Oh gosh - I can't say enough good things about this place!! I really lucked out that my company…read moreused this Center's services, as my registration was done in one shot and super quickly too! Note that appointments are definitely the way to go, but I've also done a walk-in and the staff at reception are wonderfully nice and helpful - in fact every time I have gone, the folks I encountered went out of their way to help! On my first visit, the bloke had no issues with taking a couple of photos of me for my ID card, until I was happy with how I looked. When my appointment was over, they gave me a goodie bag filled with useful information re learning Dutch, finding housing, a key chain, a rubber ducky and also a bicycle seat cover! These red bags are also just hanging at the door entrance and so you can grab one if not given. There's also a lot of great pamphlets and useful information in the shelves so definitely come and check this great resource out when moving to the Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular!! Yelp 190/ 2018

The expat center is a wonderful way to make your transfer to the Netherlands run smoothly. These…read moreexpat centers in the Netherlands provides a lot of great information and resources in order to get a better understanding of your community! I always try to stop through, so that I can stay up to date with the expat community. Although yelp is my favorite website! I would say the expat center is the next best way to get a good insight of the Netherlands for expats. I love the book that I got from their last event."Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson, " A great book worth reading! Expat Center provides information and Services: *Housing * Immigration and Labor Law (Lawyers) *International schools *Healthcare *Taxes * Expat organizations * Moving and Shipping * Culture shock training *Language Courses

As we were walking around Amsterdam, we came across the Homomonument, the first monument in the…read moreworld commemorating gay men and women who were killed by the Nazis due to their sexual orientation. The monument was designed by artist Karin Daan and unveiled on September 5, 1987. The memorial is composed of three pink granite triangles laid in the ground, and each triangle forms the point of a larger triangle. Each point of the triangle is symbolic -- one points towards the National Monument in Dam Square, one points towards the Anne Frank House, and one points towards COC Amsterdam, a Dutch LGBTQ+ rights group founded in 1946. While I love what the monument represents, if it weren't for the sign, I probably wouldn't even have known that I was walking over a monument. The only way to see the entire memorial is from above, but from the ground, you can't see the entire memorial at once or get a good photo. If walking by, stop and take a look, but I would not go out of my way to see it. [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Monuments, Memorials, and Historical Markers]

It's not particularly memorable, so it's not worth going out of your way to visit. While the…read moresentiment behind it is meaningful, it's simply a modest sign with a few flowers placed on some steps as a tribute to the LGBTQ+ community, located near the Westerkerk. That said, it's a thoughtful and photogenic stop if you happen to pass by during your walk.

After living in a few cities and having to deal with nuances like drivers' licenses and other…read morepermits you tend to develop a disdain for all bureaucratic divisions of local governance. But, this is a different kind of place. Even though the Dutch are famous for their slow bureaucracy, the city hall for central Amsterdam tries its best to make it an enjoyable experience. First off, it's a really nice building, very accessible from all sorts of public transport. They even used to have a post office inside until a couple years ago. They have a photo studio for those last minute photos and certain other interesting offices that I haven't seen. Inside the reception hall, you line up to explain why you're there and get a ticket to await your turn at one of the many booths and counters. If you're with kids, there are small televisions playing cartoons with Dutch voiceovers. The furniture was recently revamped and now is more contemporary, almost like a modern airport. The staff is mostly friendly and courteous. They even speak in fluent english to help support all the expats living in the center of the city. You can pay on the spot for services using your pin card. The center has really good hours, and is actually open until later on Thursdays. All in all, this is a really good model of what modern citizen services should be like.

I love this city hall. If you have to do bureaucratic bullsh*t, then this is the place to do it. :)…read more It lacks the large expanses of marble and lacquered wood of my hometown Chicago's City Hall (as featured in the Blues Brother's movie!), but what it lacks in Steven Spielberg cameos, it makes up for in speed and efficiency. My best tip for increasing your speed and efficiency here is to come with a baby. Any size will do. As long as you come with a baby, then when you go to the room at the end of the hall to state your purpose and take a number, you'll be put at the head of the queue. No waiting! And when you're done visiting with a civil servant, you can head outside to the Waterlooplein market and buy some gyros or loempias or frites, and get yourself an Amsterdam t-shirt or sparkly bag from the market vendors. Plus this place has bathrooms, if you ask the Portiers positioned on either end of the building where to go. I got lucky and my baby strapped to my chest prompted one of them to take pity on me and give me a free token to the handicapped bathroom, so I could more easily take my child along without having to cramp into a tiny bathroom. Plus plus, this place has an opera house and subway station attached to it, and I don't think you can ask for anything more than that.

