Red Light District certainly adds a lot to the atmosphere of Amsterdam. Not far from the train station, the Red Light District sits in the center of the city, spanning across three canals. This area boasts many beautiful bridges and great scenery including interesting narrow houses and canals lined with boats and bikes. At night with the Old Church brightly lit in the near distance. It is quite a picturesque place you forget you’re in the district. At night, the Red Light district is host to an extraordinary amount of tourists, mainly gentlemen, desperately searching down alleys to see the long red lights above the tall, glass window. As a woman, I was surprised that I liked this part of the city so much, partly because it was something so different than what we have experienced in the United States. Curiosity seems too intense to avoid this area entirely.
Prostitution became legalized in The Netherlands in 1815. Since then, 380 windows are open for girls to stand and flaunt their bodies. Although, it costs the girls about 75 to 100 Euros to rent the window for an eight hour shift. Recently, they are apart of The Netherlands Department of Commerce. For an encounter with one of these women you’ll drop fifty Euros for about fifteen minutes behind the red curtains. A lot of this information I retained from our free tour by Sandmen’s New Europe: Amsterdam. This tour is everyday at 11 am and 1 pm leaving from the tourist office. It gives a great overview of the city and tells a lot of the mundane particularities of the city.
I found that the Red Light District really intrigued me since many tourists flooded this area at night, but during the day it blends in with the rest of the districts with similar building architecture. Entering into the Red Light District, one can immediately feel a different relaxed, but promiscuous atmosphere. There are gates, like small knee-high pillars with red lights to block the entrance of cars and a red brick road. This symbolizes the territories of the different districts. About every hundred feet there are outdoor men’s urinals called Pisswars that line the canals in the district. Walking by them you can smell the odor of urine. As you look right and left, there are sex shops, live sex shows, “coffee shops” intertwined with bars and shops. At night, this area seems to become incredibly crowded with people shouting and drunk. Walking by one of the live porno shows a man could tell we were American and shouted to us “You Americans like big c***, see it here and I’ll give you a discount.” We just laughed it off and continued enjoying our night viewing the wonderful red-lit area.
Toward the start of the Red Light District lies the Oude Kerk, which is the Old Church. This building was fascinating with stained glass windows surrounding the building and a large steeple with a gold clock on it. This church definitely stands out among all the buildings. It was ironic to see that the circular street surrounding the church were a bunch of red lights with prostitutes behind the windows and next to the church was a breast coming out of the ground with a hand touching it, how appropriate for this area! It made me feel better about the area that there was some symbol of religion, even though today it has been replaced by a new church and is used for exhibitions. The canals definitely divide the area into different districts, and since there are three canals across the Red Light District, it is pretty extensive. You can definitely tell the different territories leaving this area.
The Red Light District, I thought, seemed to be the best district in the Amsterdam area. This area, along with the rest of Amsterdam, is filled with twisting, narrow, cobblestone streets and alleys and pleasant architecture. All the buildings were very old brick or stone and all the buildings were slightly tilted forward with big hooks on the top to bring furniture up and down when moving in and out of the homes. The Amsterdamers seemed to take pride in this area and it wasn’t looked down upon as it may be in the United States. When talking to the locals in one of the bars near the area, they seemed proud of their thriving economy and the tourism to that area. Our bartender told us that less than five percent of the guests whom utilize the services of the women are Amsterdamers. Amsterdam even has its own XXX flag symbolizing the territory of Amsterdam!
I have to say that my unique experience in Amsterdam was awesome and totally not what I expected. This area cannot be missed since it is almost essential to the city. My favorite picture was the scene of the canal at night with the lights spanning along the sides. Amsterdam definitely has a lot to offer for every type of person. This map shows a great guide to the area where there is a lot of red!
Amsterdam: Advertising Ambiguity---Dave Williams
Alliteration aside, Amsterdam is unlike most other cities in reference to how it presents itself. It is a large city that can rival many in size but it has one small section that steals all the limelight. As an outsider, you may believe that the streets of the Red Light District are of kin to an old time bazaar. Vendors screaming for you to at least glance at their wares while you stumble over other consumers were the visions in my head for the provocative side of Amsterdam. This was something I prepared myself for because advertising your product to gain interest is the lifeblood of any business plan. Despite this initial assumption, this city almost squirrels away its offerings for you to find for yourself. At least, this was my exposition to this remarkable city.
As most college age students do, I headed straight for the Red Light District when I first arrived. In some ways it is a perceived region of the city. You won’t find any official map with a big Red Light District section but it is also marked off with red, glowing posts. So in this way, it is also a bit of an instituted region within the city limits. Dodging bicycles, trains and cars is a necessary ability to have as you travel through the urban landscape. Stumbling over the uneven cobblestone, I finally made it into the ‘Infamous’ Red Light District. Looking around, my reaction was very clearly that of “Is this it”? There were no large signs with “MARIJUANA HERE!” scribbled hastily or promiscuous prostitutes walking around trying to catch your eye. Instead, we found an endless maze of bars, coffee shops and restaurants that were not too much unlike uptown at Miami. The ease took me by surprise and I was quickly acclimated.
Red brick lined streets were discolored by the several different neon lights that read “Coffee Shop” or “Café”.
