Red Light District

The lights of the "RED LIGHT DISTRICT" of Amsterdam glow against the river.  It is raining... which I think means that God is crying.

No place, other than perhaps Las Vegas, is more associated with "XXX" than the Red Light District in Amsterdam.  It might be no coincidence that the city flag for Amsterdam itself is also 3 X's... further proof that such an atmosphere runs consistently through the city.

However, we have learned that many things in Europe are not always what they seem, so in the name of "sociological exploration of Europe," we decided to take a walk through the area to see what really goes down... 

Christie wondering what the heck is going on.

The first thing that struck us is how normal the area seems.  In fact, beautiful canals run through the 6 block district giving the whole thing a sort of surreal feel.  There is no dividing line or boundary that says "RED LIGHT DISTRICT" - the only indication is merely the red lights above windows that signify that a woman is 'working' there.  Oh yes... and the large number of "coffee bars" serving pretty much anything EXCEPT cappuccino's that fill the area.  And this is where any resemblance of NORMAL ends.

Since the 1200s, prostitutes have worked in this area, and the modern day incarnation includes numerous of shady clubs, stores, and of course, real prostitutes working the windows.  The trade is completely legal in Holland, and the women working actually rent out the "windows" for 8 hour shifts.  Most of the women are foreign - Eastern Europeans, Asians, and various other ethnic groups.  When a drape is pulled, that means it is occupied.  

Typical alley leading to a line of Red Windows...

An American we spoke with, who had taken a guided tour of the area earlier in the day, told us that the prostitutes working the area are actually in some sort of union... which stipulates that they must always charge $50 for whatever service they provide.  The typical visit is less that 20 minutes... and the winner of the night was an Italian (Go Italy!) working across the street from the place we stopped, who went through 3 guys in a little less that half an hour. 

... and the typical crowds that gather.

After our short walk through the area, we left with a very weird feeling for all that is going on there... and marvel that such a thing is still legal in this day and age.  However, on the flip side it is interesting how clean the entire area was and that we felt completely safe walking down the streets there - perhaps proof of what happens if you legalize something, making it operate in the open, it can actually become much safer and controlled.  Morality issues aside, it is definitely an interesting argument. 

Rumors are going around that the Red Light District in Amsterdam may be shut down within the next few years.

J. Twice