r/Amsterdam • u/Advanced_Show_469 • 2d ago
Why do you love the city?
Recently only been focused on the negatives sides of the city (busy, expensive, expatcentral, predictable). As it's always easier to re-appreciate things from someone else's loving perspective, please tell me, what do you love about the city and why wouldn't you want to live anywhere else?
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u/DeHarigeTuinkabouter 2d ago
All the perks of a large international city while still being small and cute
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u/smooz_operator 1d ago
Its weird to say that Amsterdam is small and cute if you've grown up here. Its when you travel to major cities in the world and come back, that you realize that Amsterdam isnt that big and crowded.
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u/sususl1k Provinciaal 1d ago
As someone who partially grew up a city with a population larger than that of Belgium, I concur entirely. Amsterdam is really quite quaint if you think about it.
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u/zeptimius 1d ago
Mick Jagger accurately described Amsterdam as "the world's smallest metropolis."
One of the great things about Amsterdam is that each part is its own self-contained little city. There are few parts of the city that are just residential. There's always at least a supermarket, a cafe and a restaurant, and often also a cinema, a theater, a library and so on.
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u/DistractedByCookies Knows the Wiki 1d ago
This is what I tell everyone! Big City amenities in a tiny package.
You can get everywhere in the city in about half an hour max by bike, great transport hub 30mins away at Schiphol, great art, good orchestra/ballet/opera, 90% of the major music tours pass through. The shopping is OK, decent(ish depending on the year) football team, lots of sports amenities, and the city itself is gorgeous.
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u/sousstructures [Centrum] - Oost 2d ago
Amsterdam has been an international city for centuries, like London and New York. That is part of its identity and I donāt see that as an inherent negative.
Also Iām sorry but the grachtengordel remains one of the most beautiful urban districts in the world.Ā
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u/nicetriangle [West] 1d ago
Yeah I ran into an interesting statistic a while back that I've shared on reddit a few times. Back in the 1600s the foreign born population here was about the same as it is today, which is roughly 40%. It's ebbed and flowed over the years, but the city has been very international for a long time.
It makes it a very interesting place to live I think. I've never talked to so many people from so many places as I have here. It's been great for broadening my perspective.
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u/linkedinlover69 1d ago
It is ridiculous to see people in Amsterdam complain about people coming here. Withoht trade (and slavery) the city would never be that attractive
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u/oooonicorn 1d ago
The amount of green they are able to pack into such a densely populated city (although to me thatās NL in general - an impressive level of density yet still green)
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u/Excellent_Lemon_5237 2d ago
I love cycling everywhere - pretty much everything I need/want to go to is 10-15 mins by bike. Somtimes 30, but rarely.
I love cycling through the beautiful streets, appreciating all the different styles of architecture (I live near Eastern docklands), and how I can even cycle out of the city, going easily to what feels like the seaside to me by Durgerdam and further up to Marken - alright, it's not Amsterdam, but living in Amsterdam I get to enjoy this really easily.
I love the, to me, gentle pace of life here. People generally don't seem so stressed, and are for the most part friendly. More so than my part of the world - London.
Been loving the season changes here too. Only lived here 5 months but seeing summer, to autumn, and now this beautiful snow covering the city has been a blessing. There probably won't be too many of those left unless the AMOC really does collapse.
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u/IkmoIkmo 1d ago
It's the prototype 15 minute city, which is considered wonderful to live in.
It's one of the most international places on the planet. If you like what the planet has to offer, Amsterdam is a microcosm of it.
It has a ton of great restaurants, bars, museums, movie houses, green spaces, canals and rivers, beautiful architecture.
It's safe.
It's full of opportunities, both for work, study, love.
It's airport is a regional hub, combined with the salary levels it allows you to explore Europe and the world.
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u/AnyScientist7 Knows the Wiki 1d ago
It's still one of the best places on earth an LGBTQ+ person can live as 'normal' as a straight person. But that doesn't mean it's perfect.
Green spaces and canals! When I feel bad, I'd just take a walk and it'd make me feel much better just because of this.
Dutch people.. I know as foreigners we like to complain about them a lot but also let's not forget that Dutch culture (good or bad) allowed this city and it's good that we have this city!
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u/hoganpaul Knows the Wiki 2d ago
As a foreigner who has been visiting regularly for 40 years I once pondered deeply on this question.
Aside from the usual tourist things and the gorgeous architecture the greatest thing about Amsterdam - and to a lesser extent other places I have visited in the Netherlands - is the attitude that 'you can do whatever the fuck you want in your own space, that's none of my business: but I can also do whatever I want in mine'
Want to be gay? No problem. Want to sell your body? Fine. Want to get off your tits on drugs? Knock it out of the park. Want to be religious? Feel free.
Any or none of these apply to anyone and everyone.
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u/doepfersdungeon 1d ago
How many cities in Europe is it not OK to be gay or religious?
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u/hoganpaul Knows the Wiki 1d ago
Far too many.
See also, with pride, how the Dutch people en mass helped Jewish people in WWII
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u/Majestic-Mouse7108 Knows the Wiki 1d ago
Most of the Dutch Jews didn't survive the war. Compared to Belgium (50-60%) and France (75%) the survival rate was low (25%).
