First Timer In Amsterdam

[BooDog]

Popping my cherry with my first trip to Amsterdam. Looking for some divine wisdom from those who've experienced the best of the best Amsterdam has to offer.

Only in town for a 24 hours looking to visit a couple coffee shops for amazing weed, hash and atmosphere, along with must see sights.

On coffee shop atmosphere req. - knowledgeable staff, comfortable seating to chill/be social, cool tunes (no-techno or country) & people watching. I've read Barney's, The Green House (Centrum), & Dedambkring are must sees. True? Where else?

On product req. - best of the best and willing to pay few extra Euros. Not sure when I'll get back so go big or go home is my thinking.

On Sightseeing req - stroll through the Red Light District is already on the agenda, any other recommendations? Is the Bananenbar or Casa Rosso worth it or a waste of $$$? Bar/Pub reco's?

Appreciate the wisdom - BooDog out!!!

[stecleary84]

seems your in town for only one day telling us where you are staying will help direct you the the best CS near you. seems you have mentioned barneys, dampkring and greenhouse il guess you are staying centrum? Barneys has some nice weed but they know how to charge, Dampkring get a thumbs up from me anyway, try the laughing budda out

[Iko]

Basjoes fits all your criteria, including being a short walk to the RL district.
It is on one of the most scenic corners, right on the canal, some outdoor seating, VERY high quality gear, friendly knolagable tender.
Only downside i see is it is not the most swank comfortable place inside, more a locals vibe then a pimped out tourist place.
Basjoes is also right next to Bhageera another nice coffeeshop so you have two for the price of one with different menus.

[BooDog]

Staying at Hotel Estherea - Singel 305 1012 WJ Amsterdam, Nederland. All about walking around or jumping on tram, cam or bike taki to get around. All about the experience, just looking to pick a few places and do the crawl and enjoy the experience. Appreciate the tips

[AmDamMan]

On coffee shop atmosphere req. - knowledgeable staff, comfortable seating to chill/be social, cool tunes (no-techno or country) & people watching. I've read Barney's, The Green House (Centrum), & Dedambkring are must sees.

Hmmm... Dampkring is a nice shop, big menu with some nice gear at reasonable prices. Barneys is probably worth the look if you've never been but the weed, while normally good quality is a high price and often just as good elsewhere.
The Greenhouse on Haarlemerstraat has a cool fish tank under the floor but I personally vowed never to set foot in there again after paying 13e a g for their Bubba Kush last time and finding it full to the brim of seeds when I cracked the Bud open.

I'm very rarely dissapointed at the quality of weed from Grey Area and Green Place which both might be worth a look for you.

Enjoy the city, you will love it.

[AmDamMan]

Also if you are only in town for 24 hours it may be worth getting a few half g's so you can sample a wide variety of weed without totally breaking the bank. Dampkring, Grey Area and Green Place are definitely happy to do this, as will many other coffeeshops.

[westerkerk]

In my opinion you'll have a rubbish time hopping from one place to the next smoking as much as you can. My advice is only go to two or three places. Preferably three

You have situated yourself decently near Dam Square but not right in the centre, which is great in my opinion.

You are quite close to Abraxas, which would be worth a visit. You're also close to Paradox, about a 15-20 minute walk. That would put you in the Jordaan and from there you can hit Biba, Siberie, Rokerij quite easily.

I would spend 24 hours in the dam going to decent places rather than the most popular or "tourist friendly" ones. No fun in that.

If you can check out amnesia while in town, I would highly recommend that also. It's quite close to your hotel. Pop out of the front doors, head over to the Herengracht and walk up a few bridges and it'll be on your right.

I've done 24hrs in the dam many times, in this area. So if you need any more specific advise, pm me, or ask on here.

[BooDog]

[quote="westerkerk"]

I've done 24hrs in the dam many times, in this area. So if you need any more specific advise, pm me, or ask on here.[/quote]

I will take you up on your advice - I am more for where the local's go versus the tourist spot unless it's worth a look.

Don't think I'll have time to hit more than three coffee shops so agree.

I get in around noon and was looking to find place to get me started right with some good stuff, chill atomosphere, enjoy a coffee, tea or shake then make a slow trek to the Red light area stoping for early dinner then another coffee shop to go a little harder with some Haze or Hash to enjoy the sights of the red light district. Close the night at Barney's to try a Volcano.

Heard Gollem on Raamsteeg was a good place to stop in for beer.

Welcome other recommendations for cool pubs to hit and a stoners place for dinner?

[QueenMab]

If you only have 24 hours, you're already off to a pretty good start. All the coffeeshops that have been mentioned are great, you'll love any of them.

Atmosphere and music wise though, I'll have to recommend Cafe 420 over Barneys - nice weed, great staff, awesome music, and properly 'gezellig'. You'll can use a Volcano at 420 as well, and the cheaper weed seals the deal for me. Personal taste though, obviously. I would then recommend Barney's Lounge as your stoner dinner area - expensive, but great if you want to treat yourself.

The Nes Cafe, of course, is the ultimate smoker-friendly bar. It's just off Dam Sq, so is nicely located in the area you plan to see.

As for RLD stuff, I worked as a tour guide for a while, and the things I would recommend there if you want to get into the "only in Amsterdam" side of things would be the peep shows (hell of a lot cheaper than a sex show and a hell of a lot more disturbing, lol) or, for sex shows, the Moulin Rouge. It's about half the price of the Casa Rossa, and they sometimes give group discounts if you can russle up some people to go with you and you're willing to haggle.

(The RLD is not a 'locals' area, but this is your first time to Amsterdam, and it's an integral part of what makes Amsterdam what it is, so I would say you should definitely go there. After my first visit, I never really went there very much, but to me it's the craziest part of a fairly mad city, so an essential for sight seeing.)

[StonedSince67]

Popping my cherry with my first trip to Amsterdam

welcome to the forum

i just want to double-check that you have read the document How not to get hit by a bike from the excellent S G Collins website recommended by FlyByNite

if you have already read the document, then thanks, but if not, then please please read before you arrive to ensure your safety in amsterdam traffic, and thanks

have a great trip ...

[Oxcasual]

Popping my cherry with my first trip to Amsterdam. Looking for some divine wisdom from those who've experienced the best of the best Amsterdam has to offer.

Only in town for a 24 hours looking to visit a couple coffee shops for amazing weed, hash and atmosphere, along with must see sights.

On coffee shop atmosphere req. - knowledgeable staff, comfortable seating to chill/be social, cool tunes (no-techno or country) & people watching. I've read Barney's, The Green House (Centrum), & Dedambkring are must sees. True? Where else?

On product req. - best of the best and willing to pay few extra Euros. Not sure when I'll get back so go big or go home is my thinking.

On Sightseeing req - stroll through the Red Light District is already on the agenda, any other recommendations? Is the Bananenbar or Casa Rosso worth it or a waste of $$$? Bar/Pub reco's?

Appreciate the wisdom - BooDog out!!!

Just walk about and get lost, see where you end up. Go with the flow. Get a feel for Amsterdam. You will soon find places you like or dislike. You can cover all the areas you need to see for a brief first visit on foot from where you are staying.