Latest news with #Amsterdammers
South China Morning Post
18-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Discover Amsterdam's hidden gems away from the tourist crowds, from Nieuw-West to Bijlmer
Amsterdam is suffering from overtourism. Calculations suggest that 12 people visit per year for every local resident. Nevertheless, there are intriguing areas away from the main sightseeing spots that hardly any tourists stray into, and which often represent something far closer to the everyday lives of Amsterdammers. One easy tip to avoid the crowds is to set your alarm for 5am – preferably on a Sunday. This way, you can have Amsterdam 's canals all to yourself. The traffic is not yet roaring, the city is quiet and the gables of the houses are reflected in the canals' undisturbed water. Those wanting to enjoy Amsterdam's brick facades in peace without getting up early can head to Rivierenbuurt. The neighbourhood, near the Amsterdam RAI exhibition centre, features buildings in the Amsterdam School architectural style from the 1920s and '30s. Amsterdam's houses on the canals are popular with sightseers, but it is possible to see them in peace if you get up early.
Metro
09-06-2025
- Business
- Metro
Inside Amsterdam's plans to build a five-storey ‘erotic prison' in an affluent suburb
The red-light district is one of Amsterdam's oldest neighbourhoods and is as classically Dutch as you can get – canals, cobblestone and cafes. The district, De Wallen, is also where many of the around 25,000 sex workers in the Netherlands work. On top of being known for window prostitution and sex shops, Amsterdammers see it as being infamous for two other things as well: bachelor parties and rowdy British tourists hoping for a boozy weekend. But the mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema had an idea to change this – by building a mega-brothel in an affluent suburb two miles away, Zuid. The five-storey 'Erotic Centre', designed by firm Moke Architecten, will contain 100 prostitution rooms, two bars and a strip club. Architect Gianni Cito said of the multi-million euro multiplex: 'Offering prostitution in a different location is not enough. 'Visitors come for a broader experience: A boutique, a drink or a bite to eat, a cinema, it all contributes to an atmosphere in which people feel comfortable, even if they do not visit a prostitute.' The Erotic Centre also contains accommodation for anyone working in the two CD holder-shaped towers, as well as offices and medical and mental health facilities. Halsema has said the new centre on Europaboulevard would be safer, offer more security to workers and encourage more people to work legally. A consultation period will begin from Thursday to July 23, with locals, sex workers, bartenders and entrepreneurs urged to share their opinions. Officials will plan on how to finance it by the end of 2025 – it will not be funded by the city – and decide on building the centre by the end of 2026. Sex workers have long opposed the site, dubbing it an 'erotic prison' and a 'sterile building' with none of the 'charm' of the red-light district. In an open letter in 2022, sex workers said they would lose their independence and face more stigma as they're 'hidden away'. The letter said: 'Sex workers have been part of this neighbourhood for as long as people can remember and make its history rich, unique and beautiful.' Having their livelihoods crammed into the centre would also mean that if the building went bust, their jobs would be on the line. Karin, who works for the Prostitution Information Centre, told the TV network BNNVARA last year: 'The nuisance is not caused by the sex workers and the clients, but by the party tourists.' Sabrina Sanchez, a sex worker, told AFP: 'We really don't agree with their solutions that they are offering, that they are imposing. They're not even negotiating with the sex workers' organisations.' Sex worker Michelle said: 'If you're already inside, that's fine, but you also have to go out with your earnings.' Huub Nelis, chairman of MBO College Zuid trade school, told DutchNews that the Erotic Centre could bring crime to the area. He said: 'Our students don't just walk around up to 5pm but also in the evening. There will be parents who will say, my child won't go there, and that's the only education [for their chosen career] in Amsterdam. 'For the erotic pleasure of the one, some children will not be able to get their education.' At a council meeting in March, officials clashed over what impact building the erotic centre would have on Zudi, a well-known business district. Halsema said that De Wallen has more international businesses in the area than Zudi. She added: 'So you could say that the establishment of an erotic centre could have a positive effect on the business climate in the Zuidas.