Have you read The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World? The author traveled the world in search of what factors, including money, culture, and democracy, affect happiness. Its opening chapter about Amsterdam is a great hook–interesting and hilarious. For me, reading about how people live in different places around the world related to my nagging interest in finding a simpler life abroad and made me reflect on what places might be my future home. Since my short but wonderful stay in Amsterdam, I have wondered if that just might be the best place to live. I plan to go back, possibly book a hotel with Hostelbookers, wander its neighborhoods more, and find out what it’s really like to live there.
My husband and I stayed there for four days, and the only mistake we made was booking a hotel that was outside the city center. We got a hugely discounted rate but would have gotten more travel experiences from staying in a hotel right in the center. Lesson learned…and since then I have always told people to spend more to stay in the center. That way you can walk everywhere, go back to your room to rest during the day, and stay out at night without worrying about getting back to your hotel. Everything else about our time there was perfect, and we often talk about going back. Here are my reasons why Amsterdam is a wonderful place to visit and just might be a great place to live.
Amsterdam has excellent quality of life.
It’s clean and safe. It has a lovely environment, with little traffic or pollution and beautiful canals that give the city a special ambiance. According to a 2011 study, Amsterdam has the 12th best quality of life because of its infrastructure and environment.
Half of the population is not Dutch.
For someone like me who values ethnic and cultural diversity, this statistic is a welcome one. In fact, one source states that Amsterdam has residents from more countries than any other city in the world. It means that the schools and neighborhoods are not entirely filled with blond, blue-eyed Dutch; instead the city has a sizable immigrant population, as evidenced in the city’s variety of ethnic restaurants. How integrated this population is with the Dutch residents is a question worth asking, however.
“Leef en laat leven,” or “Live and let live”
This is a saying that the Dutch are known for, and it shows in the city’s liberal policies and the people’s laid-back attitude. The most famous example is the city’s allowing marijuana to be sold and smoked in “coffee shops,” but recently this has changed with a new law passed that allows only residents of Amsterdam to partake. While I personally don’t like pot or prostitution and don’t condone the objectification of women, I do appreciate the city’s tolerance of diverse lifestyles.
Photo credit: flickr by Moyan_Brenn
More bikes, fewer cars!
The bicycles are probably what made the strongest impression on me when I first arrived in Amsterdam. They are everywhere, zipping past on every street, sometimes in huge groups that can be intimidating (at least to me since I was on a bike, too, and almost crashed trying to figure out the street signs). There are even parking garages for bikes! In 2006, there were about 465,000 bicycles in Amsterdam, but even better is that driving is discouraged. Like in many other European cities, driving a car is a hassle due to limited parking, expensive parking tickets, and many one-way streets and pedestrian areas. Traveling there was special because of this, and living somewhere where few people drive would be a dream come true for me.
A young, cool vibe
Despite Amsterdam’s obvious history and beautiful old architecture and canals, the city has a cool, youthful vibe. This was especially apparent in some of the smaller neighborhoods and off-beat cafes and shops that we happened upon in the Jordaan neighborhood. In addition, the people were friendly and easy-going. Despite the large number of tourists, including rowdy ones, that descend on the city all year, the young people we spoke with were welcoming.
Amsterdam is a beautiful, unique city, and one that I liked right from the beginning, and I can’t wait to go back! Have you been to Amsterdam? Do you live there? Please share your impressions!
I agree. Amsterdam would be an utterly charming and enviable city to inhabit.
Ooh, Amsterdam! I can confirm that the answer is yes. I chose to live there myself and somehow it feels like its gonna remain my base forever (or possibly the neighbouring Haarlem).
There’s only one problem: the weather. But luckily there are plenty of bars and cafes to keep yourself distracted. And as you say it, it’s the live an let die attitude that makes it great, people are more relaxed than in most cities. It might be all th fresh air from the biking…
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Pal, I did not know you lived in Haarlem. This is where Victor is from and I love both cities. I keep telling my dutch husband that one of these days we are just going to pack and move there. He can not even think about the winters there but I would pack in move in a heartbeat. And it is exactly because of this blog. The people, the easy going attitude, the friendliness. Everything.
