I will be in Amsterdam for 3 days - what do you suggest. I am a single, friendly woman who enjoys many things, especially people watching, and meeting locals - to really get a sense and feel for the area. I hope to rent a bicycle at some point and see the sights.
How safe is Amsterdam at night as a single woman? Are there areas not to go?
I also will be looking for accommodations - and I'd prefer less than $200/night - suggestions and your experiences are very appreciated.

I found Amsterdam a very easy city as a solo female. I particularly liked the area of canal rings, Leidseplein, and around Vondelpark. I did not care for the central area around the train station and the Dam (and would not have wanted a hotel in that area).

Unless you are a confident city bike rider at home, I would hesitate to recommend renting one there. Unless you can talk on your cell phone, smoke a cigarette, hold an umbrella, and ride wearing high heels and a short skirt, with bikes 5 deep in traffic... well don't say I didn't warn you
;-)

There is plenty to see in Amsterdam and as a single person I never felt unsafe anywhere I went. I do want to caution on the bike riders though, I was almost ran down twice (my fault, the bells ringing on their bikes was just charming to me not the get out of the way message they were trying to send). They can travel pretty fast especially when you are on foot. I do recommend taking the normal safety precautions you would take visiting any city. I always stay at Canal House it is either a hotel or B&B. Either way they serve Breakfast and is pretty centrally located. We got a double for about $150. For a place to eat I highly recommend the Pancake House, which is a block behind the hotel.
Clea

You are probably safer on a bike than walking -- where you run the risk of being run over by cyclists! Be very careful of the electric trolleys, which travel fast and make no noise and leave no space between the curb and the street.

B&Bs can be really appealing and cozy in Amsterdam. I especially like the canal areas.

Don't fail to take a canal boat tour. It's sounds touristy but it is really the best way to get a feel for the city. So is walking around the canal distric and the Jordaan window shopping. Dutch shopkeepers have some of the best displays of goods in their windows I've ever seen.

Amsterdam has a lock on much of the greatest art in Europe, including modern art from great Dutch artists of the 20th century. So the museum offerings cover a tremendous span, from Rembrandt to Mondrian.

Have a great time!

I agree with staying near Leidseplein and taking a nighttime canal boat tour. If you want to bike, you might look into a tour with Yellow Bike... I really enjoyed my experience with them. You learn a lot about the city and the groups are small.

We enjoyed our stay at Maes B&B. We paid 95 euro for a double including breakfast in June. Very nice location and well maintained lodgings.

http://www.bedandbreakfastamsterdam.com

Some of the outdoor markets are fun and good people-watching and meeting places. My favorites are Albert Cuypmarkt and the Bloemenmarkt, which are open daily, I believe. Good (and interesting), reasonably-priced cheese and fruit at Cuypmarkt along with some other goods. Bloomenmarkt is quite lovely and a nice place to buy something to take home to friends. Although some people have posted that you can get bulbs as cheap here, my daughter tells me that the bulbs I brought her last year all came up and were beautiful, but her locally purchased ones didn't do as well. (Since I live in FL and we can't grow those things, I have no personal experience.) Just be sure you get bulbs that are inspected and certified for US import and be sure the date is long enough to get you back home. Also, the Artis zoo is nice if you're into zoos.

Apart from the museums, of which there are countless - from art to torture to other cultures, even sex, the bible, and cats - just walking around the city is great. A walking guide of some sort is useful - Eyewittness Amsterdam has some walks with pictures and descriptions - or you can just start wandering and see what you see. Amsterdam is a great walking city as long as you're wary of bikes, trams, and cars. The pedestrian is expected to yield to everyone else as best I can tell. But along most of the canals there is very little traffic of any sort.

Because of recommendations from Fodorites, I'm trying Maes next week. But last Sept. we stayed at a new (at that time) B&B called The Blue Moon. http://www.bluemoon-amsterdam.nl/ Very nice rooms across the canal from the Rijksmuseum and 5 min. walk to Leitseplein. Convenient to trams and we really liked the area. I understand he has made some improvements since we were there and added small refrigerators. Only drawback was the 3 flights of stairs, but you're going to have some stairs in most B&Bs and those are wider than some in older parts of town. Found great ethnic restaurants with good prices on streets between the B&B and Leitseplein.

If you want to bike around, maybe you can take a tour with a bike company and get the feel for it. We did one with Mike's bike tours and really enjoyed it. The guide was friendly and informative and took us through the countryside where we saw a real windmill up close, etc. We also liked the Leidsplein area (lots of night life and friendly people) and Vondelpark.

Another vote for The Canal House. It fits your budget and they're located in a great area.

If you want to see pictures, you can go to my photo album to see pictures of the hotel and the surrounding.

http://lynnsview.com/Gallery/

Ahhh, Amsterdan. Only place I have ever seen a biker holding a 7 ft. palm tree while pedaling at a fairly fast clip!
I felt very safe in the city. Have a great time!