Amsterdam plans to close down its most famous district, citing sleaze, criminal activity and human trafficking. Not everybody is happy about it.
Comment: by trance guitarist ingie bingie holleywood
if anything the red light should spread more , not shrivel up!
the council took a vote "porno tourism sucks" ja or naye.
Comment: Your "red herrings" number in the millions and the profit pulled in off others suffering runs in the billions now. There's no freedom in that -or humanity. I guess it's safe to assume the services available through your website may include those red herrings.
Comment: Its time for people that are pro sex to stand up and make foolish the buzzwords of the moralists. "Forced Prostitution , "Crime" and the like are just red herrings. There can be humanity and free and open sexuality. IF those among us that enjoy that freedom stand up for it
Comment: I think Amsterdam is a great city also without the red light district. You can see my video`s about how beatiful Amsterdam is at www.go2c-amsterdam.tv
Comment: I think Amsterdam is a great city also without the red light district. You can see my video`s about how beatiful Amsterdam is at www.go2c-amsterdam.tv
Comment: Thank God.
Comment: People who indulge in prostitution will tell themselves what they feel they have to in order to justify what they have done, do, or want to do. Nothing more than excuses to keep from feeling guilty. For those who don't know any better, organized crime in Amsterdam is nothing new. Pimping and trafficking is nothing new. Freedom is the wrong word to associate with prostitution. In many cases, prostitution is the wrong word to describe the selling of sexual services because prostitution indicates a choice. With most women in the sex industry, there is no choice. And even if there is initially, it isn't long before the willing become victims as well. Work in a shelter for survivors of violence or a womens assistance organization and you'll learn all about it real quick. The rumors tourists hear from locals come from their media. And guess what.... they are documented cases, not rumors. Have any doubts, about foreign women there? Have a local take you through the RLD and point out the Dutch women if you can't tell yourself. The black, dark skinned, and those with Slavic accents just may not be as Dutch as some wish to believe. True fans of freedom would take action to ensure that all people are free rather than use it as an excuse to abuse it. Creating demand for a shady industry isn't going to help anyone. You're part of the solution, or part of the problem. Unfortunately, it is not likely the entire RLD will be shut down. A smaller area would certainly help make things easier for social service officers and police to monitor and control things though. Again, there is far more to human trafficking than what most people think they know. What I've posted doesn't even scratch the surface.
Comment: Amsterdam without a Red Light District. I don't see it happening anytime soon.I'm sure the country knows that tourism will greatly be effected,if the RLD ever closed down,but I'll give the authorities credit for cracking down on organized crime.Geert Wilders is probaly right about the Turks and Moroccans "trafficking" women into forced prostitution,because I heard similar stories and rumors by the locals a few months ago.But,then again those are just rumors.Approximately,two years ago during the summer the RLD was packed shoulder to shoulder and thriving with business.This last December I saw the opposite from the previous year and found most of the available windows literally empty.The point being is I would hate to see something better than a strip club slowly come to a stand still and the oldest proffession that started in Amsterdam during 15th century be forgotten,because "criminals"ruined it for everyone.In closing,I respect women working behind the windows and the true freedom that exists in the Netherlands.dutch071606@yahoo.com
Comment: Amsterdam without a Red Light District.I don't see it happening anytime soon.I'm sure the politicians are all aware that tourism will be effected,but I will give them credit for cleaning up the organized crime that's occuring.Geert Wilders is probally right about the Turks and Moroccans "trafficking" women from other countries,because I've heard similar stories during my stay a few months ago.But,then again those were just stories and rumors from the locals.All I know is two years ago during the summer the RLD was packed at night and last December many of the windows not bought out were literally empty.The point being is I would hate to see something better than a strip club become almost non-existent and the oldest proffession of the trade that started in the 13th century slowly disappear.In closing,I enjoy the the real true rfreedom
Comment: The previous comment was brilliantly stated. There is a huge problem with the hedonistic mentality of the members of current society who are obviously not intelligent enough to look into the future and brainstorm about the negative ramifications (psychosocial, physical, emotional, financial, etc.) that might be done by perpetuating the legalization of this type of activity. That's not to mention the damage it has on the human psyche and and any hope of a loving, caring future society.
Comment: When people here the words "human trafficking", they think they know all they need to know. Men don't want to think of Amsterdam's RLD as a place of forced prostitution, most actually think it clear and safe of the that. Fact is, most women in the RLD are not Dutch, they from all over the world and they are not living a life-long dream of being a prostitute and servicing strange men. Keeping this brief, what people need to know is that they are not likely to know if a woman is trafficked. The psychological conditioning is fierce and can last up to 6 months before a girl is forced to work. You would never know if the woman was forced or not but a safe bet would be that she is not there by choice. The woman is not going to tell you. Eliminating the RLD would drive this industry to the streets and to other cities, but the bottom line is that it would reduce numbers and make things difficult for traffickers. The more difficult the business becomes, the less likely it will continue. If nothing else, less women will be victimized and less money will be in the pockets of the people who terrorize them. Of course many people will argue these points but keep in mind it is a numbers game. I have researched and worked in this field since 2002.
Comment: I've got four words to say:Over my dead body! I've been to Amsterdam twice and will continue going there in the future.The first girl I got laid with was from the RLD and so was the second and third.I wasn't judged by my race or nationality unlike here in the U.S.I'm totally against forced prostitution anywhere it occurs and can understand this being an issue.This is what I personally believe:First,the real problem is organized crime, pimps,and human trafficking.Second,if the RLD ever shuts down tourists like myself will go elsewhere like Hungary,Switzerland,or Germany and tourism will drop in Amsterdam.I'm Hispanic,25 years old, very well educated and like Dutch women,including other European women.