This one pictured is the Old Church Coffee Shop, which sat at the foot of the Old Church located in the heart of Red Light District. Marijuana is a legally traded good in Amsterdam but is not naturally grown here. From a climate standpoint, Amsterdam is far enough north to cause organic marijuana growth to be virtually impossible. Instead, growers build grow houses to simulate the tropic environment that the plant requires. On the street, there was an unsaid understanding that coffee shops were in possession of that commodity. Stepping into one was proof enough. The musty and sweet smell would hit your face and the floorboards would squeak when you made your way to the counter. Several places wouldn’t even give you a menu unless you requested one. In researching Amsterdam, I had already known this was the case within its borders. It is the law in Amsterdam that you cannot advertise marijuana or even show a customer a menu unless they specifically ask for it (Steves). This leads me to ask the question, how do customers know about it? If this was my first time in Amsterdam, how would I know that legal cannabis exists?
Marijuana isn’t the only controversial product sold in Amsterdam though. As the sun goes down, red lights pop on as prostitutes prepare for the night. A legal profession in Amsterdam, these women will set themselves up in dim booths to try to entice you with their smiles and charm. Despite this huge abundance of ‘love’ you will never see an indication of where to find these women. The Red Light District is a realitvely small part of the city so it only takes a little wandering to find these capsules of fornication. According to Amsterdam-advisor (http://www.amsterdam-advisor.com/amsterdam-prostitutes.html), prostitutes pay taxes and must follow rules just like a business. So how come there aren’t billboards that lead to them?
In the hazy basement of a coffee shop I found my answer. I met some college students from Canada who were just as excited to experience the culture as I was. At one point in our conversation, they asked me which coffee shops I would recommend to them. I replied with a few names and they said they would definitely visit them. It was unbelievable that my first hand experience had been an advertisement enough to send these people I had never met to my suggested location. Any marketing professor will tell you that word of mouth is the best form of advertising and that is a primary conduit of information in the Red Light District. In the European Sin City, it’s not so much what you find but how you find it; whether it be hearing from a passerby or just stumbling upon it, Amsterdam is a city that needs to be experienced with no plans, expectations, or billboards.
Steves, Rick. "Best of Europe 2010." Steves, Rick. Amsterdam. Berkeley: Perseus Books Group, 2009. 1070-1071.
All of Amsterdam's Attitudes---Amy Burke
After a day of acclimating to our surroundings my travel group and I set out on a journey from our hostel, located in the red light district to the Van Gogh museum, located all the way on the opposite edge of the city. This venture led us through many of the varying regions of Amsterdam. Within Amsterdam, different areas present different cultural aspects, such as types of food, entertainment and people in general. I found that this journey gave a wide range of what the city of Amsterdam can offer. The regions are not physically bound in any way however, things like spatial distributions, monuments and other landmarks can give you a good idea of what zone of the city you are in or entering.
The Red Light District was everything that can said about it and even yet you find yourself surprised. Walking down these narrow winding streets, you notice the clutter of coffeehouse expelling small waves of pungent smelling smoke, the cafes sporting all of the different beers offered on the sides of their entrance, and the red lights gleaming from the even narrower alleys on either side. Here it was obvious to me that there was limited space here, all shared by people with a lot of activity going on at once.
After winding through these narrow streets, we found ourselves in the midst of The Dam, the square that houses the National Monument, the New Church and the Palace, which at the time was being renovated. This square is so open and people are dispersed throughout, either taking pictures, sitting on the steps of the monument or taking part in the open-mic performance that was going on. Here all of the hustle and bustle of the red light district was focused in one area. This place gave me an overwhelming feeling of ‘wow, this is Europe, this is what Amsterdam is all about’. These large open squares cannot even be grasped in a photograph. This specific area was a hotspot for culture with live music, the national monument casting a looming shadow reminding the visitors of the victims of WWII, and the dark spires of the New Church (Learn more about Dam Square, and a 360 View of Dam Square).
Next, passing through the Dam and up towards the Van Gogh Museum, we came to the Muntplein. Here, on one side of you is the Amstel River winding through the various colored, peaked houses and hotels, with all of their awnings and symmetric windows detailed with white. If you look another way, it leads down to the flower market with numerous booths of tulips and bulbs just waiting to be smuggled into foreign countries. The Muntplein is a vast open junction where all modes of transportation and people with all different purposes are crosses. I noticed tourists, business people, families and vendors all spread out where it seems chaotic yet harmonious. Geographically this was one of the largest centers for movement and activity in the city. If you were not eating lunch outside at a café here, you are either headed to the Museumplein, the business district or the Leidseplein. (360 View of the Muntplein).
Finally, after crossing over the four major canals and the Rijksmuseum was in sight, we had reached the Museumplein. This area of town was littered with art galleries and shops. The area with the I Amsterdam sign was different to me because in part it is all covered in stones instead of grass, which does extend on the opposite end of the open area, but I found this landscape choice interesting. The cluster of museums are tucked back into this cozy residential looking area, which begins to confine some space just as the Red Light District did, however, with high bushes, fences and homes. The quietness of this part of the city on a Friday evening was comforting yet a bit eerie. (360 View of the Museumplein)
This journey across town with a geographical perspective helped me to notice the boundaries and the different areas of culture and space. I can appreciate the differences this city has in comparison to others in Europe with the canals, coffee shops and the large prominent monuments that cannot be seen anywhere else. Also, the layout of the city which radiates outward from the train station makes navigating difficult yet wandering fun. My final advice for maneuvering the streets of Amsterdam, is get a map with major landmarks on it and use the canals as a way of always know where you are and where you are going.
