Anyone live or ever lived in Amsterdam?

[oiseau]

DH has been offered a job over there and other than spending a weekend over there a few years ago I really know nothing about the place.

We currently live in London and I work part time so moving over there would mean giving up work for me (which I am pleased about!). But things we need to consider are - what sort of rent we would be looking at for a 3 bed place in a reasonably decent area? what is cost of living like compared to london?

The other main thing I am concerned about is will I be able to occupy myself and DS (17mths) adequately and meet english speaking friends? and do I need to learn dutch?

any help hugely appreciated.

I AM SO JEALOUS!!!!!

I hope your dh didn't get the job there my dh got turned down for

Dh is Dutch, so we spend quite a bit of time visiting friends and family. No, you don't need to learn Dutch. Yes, you'll make plenty of English speaking friends. It's going to be A LOT cheaper than London. (But I don't know the cost of the 3-bed place.) And I think you're likely to love it!

I think ghosty used to live in Holland. And there's at least one other poster (I think Oxocube is one) who lives there currently. With some luck this thread will catch their attention and they might be able to help out.

Thanks expatkat - we are pretty excited.

DH is in advertising?

We lived in Amsterdam for three years and returned about a year ago.

It is perfectly possible to speak only English, almost EVERYONE you will ever meet will speak English to you, from the postman to the person weighing your vegetables. Having said that, if you live there for a while, you will probably start to get comments from Dutch people about not speaking the language so it doesn't hurt to make an effort. Our sons went to school there (in Dutch) so I really did have to make the effort.

There are loads of English speakers there and lots for mums and tots to do. There is a big British society which has a mums and toddlers group. Don't have a website address for them but if you check on elynx.nl that is a sort of classifieds site in English where they always seemed to be advertising. There is also a website called expatica.com which has a mountain of information and good discussion boards on all kinds of subjects.

Accommodation should generally be cheaper but Amsterda is quite densely populated so do not expect huge amounts of space and gardens can be quite tiny. However, there are loads of parks and lots of FREE stuff for kids to do - farms, museums etc.

I think you'll have a great time. As I am supposed to be doing the ironing, loading the dishwasher and trying to have a bath, must get of the PC but use CAT if you would like any more info from me.

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Yorkiegirl, your food rhapsody reminds me:

Does anyone know where you can get "bescuit" i.e. "Dutch Crispbakes" here in the UK? You used to be able to get them from Waitrose and Tesco, but it seems that both have discontinued them. My kids love them with hagelslag.

(Sorry for the hijack, Oiseau, and no, my dh is not in advertising, so you guys are off the hook )

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Saw some beschuit in Morrisons last week so they are obviously not unknown. Have never seen hagelslag here though - which my kids also loved - so presumably Expatkat you are bringing it back from NL?

Yes, annh--loads of it. And pindekaas & lots more. We don't bring back beschuit, though, 'cause it doesn't travel well.

If any of you are Londoners, did you know that every year, in November I think it is, there's a Dutch market in a (Dutch) church in the City right near the Bank of England? You can get all this stuff that we're sitting here dreaming about. I'll try to get the details if anyone's interested.

thanks for all this info Yorkiegirl, annh and expatkat. Totally agree about making an effort to learn the language - so will look into that.

We are off on a "familiarisation" visit this weekend so will look out for all these goodies! Any orders?

O

Where can you buy stroopmafels in the UK????????

I always said that when we've finished doing all the other things we want to do, I'd start a business exporting stroopwafels from Holland, they are the best kept secret in the world.

By the way, hagelslag is just chocolate hundreds and thousands, so you can get it in small quantities at the cake decorating shelf of Tescos etc. (of course they don't have plain chocolate, and white chocolate....)

that was stroopwafels obviously (must learn tp preview...

Expatkat, I would love if you could get some details of the Dutch market in the City as dh works very close to Bank of England and that would be a great time to get some Christmas goodies!

Steppemum: don't they have stroopwafels in Starbucks? I don't tend to go to Starbucks v. often, but I seem to remember they stock them.

Annh: I contacted my Dutch teacher about the market, but he's not sure when it is exactly, only that it's in November. Watch this thread, and I'll post the details as soon as I know anything more.

oiseau: have a fab weekend in Amsterdam. If you go to a pub, have a pils and some kaas (oude or jonge) and some bitterballen (if yr not a veggie). Other suggestions are frites met mayonnaise, bitterkoekjes, hering on a sandwich from the market stalls with onions & the works, andwellI could go on and on. . .Enjoy!

Sorry this thread hasn't attracted more Amsterdamers.

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I miss bitterballen/vleescroquetten most. Other things are sent to me by family (like drop,hagelslag, nasi goreng spices, ontbijtkoek, soon time for pepernoten, taai-taai).
Saw beschuit recently at Tesco, after a long time..
Sorry, don't know A'dam very well.

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we always get a parcel of peppernoten, kruidnoten and chocolate letters for Sinta Klaus. But you just can't post vla, and we all miss it (my mouths watering just thinking about it!)

I must try Starbucks, I never go in because I don't drink coffee, but if they have stroopwafels...