Amsterdam, the world capital of legalized sex and drugs, is also a wonderful destination for families. With over 50 museums including the annex where Anne Frank hid with 7 other Jews during German takeover of Holland, art galleries displaying work by Van Gogh and Rembrandt, a large zoo, and the largest library in Europe, Amsterdam offers learning opportunities for every age and interest. The dangers of Amsterdam are avoidable, if parents are aware of them. According to UNICEF, Dutch children are the happiest in the developed world. Amsterdam must be doing something right.
Yes, weed and mushrooms are legal in Amsterdam. No, the streets and parks are not always filled with red-eyed zombies with incredible hunger for greasy food. The streets are very different after midnight. Places that allow smoking are "coffee shops", but they are not easily mistaken for standard latte and croissant kid-friendly coffee shops. The brown cafes display signs prohibiting children under 18 from entering. Ocassionaly an opened door to one of these shops will let out the stinch of burning cannabis, but the harm is nothing more than a bad smell that may cause children to ask questions. I personally would prefer to be there when my child first starts asking questions about drugs. I could explain that the legal implications of marijuana are often more dangerous than the physical or medical consequences but that any drug, from the earth or from a laboratory, purchased in a pill box, aluminum can, or or paper bag, can be dangerous and should not be used in excess for recreation or with combinations of other drugs. Ok, off my soapbox...
A bigger danger than the cannabis is the fast paced bicycles and public transportation. Unlike the United States where everything has warning labels and dangers are behind fences and guard rails, the trams in Amsterdam run across streets, bicycle lanes, and sidewalks with only two metal parallel rails running through the brick roads as indication. Following the normal flow of people and watching your surroundings will keep you from colliding with a bicyle, car, train, or walker. Most areas have different paths, tracks, lanes, or sidewalks for the different types of traffic. Only construction areas are a little difficult. We spent the majority of our four days with our 7-month-old in his stroller with only occasional difficulties. Amsterdam is not a place for umbrella strollers or any other stroller with small or less durable wheels. Our Graco Travel System handled itself well enough, though I found myself envious of some higher end strollers that are more capable of handling the bricks, loose stones, curbs, and occasional steps. Just about every hotel, residence, and restaurant in Amsterdam has 2-7 steps up or down to access the ground floor. I may have to consider a lighter stroller with shocks if we move to Amsterdam.
Oh yeah, about that... The reason we were in Amsterdam was my husband's job interview. They said that they want him and are putting together an offer, so we will be discussing our options. Workers in Amsterdam are taxed 40% of their income! However, if you are from another country and have enough industry experience and/or are thirty-years-old, you may qualify for a tax break as a skilled migrant. Individuals that qualify as a skilled migrant worker do not have to pay taxes on the first 30% of their income. Considering a $100,000 salary as an example, a skilled migrant would take home $72,000, while a traditionally taxed employee would take home $60,000. A worker from the United States would also be attracted to working in the Netherlands for the vacations. With 20-25 paid vacation days plus 5-10 paid holiday days and a geographical location that allows easy travel to the rest of Europe, the travel opportunities are attractive. A worker with a family from any country in North or South America may also be attracted to living in Amsterdam for the superior schools.
If we do move to Amsterdam, I plan to find an apartment with one or two extra bedrooms. With so many travelers visiting Amsterdam every week, locals hosting spare bedrooms through travel rental programs like Airbnb.com are able to earn a significant amount of extra income. Cheaper than a hotel but more private and secure than a hostel, short-term travel rental properties are a smart choice for travelers in Amsterdam. We stayed three nights with a couple from Malaysia who were very helpful in answering our questions about the local attractions and restaurants.
Whether or not we will be relocating to Amsterdam in July is to be determined. For now, our gypsy kid's next travels will be San Francisco. Perhaps I will find some money to discover a more practical travel stroller for our little traveler.
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