From tukki.jyu.fi!news.funet.fi!sunic!hagbard!eru!bloom-beacon!mintaka!olivea!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!usc!coriolis!marsthom Sun May 19 19:14:38 EET DST 1991 Article: 9740 of alt.drugs Path: tukki.jyu.fi!news.funet.fi!sunic!hagbard!eru!bloom-beacon!mintaka!olivea!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!usc!coriolis!marsthom From: marsthom@coriolis.UUCP (marsthom) Newsgroups: alt.drugs Subject: News from Amsterdam? Message-ID: <19T521w164w@coriolis.UUCP> Date: 18 May 91 07:49:23 GMT Organization: Albedo Communications Lines: 165 I've been contemplating a trip to Nederlands for a while, and decided to pick up some canned information. The only travel book I found that wasn't completely obsessed with hotels and old buildings was _THE REAL GUIDE: AMSTERDAM_ which I ran across in a Crown Books franchise near Los Angeles. They also carry the _Routledge Dutch Dictionary_ in paperback. I've also found copies of Dutch newspapers at some of the more fanatically massive newstands in the area. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Relevant excerpts from: _THE REAL GUIDE - AMSTERDAM (The Guide for the '90s)_ by Martin Dunford and Jack Holland, published by Prentice Hall Travel. ------------------------------------- POLICE TROUBLE - AND A NOTE ON DRUGS You're unlikely to come into much contact with Amsterdam's police force (Politie), a long-haired, easy-going bunch driving miniature patrol cars. Few walk a beat, and in any case Amsterdam is one of the safest cities in Europe. Bar-room brawls are highly unusual, muggings uncommon, and street crime much less conspicuous than it is in many other capitals. Nonetheless, it's always a worth taking precautions against petty crime: secure your gear in a locker when staying in a dorm; never leave any valuables in a tent; and if you've brought a car, remove the tape deck and park in a well-lit, public place if you can't find a parking lot. As far as personal safety goes, it's possible to walk anywhere in the city center at any time of day or night - though women might get tirred of being hassled if they walk through the red-light areas alone; see p. 16 for more on women and sexual harassment. If you're unlucky enough to have something stolen, you'll need to report it to a police station and get them to write a statement for your insurance company (in the unlikely event that your policy cover such incidents; see 'Health and Insurance' section above). The police emergency number in Amsterdam is 22-22-22. ----- DRUGS Some residents claim that the liberal municipal attitude toward the sale of drugs has attracted all sorts of undesirables to the city. This is partly true, but the "cleaning up" of the Zeedijk, once Amsterdam's heroin-dealing quarter, seems to have made open trafficking less frequent and the city a safer place. Amsterdam has sanctioned the sale of cannabis at the Melkweg and Paradiso nightspots, and at many coffee shops, since the 1960's. It's also acceptible to smoke in some bars, but since many are strongly against it, don't make any automatic assumptions. If in doubt, ask the barperson. Purchasing, transporting, or consuming cannabis products elsewhere is inadvisable. Although busts are rare, legally you're allowed to possess only 28 grams for personal use. Bear in mind, also, that while there's a lively and growing trade in cocaine and herion, possession of either could mean a stay in one of The Netherland's lively and growing prisons. For drug-related problems, the Drug Advice Center, Keisergracht 812 (Mon.-Fri. 1:00-3:00pm; phone: 23-78-65), offers help and advice. ------------------------- COFFEE SHOPS AND TEA ROOMS As with bars, there are two types of Amsterdam coffee shops: those whose principal business is the buying, selling, and consuming of dope, and the more traditional places that sell neither dope nor alcohol but do serve sandwiches or a light menu for lower prices than you'd pay in a full-fledged restaurant; some offer pastries or chocolates. The so-called "smoking" coffee shops are easy to identify: brightly lit, with starkly modern furniture and an accent on healthy food, they're about as far from the cozy Dutch 'brown cafe' as it's possible to get. Smoking dope is the primary pastime (all sell a range of hash and grass), and most also have video (loud) music, and a selection of games from baccarat to pool; they're open roughly from late morning/midday until around midnight. They are currently booming, and the major Amsterdam chains - The Bulldog, Prix d'Ami, Fancy Free - seem to be opening new branches all the time: they may be identified by a cannabis-leaf sign and a slogan claiming that they serve the best quality goods on the Amsterdam dope scene. For real dope heads there's the Hash Info Museum (p93) which survives despite crackdowns. For more on dope see p.12. --------- "SMOKING" Basjoe, Kloveniersburgal 62. Dark and convivial coffee shop. Biba, Hazanstraat 15. In a street of coffee shops, this is one of the best. Bon Ami, Brouwersgracht 137. Very loud music. The Bulldog, Leidseplein 13-17; O.Z. Voorburgwal 90; O.Z. Voorburgwal 132 Helkveld 7. The biggest and most famous of the coffee-shop chains, this has come a long way from its pokey Red Light district-dive origins. With a main branch housed in the former police station on glitzy Leidseplein (the "Palace"), the Bulldog has now reached the height of - and commerical success. The dope they sell comes in neat little brand-labeled packets and the Leidsplein branch has a large cocktail bar, coffee shop, juice bar, souvenir shop, and a GVB ticket counter. Extase, Oude Hoogstraat 2. Part of a chain run by the initiator of the Hash Info Museum. Considerably less chichi than the big cheeses. Fairy Nuff, 2e Laurierdwarstraat 1b. Small and quiet, with a low-key atmosphere. Fancy Free, Martelaarsgracht 4; Haarlemmerstraat 64; Leliegracht 6. Slick plush, and commerical, very much in The Bulldog mold. Goa, Kloveniersburgwal 42. A member of the Extase chain (see above) Grand Prix, Reguliersdwarsstraat 29. Once part of the Prix d'Ami outfit, and little changed since. Grasshopper, N.Z. Voorburgwal 59. One of the city's more welcoming "smoking" coffee shops, though at times overwhelmed by tourists. Haussmann, Singel 485; Zieseniskade 2. White, modernistic coffee shop with more than a hint of soulessness Pie in the Sky, 2e Laurierdwarsstraat 64. Beautiful canal-corner setting, great for outside summer lodging Prix d'Ami, Haringpakkersteeg 3; Nieuwendijk 239. Super-entrepreneurial Amsterdam chain, but with little of the character of its rivals. Roma, O.Z. Achterburgwal 162. Red Light district smoker, par of the Extase/Goa concern. Rusland, Rusland 16. One of the first Amsterdam coffee shops, and a cramped and vibrant place that's a favorite with both dope fans and tea addicts (43 different kinds). A little worse for the recent extension, but still a cut above the rest. Siberie, Brouwersgracht 11. Set up by the former staff of Rusland and notable for the way it has avoided the over-commercialization of the large chains. Very relaxed, very friendly, and worth a visit whether you want to smoke or not. So Fine, Prinsengracht 30. Long-established, coffee shop, big on atmosphere at night with good food and music. a pool table, and a video room. -------------------------------