I'm in england & I've done 2 weekends in Amsterdam & that place opens your eyes with its uniqueness , then closes them again after visiting a coffeeshop
It was at least 12 yrs ago since I last visited, back when it was guilders & not these shitty euros, but watch your back whilst wandering around stoned, you'll get harrased by morrocans trying to sell you fake shit or even worse.. get mugged like my mate did.
Go take a look at the sex museum or the hash museum or even go take in a peep show, Amsterdam is shockingly fun.
If your on a night out, try to get into the Milky Way nightclub coz that was great too.

fuck Amsterdam...seriously...way overated city...it's a tourist trap
*welcome to all fresh noob meat...don't wander off and get in line for the oven

Funnily enough, there don't seem to be as many guys hawking drugs on the streets as there used to be. At least, when I first visited a coupla years back it was a bit scary being continually propositioned for bags of coke. I haven't been asked once since I returned. I feel a bit like Bill Hicks in that skit he did on drugs dealers — "Coke, Coke, Speed… Er… Glue?"

And, yeah, it's a tourist trap, but once out of the Red Light it's generally OK and stunning to wander around. *He said, making like he's not a glorified tourist himself*

I wouldn't say fuck Amsterdam, though I agree it's an overrated city and a tourist trap. The only thing is: I think that goes for cities like Paris, too. They are just bigger villages. Most actual Amsterdammers I know aren't so arrogant about the city: it's usually people who moved there from smaller towns and villages that start to boast about the coolness of Amsterdam after they have lived there for a few weeks/months.

I really like living here, although it has only been for several months (hence I'm a pretender like you, mcmullin - I heard people say you have to live in Amsterdam for 10 years before you are an actual Amsterdammer, although I think that's something for the "overrated" category). I knew this city for a long time before I moved here - friends of mine live in the eastern part of the city, I live in the western part now. I especially like the people living here, the atmosphere is somewhat more relaxed than in other towns and cities I know in the Netherlands. People tend to have fun when something happens instead of becoming angry.

Of course there are exceptions, and tourists have a harder time than residents of course. Tourists often rent bikes, but don't know how to ride them and become a threat on the road. Therefore some people get angry with them. Moroccans trying to sell you stuff can be ignored, just tell them to sod off a couple of times. Getting mugged is a bigger problem: keep your wallet inside, even better: invisible. If you get touched or bumped into in the street, the chance is big you're getting mugged. Best thing is to avoid really crowded streets like Kalverstraat, and/or keep your hand on your wallet while walking in tourist areas.

The Milky Way club and Paradiso club are two of my favourite places to go to. Milky Way club (known as "Melkweg" in Dutch) also has a cinema which shows cult classics every month, like Astro Zombies and Stosstruppe Venus. Lots of Brits come to Melkweg and Paradiso to see bands: I read somewhere that it is often cheaper for them to do so in Amsterdam than in London because of the low prices for flying tickets these days.

All in all I think Amsterdam has a lot of opportunities for people looking for some fun. Of course there are the downsides, but I can easily live with them.

Where are you from, vermin? I'm asking just out of curiosity. I promise I won't bash you for telling me you're from some small dot on the map

I'm from the south...Tilburg

I almost went to Tilburg for an exchange thing in college, but couldn't in the end cos of stuff at home. The people who did go had a great time though. Would you recommend a visit?

I have to get down to the Melkweg soon, I keep hearing great things. Must pop in to one of these cult classic screenings, too.

It was definitely the more relaxed atmosphere that prompted me to move here. I was living in Dublin (home of the rapidly expiring Celtic Tiger) and that is one Hellish pit of misery, fer sure. It's still something of a headfuck that everything here is half the price, works more efficiently (or at all!) and is infinitely more relaxed. What's with that? Where do these people get off being content, huh?

So, while Amsterdam may be a tourist pit and all that, it's still a damn sight better than fighting your way through the junkies that flock around Dublin city centre. I've only seen two junkies since I got here, which surprised me. It's very much a defining feature of Dublin's Fair Shitty.

Ramble, ramble, ramble…

sure...maybe not as popular as Amsterdam...but it's got this southern thing going on...and you're only a few miles from (imo) also nice places like Den Bosch, Eindhoven, Antwerp (Belgium)

Tilburg has also a very nice concert hall called 013, one of the best in The Netherlands if you ask me. It's not the atmosphere which I like, but the acoustics of it. Great design to have the perfect sound experience.

I don't know very much else about the city, though. The southern thing is nice, especially if you're not in a hurry of some kind. If you think people in Amsterdam are relaxed, go take a look down south, you'll be amazed! Having a beer on a sunny afternoon in a southern city/village is one of the finer things in life.

@ mcmullin: If you want to pop in to one of the cult classic screenings, let's meet so we can watch it together.

true 013 is a great venue...so are HeinekenMusicHall, Melkweg and Paradiso in Amsterdam

@mcmullin: The 24th Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival will take place from April 9 until April 20 2008
http://www.afff.nl/

Slayer, that sounds cool — when are these things? I'd definitely be up for a beer sometime…

Vermin — The AFFF, at least last year's, looks great. I like the sound of Poultrygeist. Was the tagline 'Finger-lickin' DEAD!'? It should''ve been…

my sis have been to amsterdam about 3 or 4 times. she loved it, wonder why

Poultrygeist?
Return of the chicken dead?

Go borrow a cam & video the sucker please for my Troma collection

As for Vermin, you cant miss him, hes Hollands walking tattoo

Bugs...Poultrygeist was imo the highlight at last years AFFF "night of terror"...awesome Troma turd

I do wish they'd hurry up & release the sucker on DVD as this has to be the most anticipated Troma that I can remember, but hey, why should Lloyd care, hes a nobhead & get more thrills from pre release attention of what is usually a pile of crap

sorry slays, no more conversations, i daren't humiliate myself any longer

I don't see it as you humiliating yourself

MERGED

no, but someone seems to think i am and that i need counselling as i have an obession with you. their words, not mine

Whats it got to do with anyone else? Anyway i have an obsession with spud, it's the first site i log onto several times a day

lol, crazy... thanks guys. love you too johnsy, goddamn, me and my obsessions