And the idea of not having to get in a car to do everything really excites me…
Hi Ana!
I do like Haarlem quite a bit, but never lived there. But maybe one day, I like it that it’s close to the beach (even though it’s not South Beach, you know…). And agree with you, not having to bother about cars is a bliss.
Pal recently posted..2012 In Review – The Year With The Marker Pen
Not having to get into a car would be so great! But I’m sure living outside the center is not quite so simple.
I loved Haarlem! We went there as a day-trip from Amsterdam, and it seemed like an excellent city in many ways. I agree, though, about the weather in Amsterdam. It would be especially hard for us coming from sunny California, but no place is perfect, right?
OH Yes!! I was there last March and I could move in a minute! And I LOVED Geography of Bliss!! Actually making my second pass right now…Eric W. funny, funny man! Nice article my friend!
Jeff Titelius recently posted..ArtSmart Roundtable – the Emergence of Gothic Architecture
I knew you loved your time in Amsterdam…I guess you will have to plan a return trip! And you must go to Belgium next time! Gorgeous!
Jenna,
Great post and it really shows your enthusiasm for Amsterdam. I live one hour from Amsterdam but do visit the city a lot (mainly for business). True, winters are not the best time but that’s an issue for the whole of Northern Europe. I do have to admit that also I get this excited, and even nostalgic feeling every time I visit Amsterdam. Excited because of the vibes, nostalgic because of…well, just look at the pictures. As a Dutchman I know a lot about the history of the city and walking through some parts of Amsterdam instantly creates that special nostalgic feeling.
I especially love walking the canals at night, watching the lights and the houses (many houses you can just look inside because there are no curtains). Especially in summer the whole city center is just fabulous, with boats and people having drinks and chats on the sidewalk.
If you could live there? I’m sure, you will love it. There are a couple of downsides though: traffic in the city center is terrible (mainly because of narrow one-way streets; there is just not enough space!) and houses in the center are extremely expensive. Mind you, there is more Amsterdam than only the city center and those parts are far less attractive. On the positive side: there is a lot to see within walking/biking distances and Amsterdam has lots of events all year round.
The city center is quite busy, where you already mentioned the meandering stream of tourists that is always going through the city. It’s not like in New York where tourists spread across a large area; in Amsterdam it’s crowded. Some parts I just hate because of that, for example the Damrak (street from the train station to the royal palace). It’s packed with terrible food stalls and noisy gamble shops. All for the tourists, which is fine but creates the wrong vibe for me.
It’s international for sure! Lots of expats and also lots of immigrants (who are not always that integrated to be honest). Great museums to visit and lots of job opportunities. I can give you some lessons on how to maneuver with a bike!
In short, I believe you will love it. But you have to be tolerant (in many aspects) and be aware that not the whole city is magic….. Haarlem by the way was voted this week as the city with the biggest diversity of special shops. It’s a great place as well, but Amsterdam has the international image and does reflect that.
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Emiel, Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed comment. It will certainly help others who visit this post because they are thinking about living there. Every place has its positive and negative side, and Amsterdam is no exception. I think we get a false view of life in those beautiful European cities because we have to remember that average people live outside the center. When I was in Florence recently, I learned that most people inherit a place to live from the previous generation; otherwise, property is way out of the range of an average family’s salary. So thank you for that reminder and information.
Jenna, I share your feelings about amsterdam and I loved this post.. My short visit many yrs ago made a big impression on me. The architecture, bikes, canals. And I love the dutch people, But as Emiel mentions (and House Hunters Intl “Living Abroad”confirms – I love their amsterdam episode!), to live there is quite expensive. But compared to the states, from what I hear from a friend (woman) from the netherlands, I envy their quality of life, low crime and homeless rate, healthcare, culture. Weather would be a huge challenge for me, prob a dealkiller for yearound living. But a house exchange for a few months? Definitely!
