Will Probably Impact On Mammoliti's Plans For Toronto Islands...

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Amsterdam: an end to the red light district?

It may not spell the immediate demise of the louche British stag weekend in Amsterdam, but the Dutch capital has decided to crack down on the brothels and cannabis shops of its infamous red light district.A ten-year scheme, known as Project 1012 for the city postcode containing the red light district, kicked off in 2008 with the aim of making substantial cuts to the number of window brothels and drugs shops. But it's only now that the city is beginning to see some tangible results.200 of a total of 480 window brothels are slated to go. The city has managed to close down half of these; a zoning and compulsory purchase plan will be drawn up to tackle the next 100. Of the 76 cannabis shops in the area (usually known as "coffeeshops"), 26 will close their doors.There is a feeling in Amsterdam that the City Council is finally determined to get to grips with a burgeoning sex, drugs and money laundering industry in the red light district increasingly controlled by eastern European mafias, particularly from Bulgaria and the Ukraine.With the encouragement of the authorities, in recent months reputable entrepreneurs have started to invest in the area. Warmoesstraat, traditionally a sleazy district, now boasts a deli, florist and baker.Meanwhile, ordinary Amsterdammers have been shocked by an upsurge in cases of human trafficking of girls for the sex industry. There is a strong sense in the city the exploitative reality of the red light district has little to do with traditional Dutch tolerance."There had been warning signs starting in the 1990s that organised crime was basically using the area as its living room," says Lodewijk Asscher, deputy mayor of Amsterdam and the head of Project 1012."Amsterdam has always been a free and tolerant city, but we want to place more emphasis on museums and culture. We want to attract more families and encourage visitors to spend an extra night here."The vast majority of tourists spend no more than two nights in the city. Many stag parties – known locally as "vertical" tourists – contribute little to the city's formal economy.In the very heart of medieval Amsterdam, the red light district also feels like a missed opportunity. Its canals, particularly the parallel Oudezijds Voorburgwal and Achterburgwal, are flanked by some beautiful seventeenth-century townhouses. And in spite of the sex and drugs industry, they have not suffered from rampant commercialism to the same degree as nearby Damrak which – with its amusement arcades, fast food joints and exchange booths – presents a poor first impression to a visitor stepping off a train at Centraal Station.A good example of change in the red light district is the square around the thirteenth-century Oude Kerk, the city's oldest church, which was the venue for The International Organ Festival that finished in September.The Oude Kerk is ringed by brothel windows and a cannabis shop and, since April, a new and surprising arrival: the 106-cover Anna restaurant (www.restaurantanna.nl/en), which serves dishes such as truffle risotto and sautéed monkfish in a sleek, minimalist setting.Its owner, local entrepreneur and former DJ Michiel Kleiss says that he likes the "edge" of the red light district but feels the area "could do with a better mix"."Gentrifying the red light district is not the intention," says Kleiss. "But things have got out of hand. The British should be welcome here in the neighbourhood to have a drink, but stag parties are not only tacky and sometimes overwhelming, they are also a waste of a great medieval city.

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I NEVER Thought I Would Say This...

...but I support Atwood when it comes to library closings but in retrospect I am part of the problem by making an emotional decision rather than a fiscal one. I personally do not use libraries but go into your local branch and you will see seniors, mothers with small children, recent arrivals to the country, teenagers doing their homework, etc. etc.

Something I have Been Advocating For Years Plus...

News

Mandel: Cyclists need a licence to ride
 
* insurance
* annual renewals
* parking restrictions
* compliance with acohol restrictions.

Do you think police prosecute bad cycists as they do bad motorists?


22% Yes  117 votes

77% No 412 votes

A Party Is A Party Is A Party...

Pace of Pride’s expansion results in growing pains

...and that is the main draw to a parade and imho it has little to do with supporting a "cause" and I think it is just an extension of a major attraction at old time carnivals the "freak show" but society has evolved to the point that this phenonoma has been embraced by the worldd outside the carnival grounds. If Pride is experiencing fiscal problems and government grants (handouts from public purse) don't solve these problems they have to reduce their costs or generate income by possibly moving the parade to a venue that can be controlled and where admission can be charged or just simply pass the hat around among the attendees.

Keep The Vehicle Tax...

...but pass legislation/bylaws that would mandate the licencing of cyclists and their vehicles plus extend the HTA items related to safety, insurance and consumption of alcohol to cyclists.

Killing tax will cost city $64 million

Marking the new year by axing the personal vehicle tax will leave Toronto taxpayers with a $64-million hangover.

A Less Than Encouraging Response...

Your Children, Grandchildren, Etc. Will Be Members Also

Get ready for Generation T

We're largely familiar with Generation X and Generation Y. But perhaps it is time to brace for the emergence of another generation in the United States...

OMG, how obsolete am I?

The problem with trying to sound like you're still with it is that you're bound to make an idiot of yourself

Save Seats For The Comrade Millers And Dultoon McGoontys

Ontario schools to teach financial literacy

As of 2011, students from grade four to 12 will learn how to manage money under the Ontario government's new integrated school curriculum Nov 02, 2009