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The mayor stressed that the plans for the build – which so far are backed by the parties PvdA, GroenLinks and D66 – are not 'irreversible'. She said: 'The council chose this route years ago, which I am working out very neatly. But it is always possible that the council will say at some point: don't do it after all. ' Halsema and the city council have spent years cracking down on noise and substance abuse riddling the red-light district by banning tours, making bars close earlier and limiting what times sex workers can work. Officials also had a simple message to British men in 2023 as part of a campaign to decrease nuisance: 'Stay away.' Around 10million people visit Amsterdam every year, with around half visiting the red-light district. Sex work is legal in the Netherlands, but it is not allowed everywhere or without a permit – it cannot be practised in a hotel or on the street. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Ajax contact PSV about tuberculosis case ahead of Sunday clash
Ajax and PSV are in contact about the developments surrounding the tuberculosis case at Eindhoven. The Amsterdammers confirmed this to De Telegraaf, as they prepare for their trip to the Philips Stadion this weekend. The KNVB has also given a brief response. According to the newspaper, Lucas Perez is the player who recently contracted an acute form of tuberculosis. The bacterial infectious disease is contagious, which immediately raised concerns about the continuation of the PSV-Ajax match. The tuberculosis case has been reported to the regional GGD (Public Health Service). Contact investigation has been initiated, although according to a lung specialist who consulted the club, the chance of contamination in the open air would be minimal. Ajax responded briefly to the newspaper. The Amsterdammers say that they are in contact with PSV about the developments in the case. Ajax don't want to say anything else about the situation, as there are still too many uncertainties. The KNVB came up with a similar reaction as Ajax, also believing that it is too early for an extensive reaction. The association also want to know about possible consequences and permutations for the top match that pits second against first. GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ajax continues Mexican collaboration with new five-year Pachuca deal
Ajax and CF Pachuca have signed a new agreement, seeing their developmental partnership extended to 2030. The Amsterdammers and Liga MX's seventh-placed side have been working together since 2022, with the main goal of the partnership being to exchange knowledge in talent development and scouting in Mexico. Youth players from the Central American country have also consistently been on trial with Jong Ajax. 'We are pleased and proud to extend our partnership with CF Pachuca for another five years,' said Ajax director of football Marijn Beuker on the club website. 'This partnership has been crucial in aligning both clubs around a shared vision of developing football talent and exchanging expertise. We are determined to continue this long-term relationship, which will make our clubs stronger and contribute to the global development of football through our joint efforts.' In addition to Pachuca, Athletico Paranaense (Brazil), Gamba Osaka (Japan), and Sharjah FC (United Arab Emirates) are currently international partner clubs of Ajax. Ajax and @Tuzos have extended their partnership until 2030! 🇲🇽🤝🇳🇱#ForTheFuture — AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) March 25, 2025 GBeNeFN | Max Bradfield
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Yahoo
I travelled on Eurostar's relaunched Amsterdam to London service – and there were a few hiccups
'Welcome!' said the Eurostar worker, wearing a fluorescent pink bib, as I approached the entrance to the brand new UK Terminal in Amsterdam Central station. 'What's it like?' I asked him. 'Oh, it's like an airport terminal through there,' he replied, giddy with excitement. I was going to ask whether he felt it was more like Luton or Heathrow Terminal 5, but decided to go and find out for myself. A direct train between London and Amsterdam? If you are feeling a sense of deja vu, it is because we have indeed been here before. Eurostar launched direct services from London to Amsterdam back in 2018, and then from Amsterdam to London two years later, in 2020. However, due to post-Brexit border complications and major refurbishment works at Amsterdam Central, since June 2024 Eurostar passengers travelling from the Dutch capital to London have had to disembark at Brussels to go through immigration controls there. The process added at least 45 minutes to the journey time. So this week marks not so much a new beginning but a second coming for the Amsterdam to London route. And, with a bit of luck, a more comfortable experience too. But will it be a smooth journey from here on? Not quite. I scanned my boarding pass and joined the queue to go through security, and saw that a group of passengers a little ahead of me were giggling at something. It emerged that the queue ran alongside a glass wall, and on the other side of that glass wall was a screen showing the X-rays of passenger luggage. Amsterdammers are known to enjoy having their curtains wide open, allowing all to peer in. Evidently they take a similarly liberal approach to the privacy of passenger belongings. Before long, a hiccup. The passenger in front of me had an empty coffee cup, and the security worker took it from him and held it, outstretched, like it was splattered with hot manure. 