Nightlife in Amsterdam, like an Indonesian rijsttafel, is a bit of this and a bit of that. The cultural calendar is full, but not jammed. There's a strong jazz scene, good music clubs, and enjoyable English-language shows at the little cabarets and theaters along the canals. The club and bar scene can be entertaining if not outrageous; the dance clubs may indeed seem quiet and small to anyone used to the flash of clubs in New York City, Los Angeles, or London. However, the brown cafes -- the typical Amsterdam pubs -- have never been better. And there are always the movies: You can watch first-run U.S. blockbuster hits with their English soundtracks intact.
As you go around, look up to admire the elegant gables (illuminated from 30 min. after sundown until 11:30pm) or look down to see the street lamps' flickering reflections on the on the canals. The evening hours are a magic time in Amsterdam; if nothing else has yet, a sparkling ripple on the water can make you fall hopelessly in love with the city.
Hot and cool at the same time, Leidseplein is the center of Amsterdam's nightlife, with some of the city's most popular restaurants, bars, and nightspots all within dancing distance of each other around the square. Leidseplein never really closes, so you can greet the dawn and start again. Rembrandtplein is a brash and brassy square that really comes alive at night, when it's awash with neon. Although it has a more downscale reputation than Leidseplein, this area often seems even more intent on having fun, and there are enough hip, sophisticated places to go around. These two areas are connected by Reguliersdwarsstraat, which has some good cafes, including a few gay ones, and also several fine clubs and restaurants. The Rosse Buurt (Red Light District) serves up its own unique brand of nightlife, and adjoining this is Nieuwmarkt, which has become a popular, if somewhat alternative, hangout.
Your best source of information for nightlife and cultural events is Amsterdam Day by Day, the VVV Tourist Office's monthly program guide in English, which costs 1.50€ ($1.90). It provides a complete cultural guide to Amsterdam, with listings for concerts and recitals, theater, cabaret, opera, dance performances, rock concerts, art films, film festivals, special museum and art gallery exhibitions, and lots more. Many hotels have copies available for guests, in some cases for free, or you can get one at the VVV offices. There's also the free monthly listings magazine De Uitkrant, in Dutch, which you can pick up at many performance venues, and What's Up!, a free fold-up weekly guide in English that's available from many hotels.
Tickets
If you want to attend any of Amsterdam's theatrical or musical events (including rock concerts), make it your first task on arrival to get tickets. Amsterdam Uit Buro (AUB) Ticketshop, Leidseplein 26 (tel. 0900/0191 or 020/621-1288; www.aub.nl; tram 1, 2, 5, 7, or 10) can reserve tickets for almost every venue in town, for a reservations charge of 2€ ($2.50) per ticket when you buy at its office, 2.50€ ($3.15) when you buy online, and 3€ ($3.75) when you buy by phone. Using this service instead of chasing down tickets on your own can save you precious hours. The office is open Monday to Wednesday and Saturday from 10am to 6pm, Thursday from 10am to 9pm, and Sunday from noon to 6pm. You can purchase tickets with a credit card by phone daily from 9am to 9pm, and online at any time. AUB publishes the free monthly magazine Uitkrant (it's in Dutch, but it isn't difficult to understand the listings information). The VVV Amsterdam tourist information office can also reserve performance tickets, and charges 2.50€ ($3.15) for the service. Most upmarket and many mid-level hotels will reserve tickets as well; ask at the concierge desk.
That's the Ticket for Youth -- If you're interested in cultural events and are under age 26, go by the Amsterdam Uit Buro to pick up a 15€ ($19) CJP (Cultural Youth Pass). This pass grants free or reduced admission to most museums and discounts on many cultural events. For more information, go to www.cjp.nl.