So when living in Amsterdam, it is a fact of life that you have to register with the local…read moreauthorities. I was directed to this office as it's located closest to the area of Amsterdam that I live in. Getting here was a hoot thanks to the excellent public transportation system and then the building itself was super easy to find as just look for the city's flag (three big black XXX against a red background). Once walked in, there's two self service kiosks - everything is written in both Dutch & English, so then just grab a number and sit on the comfy couches until you get called up to either a orange, green or blue counter. Everyone speaks English and so it's just super easy to get registered and best of all, this place is open from 8am in the morning till 8 pm at night, 5 days a week (closed on weekends) and so just super convenient to stop by! Def 5 stars compared to the Belgium experience! Yelp 232/ 2018

Everybody who lives in this part of the city at some point needs to go here to get some official…read moredocument (passport, ID, Proof of residency, etc) at some point. During all my visits the people working here have always been very friendly and helpful. There can be a wait if you just walk in, but there is the possibility of making an appointment online. I don't mind the wait because the people here really take their time to HELP you. At one point I had some difficulty getting some documents fixed between Amsterdam and a particular southern German city and the guy helping me suggested a different approach and that really helped. It always helps to be prepared when you need some documents so before you go check if you have everything you need and meet all the criteria, they people at the reception will ask you this question too, saves you a trip if it turns out you need a particular piece of paper in order to get another one (-;

This is one of many centrally located squares in Amsterdam, a touristy area with many restaurants,…read morebars and some entertainment options, and one of the less significant transit hubs in the city. You can reach it via metro to Leidseplein or various tram and bus lines. Surrounding the square notably are: the Heineken Grand Cafe, the Hirshgebauw (a historic landmark building with shops and offices including an Apple Store), the Amsterdam International Theater, the Diamond Hotel with clear glass facade over the front of the building, and Albert Heijn grocery store. Close by within a couple blocks are Pathé City cinema, the Holland Casino and Hard Rock Cafe. Worth walking or transiting thru and stopping for a look at the memorial sculpture in the center of two hand s touching, called "Against All Currents" a tribute honoring late investigative crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, who reported and contributed to evidence on several very high profile international crimes, including the Natalee Holloway case.

Leidseplein is where I first began my discovery of Amsterdam. I stayed at the Marriott and because…read moreof its central location, the shops, restaurants and Vondelpark, it's a favorite location. I deducted a star because some of the restaurants are very touristy, which is okay, but anytime someone is standing out front trying to lure you inside its a place for me to skip. But this is the best place stay as visitor in Amsterdam in my opinion. I can write for hours about where to go from here, but that is your adventure to learn next time.

Museumplein ("Museum Square") is the public area located by the Concertgebouw concert hall and…read morethree major museums -- the Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Stedelijk Museum. Near transit, shops, and restaurants, Museumplein is a nice place to go for a walk or eat lunch on a nice day. I particularly enjoyed the beautiful tulips in the planter -- cheaper than Keukenhof! [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Amsterdam, the Netherlands]

Great space for catching some sunshine or meeting friends. From the concert house to the…read moreRijksmuseum with the Van Gogh on the side. Also a big Albert Heijn at the Concert Hall end. The US consulate is also located to the far end of the plein. For those of you who read this far, "plein" roughly means "square" in Dutch.

Wow! So much more than I expected. Tour is about 75 minutes. The stonework is, hands down, the…read moremost impressive I've ever seen. Absolutely incredible and worth every penny of the 13.50 euro entrance fee. It was pretty busy and the tour was a little confusing, but don't let that keep you away.

I started my Amsterdam trip with a tour of Koninklijk Paleis. The Palace is located in Dam Square…read more Tickets are €12,50 and I was able to walk up and purchase a ticket at the main entrance. They have a free coat check which was useful. I did the self guided audio tour and I think I spent about 1.5-2 hours. The palace was built in the 17th century and it initially served as the town hall until Louis Napoleon claimed it as his palace. Now it's used for state visits. The palace is one of three residences of the royal family, however their primary residence is in The Hague. The architecture is beautiful. I really enjoyed Citizen's Hall. The self guided tour focused on the art and architecture while giving a history of past monarchs. It was kind of crazy walking through a room where executions were once carried out. I would have liked more information about the current royal family (King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima). I learned on a different tour that he is a pilot and occasionally flies for KLM. I didn't enjoy this tour as much as I thought I would. If you're short on time, I would recommend skipping the Palace.