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Amsterdam is a beautiful, exciting city. I can't think of any travel destination which can better accommodate a wider variety of interests. In Amsterdam, the people seem to be direct and assertive but also very progressive and open-minded. They're similar to the people of New York City, but without a lot of those silly little laws.
Once, while I was waiting at a tram stop, a lady walked up to me and mumbled something in Dutch. Since I was holding a joint in my hand at the time, and she was jesturing towards it, I handed it to her. She took a hit, smiled, handed it back to me and walked away.
Unfortunately, theft seems to be fairly common in Amsterdam. Yushi and I were waiting at a tram stop once, and were distracted long enough for someone to steal Yushi's briefcase. This briefcase happened to contain Yushi's passport, credit cards, laptop computer, as well as our tickets to return to Paris the next day. We had to go to the Japanese embassy in Den Haag to get a replacement passport. Fortunately, It caused me to be stuck in Amsterdam for my birthday.
My favorite part of Amsterdam is Warmoesstraat. This is the "red light" district where you can find a large concentration of the infamous coffeeshops / brown cafes. The one that I visited most frequently is Greenhouse Effect. They usually have a D.J. on the weekends, or whenever else they feel like it.
If you happen to have an interest in such things, the gay clubs in Amsterdam take the concept of a meat market to an extreme. All of the gay bars that I went to had "darkrooms" which are group play rooms without lights.
Utrecht rivals Amsterdam with its simple beauty. In the center of the city there is a small canal which is accessed by stairs, leading three meters down from the cobblestone streets above. On either side of this quiet canal, you can find back entrances to shops and restaurants, often with small sidewalk cafés right next to the canal. At night, the canal is frequently covered with a thin mist, giving it an almost surreal appearance.
Utrecht is also a university city; I frequently encountered young people bicycling along the cobblestone streets or relaxing in the numerous coffeeshops. In the Dutch cities I visited, the coffeeshops frequently have rugs covering the tables. In the wintertime, this adds to the warmth of the decor and the people.
The Hague / Den Haag is not nearly as exciting as the other cities. It's the capitol city of The Netherlands, full of embassies and government buildings. I didn't really find anything interesting to do in Den Haag.
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