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I misspoke. I meant that Amsterdam is not as cramped as other big cities. I'm not sure if I went down Kalverstraat, but there were a couple of places that were really crowded. But I didn't feel claustophobic as I did when I visited NYC. But then again, the city layout in Amsterdam allows for room to move.
I would love to move to Amsterdam, but the transition would be difficult if not impossible. I don't know the language and I don't know how I would find work over there. I guess I could try to learn the language, but right now I'm working on a BA and afterwards intend to get an MA. I'm not sure how those degrees translate over there. I want to get a masters in education with a certificate in school psychology and the school systems, I would imagine, are very different.
Those pictures are beautiful, but I've lived in Orlando for around 15 years and I don't know if I want to stay in Florida.
Was being a bit sarcastic Amsterdam can definitely get crowded on Saturdays and Thursday evenings (winkelavond), but for the most part..you won't feel as claustrophobic as you would feel in other cities.
I can't blame you for wanting to live there. In my opinion, it's the greatest city in the world. The good news is that you can definitely get by only knowing simple Dutch. The bad news is.. immigration is TOUGH. Kennis Migrant Visas (work visa) are extremely hard to come by, and they do not give them out for educators. Your best bet? Meet a Dutch guy/girl
Population wise it's similar. There are a TON of bicycles everywhere (for a large American city, the highest % of bicycle commuters in the country--it's missing from the C-D list). It's super liberal--there is a large acceptance of alternative lifestyles, tolerance of drug use. It has some decent cultural elements, good night life, and it's the most environmentally-aware big city in America. It also has a mild, rainy climate kind of like Amsterdam.
Physically, besides being compact and accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, it's not really that much like it as it has no canals, very plain architecture in the CBD, etc.
This weekend I read The Island at the Center of the World. It's a history of New Amsterdam, aka New York City, before the British. It's a fascinating book and I highly recommend it. The author's thesis is that part of what make New York City so unique, tolerance and diversity (both religious and ethnic) in a time where the other parts of the country where notoriously intolerant, was inherited from the Dutch and Amsterdam. There are lots of cities that are tolerant now, but New York was tolerant at a time when they were burning witches in Massachusetts.
The cityscapes, of course, are very different, but the cultures are definitely connected.
I have always thought of San Francisco as Amsterdam of the west and am quite suprised noone has said this already. At least marijuana and drug wise lol.
I think the Dutch do having something called "The Dutch Bible Belt." (It has a Dutch name, but I don't remember it) Maybe that's where the ancestors of West Michiganders came from.
I think the Dutch do having something called "The Dutch Bible Belt." (It has a Dutch name, but I don't remember it) Maybe that's where the ancestors of West Michiganders came from.
I think that people often confuse the legality of certain drugs ad sexual trades in Amsterdam as an unrivaled liberal front that is prevalent in the country as a whole. From my experience, that's just not true. I believe the reason such things are legal there is because the government has decided not to waste the time and money it takes to legislate morality and instead they have decided to allow it in certain designated areas. The main benefit is that such goings-on are confined to one place, where that they can be regulated by the government and avoided by anyone who does not wish to share in such things. From what I've seen, the rest of the city, and the rest of the country, is really very clean and pleasant as a result. It seems like a good model to follow, but not perfect, of course.
The most similar US city in that respect is actually Las Vegas, but, for obvious reasons, the similarity between the two ends right there.
I think that people often confuse the legality of certain drugs ad sexual trades in Amsterdam as an unrivaled liberal front that is prevalent in the country as a whole. From my experience, that's just not true. I believe the reason such things are legal there is because the government has decided not to waste the time and money it takes to legislate morality and instead they have decided to allow it in certain designated areas. The main benefit is that such goings-on are confined to one place, where that they can be regulated by the government and avoided by anyone who does not wish to share in such things. From what I've seen, the rest of the city, and the rest of the country, is really very clean and pleasant as a result. It seems like a good model to follow, but not perfect, of course.
The most similar US city in that respect is actually Las Vegas, but, for obvious reasons, the similarity between the two ends right there.
I do agree that the Netherlands' decriminalization (note, it's not "legal") of marijuana and the legalization of prostitution is a good model for other countries to follow. However, these activities are definitely not in certain designated areas. There are laws about where they can be, but they are in almost every city in the Netherlands and are not concentrated in one area of each city. You will only see that in Amsterdam because it's a bit of a "tourist trap."
I do agree that the Netherlands' decriminalization (note, it's not "legal") of marijuana and the legalization of prostitution is a good model for other countries to follow. However, these activities are definitely not in certain designated areas. There are laws about where they can be, but they are in almost every city in the Netherlands and are not concentrated in one area of each city. You will only see that in Amsterdam because it's a bit of a "tourist trap."
Good points. I did not really mean one single area, but like you said, designated areas, such as a 'pot bar' or other establishments within zoned areas. Point is, officials know where most of those things are happening and can have more control in that way. Likewise, residents would know and could avoid them just as easily as they could choose to partake.
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Amsterdam can definitely get crowded on Saturdays and Thursday evenings (winkelavond), but for the most part..you won't feel as claustrophobic as you would feel in other cities. 