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Monique, house exchange sounds like a plan
. Where is your place, I’m in! (I say this half-jokingly, half-seriously, you never know, if the stars are aligned correctly one day…)
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Actually a very good idea! Monique lives about 30 minutes from me in a lovely college town with lots of cool stuff to do, and the location in Northern California is perfect!
Pal, keep it in mind! Are you in Amsterdam? You never know….We live in the charming university town of Davis in Northern California. A little over an hour to san francisco bay area, a few hours to Lake Tahoe/Sierra Nevada . 30 min to Napa Valley.
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Monique, we might be on something here
We can always keep it in mind, you never know. I definitely love your part of the world and haven’t been there enough.
I’ll signed up to your blog now, so we can stay in touch and then who knows one day… I’m heading back to Amsterdam in a month’s time, and just like you not a big fan of cold weather, so you can imagine how I feel about it now. But summers in Amsterdam are not too unsimilar from San Fran climate, so during those months you’ll be fine.
Pal recently posted..Parque Condor in Otavalo
I love the house exchange idea. More of us should think of doing something like this!
I agree about the weather. When I was there, it was May and it was cold! Apparently that was a particularly cold May in all of Europe, but I know I would miss the sunny weather we enjoy here in CA.
We’re looking for a base in Europe and Amsterdam certainly sounds appealing. Even though I’ve never been there, it seems like it ticks a lot of boxes in what I look for in a city – relaxed vibe but big enough city, easy to bike around, diverse and tolerant. Ethnic food is a must for me! Might need to check it out!!
I wonder how child friendly it is?
Bethaney – Flashpacker Family recently posted..Our 2013 Travel Plans… Sort Of.
Another factor worth mentioning about Amsterdam is the language, you can get by with English easily.
A factor to think about is housing: it’s not that easy to find apartments to rent, and it’s not cheap either. Small area, high demand.
Child friendliness depends on the age of the kids: since most Amsterdam apartments have no elevators but very steep stairs it can be an issue if you live on the top floor. Food wise I think you’re fine, there’s a bit of everything: Indonesian, Thai, Ethiopian etc, and even Dutch
.
If later on you would wonder more and you’d seriously consider it, I’m happy to chip in with answers to your questions.
Pal recently posted..Parque Condor in Otavalo
Thanks for all your insight, Pal. Good points about the kids and housing. As I mentioned in response to Emiel, every place has its negative points, too, so it’s good that you two mentioned some of them to keep all us dreamers out of the clouds
Thanks Pal. That’s really helpful!
Bethaney – Flashpacker Family recently posted..Our 2013 Travel Plans… Sort Of.
Loved to read that! Always great to read a visitors view about ‘my’ city. I’m moving back to Amsterdam after 2 years of Sydney and can’t wait. Curious if Amsterdam will feel really small now… Missed riding my bike the most, haha. Thanks for sharing your observations and beautiful photos. Nienke
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Lucky you living in Sydney and Amsterdam!
I spent about as much time as you and your husband did in Amsterdam (maybe one day longer) and loved it! I don’t think I’d rather live there than NYC, but it was a fun and beautiful city with lots of great museums. Anyhoo, one kind of random observation: I’m severely arachnophobic, and I remember there being spiderwebs EVERYWHERE in Amsterdam and a nearby village that I visited . . .
Also, I had no idea that the population of Amsterdam was so geographically diverse. That’s really cool!
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Hmm, I don’t remember seeing any spiders there, but I wonder why there were so many when you were there. Luckily for me, they don’t really bother me!