'I didn't see a bin anywhere?' shrugged the passenger. The cup was passed between various members of security staff, until it was handed to another member of staff who walked away to dispose of it. A bin at security would be a good addition, I noted. I proceeded through the brand-new Orion scanners, showed my passport to the friendly chap at Dutch passport control – ready with fingerprinting and retina scanning technology for the impending EES border checks, due later this year – passed through the UK border, and then walked through to the brand new terminal area. The terminal certainly felt less hectic than the equivalent spaces at (the admittedly much busier) St Pancras International and Paris Eurostar terminals, which seem to be perennially cramped. It's more whizzy than anything you'll find in London, Paris or Brussels, too. There are plug sockets aplenty, the Wi-Fi is quick to connect. There are two futuristic looking Brita-filtered water taps, and the LED lighting fluctuates ever so slightly, as if you are on a spaceship. The bathrooms are all contactless, and in the waiting area there appeared to be enough seats for everyone. For now. The capacity of Eurostar trains from Amsterdam to London is 450 as of this week (up from 250), but they plan to increase this to 650 at some point in the spring or summer. As a result, from March 30 to April 22 the UK Terminal at Amsterdam Central will close once again, to facilitate platform renovations and improve the lifts. Throw in another 200 passengers, and things might start to feel a little more squished in the UK Terminal. Still, my fellow travellers and I were lucky to be here at all. Not too long ago, there was talk of the route being scrapped entirely. In September 2024, Eurostar's CEO Gwendoline Cazenave said in an opinion piece in the Dutch newspaper, Financieele Dagblad, that the firm was considering axing its services from Amsterdam due to 'increasing reliability problems, capacity restrictions, and frustrating delays for passengers.' She mentioned speed limits on the high-speed line and the difficulties around the refurbishments at Amsterdam Central. Thankfully, Eurostar and the Dutch rail firms appear to have patched things up. In a statement this week, Cazenave said: 'We are delighted that direct Eurostar services between Amsterdam and London are back. This is more than just a train journey – it is a seamless connection between two vibrant capitals, offering our customers an efficient, comfortable, and sustainable way to travel.' Waiting for my train made for thirsty work. Alas, there were no vending machines anywhere, meaning the little cafe pop-up, Stach, has a monopoly on refreshments. I queued to order a coffee and a welcoming man took my card and walked off with it, holding his wireless card reader up high. He waited for it to connect, twice, before returning my card saying 'don't worry about it.' The coffee, for what it's worth, was of a high quality, although the customer in front of me was disappointed at the lack of sandwiches on offer, and also the absence of duty free. Soon, Stach will have a more permanent space here, as part of those renovations taking place in the spring. Ultimately, the UK Terminal at Amsterdam Central can only be a good thing for passengers. Mark Smith (The Man in Seat 61) says: 'London to Amsterdam is a major air route and a huge opportunity for Eurostar, with a competitive four-hour journey, centre to centre. 'Having to halt direct trains in the inbound direction for over six months was a setback, but the new terminal in Amsterdam can process up to 650 passengers – the old one could only process 250. That means they can offer more seats, at decent prices.' In addition to the increased capacity on its trains, Eurostar plans to run a fourth weekday Amsterdam to London service later in 2025 and there are ambitions for a fifth by 2026. At 1.25pm, 15 minutes before we were due to depart, we were ushered through an unfinished corridor with exposed pipework and then up some steps to the platform. I feared that they wouldn't be able to board everyone in just 15 minutes. But right on time, at 1.40pm, we rolled out. Two hours later, when the train arrived into a rainy Brussels, the woman on the tannoy informed passengers travelling to London that they didn't need to disembark the train. A luxury for another six weeks or so. We can only hope that from the end of April, when services resume indefinitely, there will be no more delays on the line. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
