Amsterdam Today

"Amster-damaged." "Good girls go to heaven, bad girls to Amsterdam." Slogans on gift-store T-shirts are testament that, more than anything else, the city's decadent reputation is a self-perpetuated industry largely fueled by tourism. While your average Dutchman wouldn't balk at a joint, theirs is the last language you'll hear at a coffee shop. And though Amsterdam tweens may go on the pill before they learn to drive, Dutch couples are known for committed relationships that begin on the school playground.

Today's Amsterdam

…is less smoky. In July 2008, the Netherlands, like several other European countries, passed a smoking ban in all public establishments. This means that you'll have to smoke your cigarette on the curb, a terrace, or, in a handful of bars and concert venues, in a designated smoking room that feels like a human-size aquarium, minus any decorative algae. Although blowen (smoking pot) is still permitted in coffee shops, roken (smoking cigarettes) is not, so those who like to add tobacco to their joints are also asked to take it outside.

…is less smutty. Over the last five years, Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District has gone a tad soft. In 2007, the city did some major house flipping, closing down 51 windows, 18 of which were converted into studio space for artists in the Red Light Fashion Amsterdam project. While politicians—and the designers who enjoyed rent-free ateliers—claimed this move would reduce the trafficking of women and related crime, some sex industry spokespeople claim that the cutbacks have only caused the business to go underground and unchecked.

…is more ethnically diverse. A seaport with a five-runway airport, Amsterdam has always attracted newcomers. But in recent years it has made international headlines as the city with the most nationalities in the world, last estimated at 176.

…is more customer service-oriented. There was an era when your average Dutch waitress was either so aloof you could skip town before she'd notice you left without paying or so self-righteous you'd be scolded for mentioning the dead mouse at the bottom of your pea soup. Fortunately, the City of Amsterdam has since established the Welcome Academy, red-Windbreaker-wearing volunteers intent on making visitors feel at home. Although you'll occasionally find cranky employees, the hospitality industry, has improved over the years and been taken over by bright, young multilinguals who have watched enough American sitcoms to know that the customer is always right.

…is less open-minded when it comes to the many "-isms" it once championed.

Live and let live might have been an appropriate motto for this society historically cool with abortion, euthanasia, drugs, and sex. But, like much of Europe, the powers-that-be are becoming more conservative, and thus threatening Amsterdam's status as the most liberal city on earth. Besides sweeping the Red Light District clean, since 9/11 the Netherlands has become less hospitable than ever to immigrants, particularly those from non-Western nations, who face complicated and expensive restrictions on entrance and residence.