Hi Jenna,
I’m a California native (L.A.) living in Amsterdam now for 3.5 years. I agree with many of the above comments, and I have to say that I absolutely love Amsterdam. If you’re considering a move to Europe, I think you should seriously consider it as a top contender. Aside from having the high quality of life, laid back vibe, pretty canals, etc… it’s a really creative and fashionable place. I’m always impressed by the endless amounts of quirky, cool restaurants, shops and cafes tucked away in all corners of the city. There’s always something new to discover and there’s always some interesting cultural event going on. Of course Amsterdam isn’t as big as say London or Paris, but it’s still a big city that offers everything you could possibly want – incredible museums, beautiful parks, impressive architecture, a hip and happening restaurant scene, the best airport in Europe, and really great shopping – aside from all the big names, the city is swarming with independent fashion designers. Someone mentioned ethnic food – you can easily find anything here, and everything is authentic because the population is so diverse. I studied urban planning at university, so for me it’s particularly interesting that the city has a lot of new construction developments. They’re expanding the metro (underground) network and new areas with interesting modern buildings are coming to life outside the historic center. The only cities which I think really can compete in Europe are Barcelona and Berlin.
BUT, the weather can be miserable at times. It rains a lot, not all the time. Winters are relatively mild compared to inland Europe. And the beach is within easy reach. I would recommend making the move in spring so you can fully appreciate it before winter comes around. If you’re coming from SoCal, then the climate will be your biggest adjustment, especially when you’re cycling for half an hour in pouring rain with shopping bags dangling from your handle bars :-/
So yeah, no place is perfect, but I love being here!
Hi Stephen, Thank you for taking the time to leave such a detailed comment. I do love the idea of living there and enjoyed reading more about the city and the architecture outside the city center that you mentioned. I live in Sacramento, so I am used to cold weather (sort of) but also lots of sun, and I find the sunny days here so refreshing, so I know the weather would be a hard adjustment. However, I recently researched jobs there (just to see what the market is like for experienced English professors) and really found nothing. Amsterdam may be a good place for us to spend a summer but I doubt we would be able to find work to make living there a reality.
Well, you seem to have had a nice tourist experience, and you have an observant eye. Amsterdam, and its environs is an amazing place to live – if you happen to be European – and I think being white helps too. Sure its multicultural and its fine if you are from a western background, but the arab population here is really disconnected. Two worlds. The Dutch keep to themselves (the famous tolerence) and as an expat, your friends will be expats. I lived in a couple of other european countries, the US and Australia – and for me this place suits me. People were too in my business in the US (Boston) and people in Australia were always trying to compete. Here you can be who you want, speak 10 languages, have a PhD, MD by 32, be homo, be trans, who really cares (well not the Dutch at least)…so in the tolerence (or lack of interest beyond an initial curiosity) you can be whoever you challenge yourself to be…and the cheap food, biking, proximity to everywhere, and the fact that you can just speak English if you are too darned lazy to bother that day…its a special place…and we need to remember the tolerence and open-ness of the Dutch to let us in. Amazing place to live – very hard to leave.
Hi Selina,
Thank you for taking the time to comment. You touch on the topic of integration and I know that is a challenge for many immigrant groups in any city. I think it’s great that the Dutch government allows (welcomes?) so many immigrants, but they can do more to help the immigrants integrate. Here is Sacramento the city and state have some programs for that.
Dear all,
I had the chance to stay in Amsterdam while running a professional project.
I stayed there for a couple of months, and I’ve been completely in love with Amsterdam since then.
I feel this love will be within me till the end of my days. No doubt, Amsterdam is “the” place in my heart.
Sometimes I feel quite crazy for wishing so much to be there for ever. I believe, in parts, this feeling is a result of the romantic experience it’s enviroment is.
I used to go back from work around midnight, sitting in the back seat of the car, letting my sight get lost, whith the sparkles of the street’s lights reflected on the channels. Just wonderful.
Great experiences in life comes from embracing all possible cultures!
Wish you a lot of that.
Peace and Love,
Ana