I've noticed NL Times is a popular site among expats. I find it a horrible looking, shallow publication.

Please know that Het Parool, one of our finest newspapers, translates a lot of their content into English now. Real journalism, Amsterdam focused + domestic, with award winning looks. https://www.parool.nl/international/

(I am not affiliated with them in any way)

Expat (UK), living in Ams for over 15 years, divorced, with one lovely five-year-old boy. For years, I worked hard, provided for my family, washed my kid, cooked for them, achieved financial security, and secured my retirement at 40, while going to the gym, playing padel, climbing, hiking, skiing, etc. All of these things—including working hard—gave me a lot of energy for years. My dream was to stay active, focus more on hobbies and activities, have more kids, work hard, play sports hard, and, at the end of the day, go home and pray for what I’d achieved. (Atheist here.)

Especially since my wife left me and tried to take my kid and half of everything I’d achieved, I’m struggling boys. For the first time in my life, I don’t want to get out of bed. I can’t make any plans, I have no hope, and I can’t see myself laughing with someone else again. I also see that after one coffee at most, or one call, my friends don’t check in on me much. I feel like that’s it.

Just sharing: after all the struggles and material difficulties in my life, this is the first time I’m lying on the floor and can’t stand up. If you saw me from the outside—my CV, life, work, day-to-day self—you might be jealous (I’m not saying that to show off, but to give you an idea of how it looks from the outside). But I’m not sure how long I can keep playing this.

It’s difficult, friends. Take care of each other.

@amsterdambells

I will be moving here in some months, and although most expats I know speak barely any Dutch after years in the city, I don’t want that to be my case. I’m a language student, so even though Dutch is admittedly not in my top 10 languages I would like to become fluent at least at a conversational level.

Any tips from people who’ve managed on courses they’ve followed, places where they’ve interacted with locals, etc?

So apparently the gemeente wants to make parking permits considerably more expensive again. In some neighbourhoods, prices will even double.

I understand wanting fewer cars in Amsterdam. More green spaces, wider pavements and less traffic are all good things. But there's something rather ironic about a supposedly left-wing city making car ownership increasingly unaffordable for ordinary people.

Not everyone owns a car because they're lazy or refuse to cycle. Some people have mobility issues, others need their cars for work, to visit family outside the city or to transport a large dog. Public transport and shared cars aren't always realistic alternatives.

And here's what bothers me most: do we seriously think someone who can comfortably afford a €70,000 car and an expensive apartment in Oud-Zuid will give up their parking permit over an extra €150 or €180 a year? They'll barely notice.

The people who will actually have to reconsider owning a car are those on lower and middle incomes . The wealthy will simply pay more and carry on parking outside their homes.

So instead of making the city less car-dependent, aren't we just making car ownership another privilege reserved for those who can afford it?

I'm all for reducing the number of cars in Amsterdam, but surely a genuinely progressive policy should consider people's circumstances and ability to pay, rather than simply pricing people out.

Or is the idea that only wealthy Amsterdammers should be able to keep a car?

Is it difficult to find people to play rally/to practice when joining a club? I guess it's a difficult question to answer since it varies a lot, but I want to double-check if my own experience sounds generalizable.

I've recently joined a club. People there are very kind, but seems obsessed to play matches. I occasionally like to play matches too, but I prefer the high intensity of a good rally or exercices to practice (diagonales for instance).

Is your experience similar?

Me and my girlfriend are viewing a house tomorrow very close to station Lelylaan. Some people told us this really isn’t a nice place to live. Others say it’s not too bad. does anyone here know or have any recent experience with this area? Thank you!!

I'm planning to do some painting around the house and was wondering whether it's worth going to a specialist paint shop rather than Praxis or Gamma.

Are there any good paint shops in Amsterdam you'd recommend, particularly for quality paint, colour selection and knowledgeable advice? Or is Praxis perfectly fine for the average DIY job?

Curious to hear your experiences!

Hey everyone! Moved here from the US six months ago. I mainly kept up with news back home by listening to podcasts every morning (NPR’s “Up First”, NYT’s “The Daily”, among others).

I was hoping to find the same here in The Netherlands. While I’ve been enrolled in Dutch classes since arriving here, it’s a slow process, and it will be a little while before I’m at broadcast-news-level comprehension. I’ve learned of some websites that post text articles in English (NL Times is the one I’m most aware of), but the only podcasts I could find that published new episodes every day were in either Dutch or German.

Does anyone here know of any daily English-language daily news podcasts that I can check out? Any pointers would be greatly appreciated!

Looking a nice place to have a good conversation? Preferably Amsterdam-Zuid. Place to drink soda or coffee, not drinking alcohol.

