Amsterdam Red Light District: The City's Nightlife for Adults Only

There Were Plenty of Nightclubs and Theatres, but I Didn't Get Around to Seeing Them on This Trip!

There aren’t too many locations that can truly boast being “a place where all your fantasies come true.” Disney World? Maybe if your six years old. But I’m talking about adult fantasies. If I were writing about all the great things to do in Amsterdam during the DAY, we’d sure have a different outlook regarding our free time. But Amersterdam at NIGHT? You’re about to enter the big leagues, pal. Minors need not apply. Amsterdam nightlife is a mix of coffee bars, clubs, pubs, drugs and women. The priority of which is entirely up to you. I am talking, of course, about the Amsterdam Red Light District. The major cities of Europe - Prague, Paris, Budapest, Rome and Berlin - all offer tourists an eclectic mix of entertainment, but the nightlife in Amsterdam's Red Light District manages to put a spin on everything those other cities have to offer. I personally tend to think of Amsterdam nightlife as “shaken, not stirred.” 

Let’s be honest, the majority of tourists aren’t necessarily flocking to Amsterdam to walk along the canals and go to museums. Oh sure, that element is there for those who seek it. But the real “fun” kicks in after the sun goes down. Repeat this mantra a few times: “Amsterdam nightlife…Amsterdam nightlife….” Want a cup of coffee and a joint? Want to cruise the Red Light District and say hello to the “window girls”? Want to smoke a joint and THEN go visit the window girls? You came to the right place. 

I really AM here just to look. I mean, “look” in the big sense of looking. Amsterdam has so much to offer. But being the responsible journalist that I am, I can not - in good conscious – just stay in my hotel room at night.