Letter to City Council Amsterdam_Geredigeerd.pdf

13 August 2020 Dear Gemeente Amsterdam, I have been wanting to write to you regarding tourism here in the city I now call home. I thank you sincerely for your time allowing me to write this letter in English. I relocated to Amsterdam from Paris in February this year. In fact my arrival was timely as I settled just before Covid-19 and the new normal living with it as the height of the pandemic set in. I live at Brouwersgracht 11 just above Siberie coffeeshop. While I knew living above a coffeeshop would present some particularities, I could not anticipate what I would witness firsthand over the last several months. Life during the height of this crisis, specifically the months of March, April and May, while challenging showed just how beautiful Amsterdam could be. This wonderful city was handed over to the residents who lived here and we didn’t take it for granted. I watched as the community I lived in took care of our neighbourhood, brought their tables and chairs out canal side for meals, and treated each other with kindness and respect. I witnessed the community even cleaning things up on the street, but mind you it was quite tidy as the people who live here really care. Ironically, Amsterdam was never more beautiful and peaceful during the height of the crisis.

Since the NL had opened up fully the beginning of July things have sadly changed and I have watched the block I live on become trashed by tourism. I personally have nothing against coffeeshops or marijuana, it in fact brings a lot of relief to a lot people and no doubt generates a lot of revenue for the city of Amsterdam. What I wasn’t prepared for was how visitors disrespect our beautiful city. On my block specifically, the south side of the Brouwersgracht between the Single and Herengracht, it has become a garbage dump for cannabis smokers and party tourism. It is at its worst obviously on the weekend, between Friday and Monday when most tourists head to Amsterdam to enjoy freedoms they do not have in the rest of Europe. I realise this is a free country, and people should be allowed of course to sit canal-side and enjoy this picturesque part of Amsterdam, but when their only objective is to smoke and drink and leave a carpet of cigarette and joint butts, as well as cans, plastic bottles, alcohol bottles, food wrappers and discard food itself, I cannot help but feel such disappointment and anger at their actions. Unfortunately, we know we cannot rely on the general public to be respectful but when the police and the Gemeente do absolutely nothing to deter this or enforce some semblance of basic respect for residents and this city I feel even more frustration.

Coffeeshop Siberie is a business and they should be allowed to prosper and conduct their business with freedom. They also can not completely be responsible for their customers actions outside of the coffeeshop. But when the majority of those trashing this city block are coming in and out of their coffeeshop buying their merchandise and patronising their business I wonder why they do not take more action as a member of this community. Almost all other coffeeshops in the city kindly ask their patrons to respect the neighbours living above, next to and around their establishments. I question whether Siberie really cares about our neighborhood. The front of the Brouwersgracht is a part of their environment as well as ours. I have even been treated aggressively by their customers and tourists standing in front and seated at my doorway having to move out of my way so I can exit my building. Is this something we should have to put up with?

So, I am not sure what kind of influence this letter will have and I am not sure I will ever see the city council or those that enforce the law step up to help clean up the way tourists disrespect and trash our beautiful city, but I thought it was worth reaching out to you. It is in your hands Amsterdam. Please do something. Sincerely,