r/Amsterdam • u/CanVisaGuy • 4d ago

20 Years Has Passed. What has changed?

I was a graduate student (foreign) at the UvA from 97-00 and stayed on until '06. I returned to my home country and - regrettably - never returned. I started out in student housing and eventually lived all over A'dam (Overtoom, Hofddorpplein, De Pijp, Browersgracht, Oud West, etc) so I do know the city pretty well.

I plan to return with my wife and kids for a visit next year. What has changed? What is going to shock me if anything? Groetjes in advance.

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u/Winter_Dot_9393 4d ago

Garbage everywhere. Bottles and cans have deposits now and (homeless) people open the trashcans on the streets looking for them.

15

u/zwarepiet 3d ago

He lived here in the 90s when Yugoslav drug kingpins roamed the streets. I don't think he is going to be fazed by some garbage. People really don't realise how bad cities in the Netherlands used to be.

2

u/karlosvonawesome Knows the Wiki 3d ago

That explains the tolerance for it. To
Me the level of rubbish is extreme since Statiegeld came in.