So, I've only been there twice. But both times I've been to Amsterdam recently, I've felt like I'm on a university campus. It starts with me thinking, oh, I must be in the college part of the city. But then I realize that I'm not and the city itself just reminds me of a college campus. And I think that's a compliment. I mean, college campuses are designed to be beautiful and inviting, with lots of grandiose buildings and places to walk, ride, and lounge. So maybe it's the ultimate compliment that I'm bestowing on Amsterdam. Because it is beautiful and inviting... and somehow just feels so quaint.
That said, I'm not quite in love with it yet.... but I also don't know it well enough. I'm a little nervous because I wasn't hit with the rush of excitement at the possibility of living there right away as I have been with so many cities--SF, Brussels... (There's this feeling I get when I first explore a city that I would like to live in. I imagine myself there immediately, start getting excited about finding my haunts, etc. But all of this really happens in microseconds... it really is a quick generalized feeling of excitement that this new place is going to be my HOME.) But everyone keeps telling me how amazing Amsterdam is--and I know it is! If I move there, I know I will find my stride and fall in love with it. But, well, I'm not there yet--literally and figuratively.
Anyway... all of the below align with my college campus comparison. At first I thought it was just the bikes, but it's everything!
OK, this one's not fair. It looks like the picture of a frathouse lawn on a Saturday morning.
