Got a hugely long shot opportunity of a job in Amsterdam – and it’s hugely tempting.

I like visiting Amsterdam, but what about living and riding there? Does anyone have any experience.

Feels like it would be good to escape the UK before it completely crumples (thanks Brexit and Tories).

Probably a lot like visiting, only for longer.

Every city in the world is roughly the same regardless …

You might be speaking in a different language and in a different culture but they are the same, if you have no money you suffer. i.e. same shite different place. 😯

the women are better looking but there are no hills but you can get stoned. is my assessment.

My sister has lived there for 25 years. personally I don’t really like the city – but then the dutch seem to assume I am German and they don’t really like the Germans

Its a big busy city and very cosmopolitan. Very busy. Very clean and no homeless or drug problems to speak of. Housing is expensive and cramped – what we would consider a small flat for a couple would be a large family home

riding – very different to the UK. The cycle network is great as I am sure you know but its not set up for 25 mph chaingangs so can become frustrating in the cities if you want to ride fast.

I find the dutch an odd lot. No one will speak to you in public, no one will hold a door open etc. that’s polite to them because its all about respecting peoples privacy by not invading their personal space. No one breaks the social consensus ie very little antisocial parking, noise nusience, etc and so on but no one tells you the rules – you are just expected to know what is acceptable and what is not – unlike the UK where folk break the social consensus all the time or Germany where they make sure you know the rules.

Very strict planning controls mean few large supermarkets. they are a very socially conservative bunch

Great place to live, you will discover the real city which is which far better than most tourists’ version. By all accounts it is getting much more expensive, it used to be ridiculously reasonable for a major capital city, but I would happily live there again.

Property is very expensive but apart from that.. There’s much worse places to live. I’d do it if I had the chance.

Worth checking if you would qualify for the 30% ruling (you then pay a flat rate of income tax of 30%) will make quite a saving over the normal Dutch rates (a bit higher rates than the UK).

Only spent a week there, if I didn’t mountain bike, I’d love to live there.

Top tip on the tax thing – thanks for that one!

No one will speak to you in public, no one will hold a door open etc.

this is not my experience as a visitor. on seperate occasions people have offered help when needed. eg. bridge over canal was jammed and closed. a commuter spotted 4 tourists standing and wondering how to cross the canal. stopped asked us where we were going, showed us how route around, which was out of his way, then bid us fairwell and turned around back on his way to work.

I like the dutch, laid back & pragmatic. I’d move there if given a chance.

No one will speak to you in public, no one will hold a door open etc.

This, and a whole lot more. Nobody will invite you to their home, nobody will meet you for a drink after work. If you aren’t a part of the social circle they’ve had since high school they will never be your friend.

Plus – food in shops is crap, food in restaurants is boring, plus you have to wait hours to be served. Taxes are very high – income tax plus various others like water rates, electricity prices. The phone company is worse than BT.

On the good side – things mostly work, good public transport, good public administration, bikes (obviously).

I wouldn’t choose to live there again.

Lovely place, two of my mates live and work there and love it. I visit as often as they’ll allow me too, both ex UK lads done good in Banking but hated the cut n thrust of London so got jobs for some exceptional ethical investment banks. Both mates ride a lot, joined a local club and ride all over the Netherlands. The northern part of the country is bumpy, more than you’d realise. Standard of living is about the same as here but less crowded and angsty, most Dutch are politely chilled and if you tune into that they’ll except your attitude, tune out and they’ll blank you quite abruptly.
I really would choose it as a city to live in and absorb myself in.

thomthumb

WE rode around the country for 2 weeks on our mtb tandem flying a big saltire off the back ( to say – we are tourists – don’t curse us for blocking the cycle ways) precisely one person started a conversation with us although if we started a conversation folk wanted to chat and were interested helpful and polite. When we are parked up having a beer with the bike nearby folk would often stop and look at it but bar that one nutter on a campsite no one once asked us anything about it without us starting the conversation. One guy we asked where the nearest bike shop was then rode with us there and asked questions all the time about us, the flag and the bike

Its the dutch form of politeness I found after talking to my dutch brother in law about it. Its about living in a crowded place and respecting others personal space / privacy and this is the norm for hthe netherlands according to my dutch brother in law.

