Amsterdam, known by many for its drugs and its brothels, is trying to clean up its image. The city council’s finance chief has a vision of people walking through Amsterdam’s China Town and the city’s old ramparts, followed by a cappuccino next to the city’s oldest church. The problem is, there isn’t a place to get a cup of coffee in the city center, because that’s the heart of Amsterdam’s red light district. Over the next 10 years, the number of prostitutes windows will be reduced by half, to about 250, and they will be concentrated on just two streets. The number of coffee shops that sell cannabis will also be halved, to 38. In their place, up-market retail chains and food purveyors. So, if you want to experience a dirtier version of Amsterdam, go now; but if you want to have a cleaner, less gritty trip, wait a few years and the prostitutes will mostly be gone. [Der Spiegel] Keep reading »
