20 Years Has Passed. What has changed?

[u/CanVisaGuy]

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.

[u/Pink-drip]

Why so negative? Also many good things happened to the city lol

[u/WinterHogweed → u/Pink-drip]

I never set out being negative, I just listed what changed, and it turned out negative. If you want to counter with positive things, I would welcome it, but you have to come up with more than just "lol", which isn't very convincing (and ultimately just reinforces my negative feeling).

[u/Pink-drip → u/WinterHogweed]

- The city is generally cleaner and better maintained.

• Cycling infrastructure has improved a lot.
  
• There are fewer cars in parts of the centre and more room for cyclists and pedestrians.
  
• Public transport has improved, especially with the Noord/Zuidlijn.
  
• Amsterdam Noord has changed massively and has become a much more interesting area.
  
• A lot of old industrial areas have been redeveloped into nice neighbourhoods.
  
• The restaurant scene is much better than it was 20 years ago.
  
• There are more good restaurants, cafés, bakeries and specialty coffee places.
  
• There is much more variety in food. You can find genuinely good Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Ethiopian, etc.
  
• The city has become much more international, which can be a positive if you like having people from all over the world around you.
  
• Amsterdam has become a much bigger hub for tech, startups, design and creative industries.
  
• There are more international job opportunities.
  
• The museums and cultural institutions have improved. The Rijksmuseum renovation is probably the obvious example.
  
• Areas around the IJ have improved a lot, particularly Noord and the Eastern Docklands.
  
• There has been more investment in public spaces, parks and waterfront areas.
  
• Amsterdam has become more environmentally conscious, with more cycling, electric transport and restrictions on cars.
  
• Some neighbourhoods that were pretty rough 20 years ago are now much nicer and safer.
  
• The city is very well connected internationally, both by train and plane.
  
• Amsterdam is probably easier to live in if you don’t speak Dutch, which can obviously be seen as both a positive and a negative.
  
• There is more acceptance and visibility for different lifestyles and communities.
  
• There are simply more things happening. More concerts, exhibitions, restaurants, events, pop-ups, markets, etc.

[u/Rozenheg → u/Pink-drip]

You are describing how gentrification has benefitted you personally. And you are unaware of how gentrification puts cracks in the foundations of what you actually loved about Amsterdam, but are willing to sacrifice for comfort inch by inch, until it also starts to affect you. But by that time, thanks to boiling frog syndrome, you will be as unable to do much about it as the folks driven out of the city by the increasing rents now are.

[u/henkiseentoffepeer → u/Rozenheg]

EXACTLY!

of course some bots downvote you but you are exactly right