It's well-documented that there's a very liberal culture in The Netherlands and it's this, coupled with the numerous alleyways, backstreets and canals, which shape the place and cause it's notorious reputation throughout the world.
The lively spots are around the Old Town (close to Nieuwmarkt and about a 10-15 minute stroll from Amsterdam Centraal). It's not surprising that around here is packed with dozens of pubs/clubs which are pretty much always brimming to the point where they're overflowing - thus resulting in loads of folk loitering around outside them; some of whom are just p*ssed up tourists but others which are stone-eyed drug dealers who are desperately trying to either flog you something or get you inside one of the nearby cafes for a space cake.
There's also the infamous 'window shopping' opportunities in the Red Light District. Whilst the main prostitute 'strip' overlooks the canal, there's plenty of others also lurking in the backstreets too and, believe me, they aren't backwards in coming forwards to offer their services. Some of them actually look frightening and probably should have been cast in The Exorcist; I was once 'questioned' by a dead ringer for Tina Turner, albeit with more tattoos, and she looked anything but Simply The Best to put it mildly!
Whatever your reasons are for going to Amsterdam, one huge tip would be to make sure you aren't that gormless idiot who starts taking photos of the hookers flogging themselves - if you do, there's a strong possibility you'll end up going 'overboard' and getting wet. Likewise, be careful on roads/footpaths anyway as the city is absolutely heaving with cyclists and you've more chance of being knocked over by someone on a bike than a person driving a car.
Outside the sex, drugs and rock'n'roll culture of the place, there's a handful of things to do/see and it's sometimes not a bad thing to just wander off the beaten track and enjoy what else the place has to offer - it'll certainly be less expensive than getting p*ssed in a pub all day and, besides, many attractions (as is often the case in most places) aren't actually that far apart. If you don't quite want to do that then there's always the other option of joining one of the many canal/boat tours which operate.
The city has an extensive transport infrastructure with trams and underground trains which covers a wide area. If you arrive by coach at Sloterdijk (which is the Flixbus terminus) then it's a good 30-minute journey into the centre. On the flip side, if you arrive at Duivendrecht (which is the Eurolines terminus) then it's only a few stops on the metro before you reach the Old Town.
Ajax is the city's football team and the Bijlmer Arena is located towards the southern part of the city - too far to walk from the main tourist hot-spots but only a 10-15 minute metro ride. It's changed since I watched a game there in January 2016 and the team's fortunes have also improved as well.
Amsterdam is built upon a liberal, multi-cultural background spanning decades and though there is an acceptance that pretty much 'anything goes' from it's natives, they're probably starting to get peeved and it might only be a few more years before there's an anti-tourist backlash - similar to what's happened in Venice in recent years.
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