How is it actually like to live in Amsterdam

Table of Contents

Not everyone smokes weed

When most people hear about Amsterdamers, they assume they must smoke a lot of marijuana. I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but that is completely false. Indeed Amsterdam has its regular smokers and occasional smokers but I can promise you are not as much as you think. Young people are the most common pot smokers. You may be wondering why that is; for the simple reason that when something is no longer prohibited, it loses its allure. This is the first psychological explanation, and the second is that not everyone, even though they are gentle, is pro-drugs.

Rules are rules in Amsterdam

You must follow the rules if you live in Amsterdam. That is true throughout the world. If you’ve been caught doing the wrong thing the majority of the time, you’ll have to pay the price. For example, if you charged for 6 hours of parking but arrived 5 minutes late and were ticketed, you would be required to pay a fine. It makes no difference that you have already charged a large sum. You must make an appointment for every service. This is good in that you can schedule your day properly, but it is also bad in that your chances of being spontaneous are dwindling.

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Weather in Amsterdam is moody

All Dutch small talk revolves around the weather, but that’s about it. You never see anyone canceling their plans due to inclement weather. Rain, wind or storm if we planned to go roller skating we are going. Since the weather in the Netherlands is so unpredictable, you just go about your business. Any day that is sunny is spent outside. It might seem strange to see people lying in the sun on the canal shores when it is 20 degrees outside, but this is a common occurrence. People even ice skate on the canals while they are frozen.

How it’s actually like to live in Amsterdam — How is it actually like to live in Amsterdam

Amsterdam center is overrated

After a while, you find yourself spending less and less time in the city center. Weekly city trips lose their charm over time, but this could happen anywhere on the planet. This, as well as the exorbitant cost of parking. Starting at 7€/h. Yes, by the hour. Unless you take public transportation. When you drive a car in Amsterdam and collide with a bike, it is almost always your fault, even though it isn’t. In the Netherlands, it is assumed that you are the driver of a vehicle weighing more than one tone, so you must be cautious of cyclists and pedestrians.

People are nice

If you live in Amsterdam, everybody smiles at you, and you return the smile. Even to those you’ve never met. It’s an unspoken courtesy in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam, the majority of the population speaks English. So that’s a plus in terms of communication and a minus in terms of learning the language. Unless you’re surrounded by elderly people, the odds of them speaking English are slim.

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Food in Amsterdam is good

If you live in Amsterdam you can find or cook any type of food. Chinese? Check! Indonesian? Check. Mexican? Check! Lebanese? Check! Turkish? Check! Do you want to cook for yourself? There are shops for any part of the world you want. Exotic fruits and vegetables? Special nuts? American products? You can find it all.

If you live in Amsterdam, you’ll know that the best meat you can find in the butcher’s shop, the best fruit in the supermarket, the best cheese in the cheese shop.

You can visit any day of the week’s farms where you can pet and feed all kinds of animals like sheep, goats, cows, chickens, rabbits and more. You can get fresh milk and eggs directly from the farms in Amsterdam.

When you live in Amsterdam, you know that daily food delivery is available. Via Thuisbezorgd, you can choose from hundreds of restaurants and have a different cuisine every day of the week.

In Amsterdam living standards are high

For anything, you can and may get insured. Did you visit a friend and accidentally break an expensive vase? Your insurance will cover it. Of course, if you were insured for it. Living in this European city, you will never come across spot of potholes on the road or street.