I like the dutch – but they are an odd lot considering they are in effect the same tribe as us and the germans.

This, and a whole lot more. Nobody will invite you to their home, nobody will meet you for a drink after work. If you aren’t a part of the social circle they’ve had since high school they will never be your friend.

Not my experience at all, I have lots of Dutch friends, I have probably been to as many Dutch weddings as British ones. I used to drink to work with colleagues all the time and even went out with one.

Not my experience either.
Had probably the biggest social crowd of anywhere I’ve lived. The place is so international that even if the Dutch do lock themselves indoors, you’ll end up with a social group of pretty much any country you can think of.
Our group had people from 2 universities, ESA, EuroPol, some random IT places in Amsterdam.
I’d live somewhere like Leiden again, and commute in to Amsterdam.
Cycling there is ace. MTBing – rofl. Beer there is bad.

I loved living there.
In fact, I’d move back there tomorrow given the chance.
The people are great, the culture is great, the food isn’t bad either. But yeah, the beer is crap.
Again, I’d rather live back in Scheveningen and commute in, but that’s just me.

I’d rather live back in Scheveningen and commute

That is a fair old commute to get to Amsterdam ! In to the centre of Den Haag, then an hour to Amsterdam and then out to wherever you might be working.

Yeah Dutch telephone companies are terribad, never done hearing about them from frustrated gamers.

As for the beer…

the supply situation grows increasingly bleak. We’ve recycled the water so often it’s beginning to taste like Dutch lager.

…about sums it up. I went teetotal on a ship rather than suffer Amstel Light.

If you aren’t a part of the social circle they’ve had since high school they will never be your friend

Sounds a little like Sweden!

Sounds a little like Sweden!

A bit, but Swedes don’t let the door slam in your face and then congratulate themselves on how “honest” and “straightforward” they are.

The Dutch are a funny lot.

I work over there a lot, they are happy to be social after work, but can be the rudest people on earth. They don’t see as rude just how they are.

Check out Haarlem, good links to Amsterdam but a bit cheaper, lovely place. Not so many drunken Brits staggering about.

Yeah Dutch telephone companies are terribad, never done hearing about them from frustrated gamers.

When we moved in we were told we couldn’t get a phone line because the previous tenant had not tetminatd his account. I had to find and contact him myself and get him to write to them to end his account. Was slightly complicated by the fact that he had moved to Nigeria.

More Dutch fun:

My GP prescribed me a treatment that was so painful that I passed out in the toilets at work. A friend who is a consultant in the UK later told me that this should not have been prescribed without a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.

My wife was admitted to hospital after an emergency and spent a couple of days there during which I had to repeatedly request that she be given water since Shaw was visibly dehydrated.

A bit, but Swedes don’t let the door slam in your face

perhaps it’s just me then….

I’ve worked in the Netherlands a few times and found the people very open and friendly, happy to start conversations etc. That was in Rotterdam and Arnhem.

The “letting the door slam in your face” thing is not rude to them. Its polite to the dutch to ignore people so as not to invade their personal space. Or so my dutch brother in law says. Its a different social code thats all.

It’s a fabulous city, I’ve lived there on an off for a few years as my wife lived there when I met her. It’s a very compact city with everything a cultural capital can offer (and more). The culture and “the Dutch” are a funny lot but we have some great friends there. OK it’s expensive but then it’s cheaper than London.

Language wise, depending on how long you’ll be there it may be worth learning a bit of the language. Generally though it’s not something any English speakers really do as there’s no real benefit – 95% of the people you’ll deal with day to day with be fluent in English in a way you simply can’t imagine.

I’d go for it – while you still can.

**** Bre**t

The “letting the door slam in your face” thing is not rude to them. Its polite to the dutch to ignore people so as not to invade their personal space. Or so my dutch brother in law says. Its a different social code thats all.

Yeah, I’m familiar with that rationalisation.

95% of the people you’ll deal with day to day with be fluent in English in a way you simply can’t imagine.

Indeed. Including the folks at the tax office who will, nevertheless, refuse to speak to you in English.