So I've received a bill for waste and water. I get it for the one for the waste, it's obvious I have to pay for the trash that i put out. But what I don't understand is that I already pay a water bill in my monthly rent. Can anyone explain to me why to I pay twice for water and if i can contest it. Thank you

Hi everyone,

My wife and I travelled from Belgium to Amsterdam last Tuesday, October 20, and unfortunately our car was broken into shortly after we arrived, near Keizersgracht 274.

The thieves took a travel bag containing a designer handbag, a pair of designer shoes and a laptop, as well as a separate laptop bag containing a second laptop.

We realise the chances of recovering our belongings may be slim, but we’d really appreciate some local advice. Which second-hand websites, shops, markets or local groups would you suggest keeping an eye on?

Are there also any places or services worth checking in case the bags or other belongings were discarded nearby?

If anyone witnessed anything or has been through something similar in Amsterdam, we’d be grateful for any useful information or advice.

Thanks so much for your help!

P.S. We’d also like to mention how extraordinarily kind, compassionate and generous with their time the police officers were when taking our statement. Their support meant a lot to us during a very upsetting experience.

My wife and I are looking to buy an apartment in Amsterdam. We've found one we really like, but it's on the third floor with no storage options on the lower floors.

We're planning on having children in the next 2–3 years, and I'm wondering if we're just asking for trouble by considering an upper-floor apartment.

Would be good to hear from people who've done it: what's it actually like hauling a stroller and an infant up and down the stairs every day?

Edit: Thanks to everyone for your replies, we'll take them into consideration when making a decision

Een vriend van mij kan wellicht een woning accepteren in dit pand maar twijfel. Het is erg afgelegen, maar een eigenlijk plekje is wel fijn. Hij woont nu bij Postjesweg met huisgenoten.

Wat dingen waar ik nieuwsgierig naar ben:

Hoe is de omgeving?

Hoe is het woongenot?

Voorzieningen?

Merk je iets van het AZC / Leger des Heils ernaast?

Hoe is de sfeer?

Hoe is het woongenot?

Afijn, gewoon wat info zou al fijn zijn!

Moet Rijwielbelasting zijn herintrede doen in Amsterdam en andere grote steden in Nederland?

Moeten fietsen, elektrische fietsen, fatbike, Microcars (Brommobiel) rijwielbelasting gaan betalen ?
Denk hierbij aan €2 a €3 per maand….

Amsterdam telt momenteel ongeveer 881.000 fietsen/29.000 bromfietsen/21.000 snorfietsen.

P.s. De foto is een fietsplaatje dat je vroeger kreeg nadat je Rijwielbelasting had betaald

Hi everyone, hope ya’ll having a great week!

I’m kinda new in the city, I’m now finally settling down and would love to meet new people and play some gigs with them.

I’m a guitar player and looking for nice bars for jam sessions, I can play pretty much anything but looking mostly for rock/blues/jazz sessions.

Does anyone have good recommendations? Also would love some guidance on how this stuff normally works, never participated in a jam session.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I'm a theatre student at the Toneelacademie Maastricht and I'm creating my own play this year. It revolves around street harassment, power dynamics, watching and being watched. I'm looking for performers who feel a personal connection to this theme, specifically women and LGBTQIA+. The auditions are next week, if you're interested send me a message!

Hi everyone!

I recently found this oil painting in my apartment in Austria. It appears to depict an old canal in Amsterdam, possibly the Oudezijds Kolk or Oudezijds Voorburgwal, looking towards the Sint-Nicolaaskerk.

The painting is an actual oil painting on canvas, with visible brushstrokes. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find a signature, date, or any other identifying information on the front or back.

There may be some initials or a signature hidden in the details of one of the boats, but I'm not sure.

Does anyone recognize the location or happen to know which artist might have painted it?

Any information about the artist, approximate age, or origin of the painting would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Hey all,

I am currently looking for models for FREE haircuts who are willing to participate to a make over!

(WOMENS ONLY)

I am a professional hairdresser living and working in Amsterdam and I would like to be more creative with my ideas and work and also for my social media!

Below you can find some examples pictures from the haircuts that I am looking for!

So, if you are interested in for a transformations or even a FREE haircuts that match with the pictures below please feel free to contact me for more information! Keep on eye also on my instagram page for more content! IG: neza_hair_

PS: Please do not contact me if you are not willing to cut your hair and your desire is to just TRIMM YOUR ENDS!

Love and peace see you at the salon!

Hey everyone!

I'm helping a friend of mine who's based in Amsterdam find photographers interested in fine-art nude photography.

She's an experienced nude pose model with previous experience working with local photographers, and she's interested in connecting with artists whose work focuses on the artistic and creative side of nude photography.

If you're a photographer based in Amsterdam or nearby and this sounds like something you'd be interested in, feel free to reach out.

Photographers working with fine-art, artistic nude, or editorial-style photography are especially welcome to reach out. Portfolio links would be appreciated too!

Thanks! :)

One of my very first photos in Amsterdam, taken back in 2019.