People who live in or frequent Amsterdam?

[ttDavies]

I want to take a trip to Europe this summer, Amsterdam is one of the main places I really want to see because from what I hear it is an incredibly culture rich city, and city much like mine, Portland, OR. As in a liberal kind of relaxed place to go. I do not want to be doing the touristy stuff at any point in my trip. Why do I want to go somewhere to be around a bunch of ingorant Americans? I want to get away from all the people here, so I do not want to do the touristy stuff with the other people from America. I just really want to experience the local culture and meet the people and just really relax and enjoy the city. I have read online that in July there are tons of tourists, and that many businesses close because many locals are on vacation. Will going in July make the locals more likely to assume I am just some dumb American going to treat their country like a zoo? Will traveling in July still give me the chance to experience the country like I would like to?Thanks a ton

[tttt]

Amsterdam has tourists round the year, but indeed in July and August there are even more.Best place to meet Amsterdammers, (the locals,) is to go out of the old center of town, and visit a corner Cafe in one of the working class areas (but they are becoming less working class all the time.)A good place to start it the area just outside the ring of canals. When you look at the map it does make sense.Zoom out twice on this map and you see the canals making a half circle, just outside that area you will only find tourists near the museums.http://www.amsterdam.info/map/If you are open to meet people, you will find the people open to meet you.Most businesses in the Netherlands do not close altogether, except for the building trade, but families with children do take their main holidays in July and August, as all schools will be closed then.That leaves the bachelors to run the companies and they are much more likely to go to the cafe at night, as well as the many that do not go on holiday at all.If you want things to do during the day, why not leave the town and see some of the rest of the Netherlands, or try out all obscure museums you find in this listing:http://www.amsterdam.info/museums/Most Americans do not get beyond Anne Franks house and the van Gogh museum, so avoid those and you will find the people who really like to see the Netherlands or even just Dutch people.