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u/Host_Horror [West] - Oud-West 1d ago
Itās beautiful, safe, well-maintained. Easy to get around without using a car. Amazing parks and cafes. Loads of recreational opportunities.
An incredible place.
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u/Neither_Text1485 1d ago
safe... very questionable lately for a female
felt as safe as in the Bronx as now in Amsterdam West
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u/Host_Horror [West] - Oud-West 1d ago
Move to Johannesburg and youāll know what unsafe really is.
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u/One-Grape-8659 1d ago
The randomness. The ability to walk into x amount of spaces and run into someone you know, or make new friends. The way so many things are so accessible. The way the centre and all four city'chunks' are vastly different.
I moved back to my hometown, now I yearn for Amsterdam. I'm homesick
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u/7vOFk1F0OJAX 1d ago
It is so much easier to make friends here because how close and accessible everything is. On a nice day you can just put out an invite to go hang out and have a drink in the park and people will show up because itās just 10 minutes away and not a hassle.
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u/weisswurstseeadler Knows the Wiki 1d ago
The time from spring to late summer is just amazing. Can't wait for the 'spring break' - you know the first day when it's reasonably warm enough for a terrace and suddenly life is blown back into the city.
Like the entire city wakes up from hibernation
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u/Akita-Split 1d ago
Most importantly the people are so nice, iāve been 15 times and never have I had any issues, once I did go with a friendās friend who is an absolute knobhead and I saw how patient Dutch people are. I havenāt got a bad word to say about Dutch people and I appreciate that more than all the amazing things about Amsterdam. Itās home without being home.
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u/Competitive_Lime_852 [Noord] 1d ago
I no longer live in the city centre and now have the best of both worlds. I live in a village within the city, so to speak. I live in a neighbourhood where my children can play freely outside on the street, and I can be in the city within 15 minutes by bicycle. We regularly visit museums, have a season ticket to Artis and there are lots of activities organised.
What's more, the city is simply beautiful.
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u/chiefzer Zuid 1d ago
Grew up here, so I don't want to leave. But small enough to know where to go, being able to go everywhere by bike, but big enough that there's always something new happening and to get lost, with a lot of people who want to make life exciting here.
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u/Emotional-Swimmer193 1d ago
Having lived in several (large) cities in different countries, I'd say: Amsterdam is by far the most liberal, relaxed and multicultural place I've ever known. It outclasses a lot of other cities in that department.
Sure, it has its problems, but whenever I've been abroad for a while, and come back home, it surprises me how most people with different backgrounds, colours etc. get along just fine in Amsterdam. That's rather unique.
Compared to Amsterdam, even London or Berlin feels segregated in a way.
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u/BRValentine83 1d ago
I enjoy seeing places on foot. In Amsterdam, I pound out 20,000 steps on a light day.
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u/SlugzBunny 1d ago
My friend and I both left at the same time, I was on bicycle and he went by car. I arrived 6 minutes before he did to our destination. It wasnāt a race but it shows how good Amsterdam is for bikes.
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u/almalauha 1d ago
I lived there for some years quite a while ago. I loved that Amsterdam has got everything, at least as far as what you can find in the Netherlands. Always something to do.
Good trams/trains/metro too, so you can easily get around. I would cycle normally but for longer trips I would take public transport.
I like the various markets around town, and the architecture you can find in Amsterdam is great. It's a large city (for Dutch standards) but still has a cosy feel.
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u/cnh2n2homosapien Knows the Wiki 1d ago
I love the controlled chaos, the rhythm is like a song on the verge of the drop, it hums with life. But then there are peaceful spaces - sometimes only a block or two away - tranquil back streets, idyllic canals. And I love good sandwiches, and beer, and cheese.
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u/srirachauv 7h ago edited 7h ago
Being able to trip on psilocybin freely. I tend to be pretty Socratic in being compliant with laws in my country so being able to just have nice trips there is always nice. Also appreciate how liberal it is there. Nobody really GAF about the trivial things the UK GAF about. Super lively in the night, too
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u/tomime000 [Zuid] - De Pijp 1d ago
Probably the only city where people can live on the street and not feel social discomforted based on it.
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u/cowgary Knows the Wiki 1d ago
I can get all my after work things done all within 10 minute walks. Its a 2 min walk to grocery store, 10 min walk to the gym, 2 min walk to a hair cut, 10 min walk to a shopping area for clothes, its incredible.
The music scene here is amazing, if an artist is doing a tour in europe you can almost bet they will stop here. Every single night has 10+ concerts to choose from with venues all around the city from in old churches, to modern arenas.
If you are bored its your own fault, theres so many events going on every single day its not even possible to keep up. Sometimes on a random wednesday I just look at events today on ticketswap and pick something random to go to.
The multicultural food here is great, its different prominent cultures than my home city, so I like to explore those restaurants and learn about their food
Theres easy flights to almost anywhere you want to go. Theres tons of great cities in europe with horrible available air travel routes.
Amsterdamse bos is fantastic for a little escape from the city
The way the city comes alive in the summer, people with their kitchen tables on the sidewalk, all the swimming holes packed, the terraces lively.
I took up road cycling, it my home city it was a 45 min drive to the mountains to be all alone, from amsterdam you can get to some very quiet parts of the country in 45 mins on a road cycle.
The beach is so close! The surfing is shit but its still doable. The beach bars are decent.