Amsterdam is full
It surprises me that people all over the world are not aware of the fact that Amsterdam is full. I was on a train on my way back from the Hague recently (yes, I do occasionally leave Amsterdam) and there was an announcement: “If you don’t live in Amsterdam, why are you going there? There’s plenty of other places to visit in the Netherlands that want your money, for example, Hoofddorp. It’s just as exciting as Amsterdam and lekker goedkoop!”
Ok, that didn’t happen, but perhaps it should. I live in Amsterdam and can tell you that unless you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, or have plenty of money to burn, Amsterdam has become a city for high earners only. Even the middle classes struggle to find affordable places to live here. So I was surprised to see that the city of Amsterdam’s marketing organisation, IAmsterdam are running promotions to attract International students. Gadverdamme!
Have you ever considered studying in #Amsterdam? 🎓 Whether you’re interested in 👗 , 🎼 or 🔬, you can learn about it at one of the city’s many schools and universities: https://t.co/pRJrYOsTES pic.twitter.com/j8pTNvSrXz
— I amsterdam (@Iamsterdam) November 4, 2019
Amsterdam is full try somewhere else
As you can imagine, the tweet from Iamsterdam led to some hilarious responses.
Don’t forget, there are plenty of places to live in #Amsterdam at affordable rates. pic.twitter.com/rQgUhUn8ZR
— ɹnnɥɔ§chuur (@Schuurzaam) November 5, 2019
Learning on the garbagebelt. @Iamsterdam used the wrong picture. Informing poor students wrong. The right picture are of the same area. pic.twitter.com/qg9tR3cYCG
— Erik van Zwam (@evanzwam) November 4, 2019
What is going on at Iamsterdam?
The last thing that the city needs right now is even more international students. Especially considering the well-known difficulties that students, whether they’re Dutch or internationals, have with finding accommodation. But of course, with all the NO KUT INTERNATIONALS room ads that one sees on social media, it’s even more difficult for foreigners to find places to live. So why add to the known problems by trying to entice even more students to move here? Ik begrijp het niet! What’s behind this?
- Incompetence
- Maliciousness
- Naivety
Or all of above? Or are the team at Iamsterdam simply completely out of touch with the harsh realities of their own city? I’m not sure if they’re spending too much time at De Blauwe Engel and some of the other quality establishments in the Zuidas area of Amsterdam, but international students in Amsterdam are as welcome as anti-Zwarte Piet protestors in Friesland. Don’t do it!
