Living in Amsterdam

Even though the Dutch government resides in The Hague, the city of Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. It is considered the major cultural city of the country, and it is also the biggest. The name of the mayor of Amsterdam is Job Cohen, who is Jewish.

Amsterdam now has 850,000 inhabitants, many of whom are immigrants or visitors. Did you know that the chance of running into a real Dutchman or Dutch woman in the city centre is 1 in 10? No wonder lots of people speak English in this city, but the Dutch in general are also said to speak good English. The main reason for you to learn some Dutch would be so that you feel more at home here and can find your way around in shops, supermarkets and on public transport. You can read more about the language in that section.
  

There is so much that can be said about living in Amsterdam. Some areas are good, and some are not. Ask the people in your neighbourhood about this. It is okay to cycle through the city in the evenings, but if you want to be on the safe side stick to the main roads after 10 or 11 p.m. If you see or are involved in a crime, call the free alarm number, 112.

The red-light district, called 'rosse buurt' in Dutch, is the area for the sex industry. It is located in the city centre around the Old Church (Oude Kerk). Although it is one of Amsterdam's major tourist attractions, we must say it is not an area we are particularly proud of. We realize that many of the women (and also men) who work there don't do their jobs voluntarily. It is sometimes very difficult for these people to get out of their jobs, and there are some organisations that try to help them. If you decide to enter this district, just be aware that the women behind the windows are people, not objects.

You will also notice many 'coffee shops' in the city centre. As you may already be aware, these sell drugs and we advise you not to go into them. If you are looking for a cup of coffee or tea, there are lots of cafes for you to visit instead.