Comment: More importantly, has anyone that has been there recently noticed a dramatic change already? Or is it business as usual?
Comment: I am a american who has have been to Amsterdam many times,first on my own and later with a Dutch girlfriend I had for years. We would go to visit her friendsand family> I never partoook of the girls, but sometimes felt I was foolish for not doing so! I mean $20 to $50 for a beautiful Ducth girl in a clean, safe environment. It was certainly fun to wander around (especially at night), the allure of the racy and forbidden, but not really dangerous. Well, I guess time marches on, everything changes. The real issuee for the Dutch is Islamization of their nation. Big riots are almost a certainty when Geert Wilders (who posted here) airs his film on TV in the next two weeks.
Comment: But its Amsterdam !?! I have been there 5 times and I love that city it is one of my favorite places in the world to visit. I think the red light district should stay. I have never indulged in any activities with any of the prostitutes there but I do appreciate the freedoms that exist in that great city. We are human and I for one will never stand in judgment and act as if my morality is the end all for the human race nor will ever push my morality on others like I see happening all over this comment section; especially from those who have never been anywhere who have seen little of this great planet. The world can really learn something from Amsterdam its freedom and how to make a contrast balance between the two.
One quick story on this subject I was in Amsterdam for new years eve and there was singing, dancing, drinking, little kids with fireworks, you name it yet there were no police around. The people (about 4000+) knew how to act have a good time, there were no incidents well someone slipped on some ice and had to be picked up by an ambulance but thats it. Here in the US we couldn't have a gathering of 400 people with out police enforcement and incident. I learned something about true freedom there and what it means to be free and though i might not totally agree with it I more then respect it in fact I admire it.
Comment: It's inconceivable to me that they would want to shut down the RLD. Although I haven't "partaken," it just makes me happy to know that there is a place in the world where such beautiful, confident, superheroine-looking women can display themselves and do this kind of work if they want to. My wife and I had a blast just walking through. If it's all licensed and medically safe, what's the problem. The morality police, working to make the world more mediocre one hypocrite at a time.
Comment: After being one of the most famous (or infamous) Red Light districts in the world for a couple of hundred years at least. No!
It was a main attraction to me when I was in my 20s. Down near the docks and it really was red lights at night. Hookers posed in fake little living rooms behind plate glass in the red glow, as if you're window shopping. And sailors doing some serious shopping. ; > ]
It had a sort of rough and scary -- but charming and old-fashioned -- naughtiness. Hard to explain. You had to be there.
Bummer to make it all go away !
Comment: I've been to Amsterdam and although the red light district was interesting to walk through... I would not be so interested to return because of the sleazy tourists who came to Amsterdam's red light district to partake in it's activities. I don't think it will hurt tourism, but it will be a historically significant change...
Comment: Who cares about the DUTCH anyways... The Original SLAVEMASTERS
in this case PIMPS... Attn: HOLLAND wait until KATRINA hits....
Comment: I've never been to Amsterdam. Literally everyone I know from the states who has been say one of the main reasons was to check out the Red Light District. It really is a draw for tourists. It's an oddity, a curiosity, and a bit of a scandelous status boost to say you have been. It doesn't mean you partook. It's enough just to say you have been there and seen it. If the RLD goes away, Amsterdam will easily slip off my radar screen as a travel destination. But, it's their country. If the consensus says it's time to go, so be it. Maybe they could give a nod to New York City and revive its old name by renaming the RLD, "New Amsterdam". And by the way, Times Square is still no walk in the park. It's a really bad place to shop. Even the big name stores. When management isn't looking the employees put temporary signs for fake sales and then bait and switch customers at the register. You might have to edit this out. But, it happened to me at the Gap last Christmas. I caught on real quick when I went to pay and everything doubled in price. I walked out. You can clean a place up, it's not going to make it perfect.
Comment: peanutbutter8,
Your mantra sounds like womyn's studies 101 silliness. I have lived in the RLD community for many years, and operated a small shop there until 2006. The idea that most of the "sex workers" are trafficed slaves is patently false. Additionally they have a strong union and receive the best health care available due to the nature of their business. The RLD has gone through phases through the years of varying degrees of seediness. To be sure, changing demographics are a part of the current rise in seediness. To address the increase is wise, but perhaps this time, it is going too far. The gender feminist agenda and its manipulation of the reality and facts are part in parcel of this.
pbr90 - yes women are shoppers, and for tour groups primarily composed of married couples, and tourists, men and women, the RLD is at the top of the must see list. You say men are not shoppers and women are the shoppers- I would say they are both shoppers, and they both want to shop in the RLD. We have a wonderful sex museum, hash museum and amazing quaint historical buildings that make it an Amsterdam tourist destination for a lot of reasons.
What I find interesting is that there is only concern about the sex workers, and no concern for those "seedy"elements- Primarily men, many who are immigrants, who are the junkies and homeless that subsist in the RLD. Perhpaps I would be more convinced if the intentions were to help all of the people. A truly humanitarian appoach would be to help those who are trafficed, those who are homeless and those who are addicted to drugs as part of the clean-up. I find it interesting that there is also not any focus being made to address the "non-traditional" district that exists on the other side of the Dam. There you have windows that showcase non-mainstream practices- transsexual, homosexual et al. The myopic sexist agenda with its hint of misandry as it is now being presented does not fulfill that goal. And it is my view that the plan does very little to facilitate retraining or successful integration into the society as a whole. Our little community/neighborhood is just that. Children are born and raised here and live healthy productive lives. The flower shops, eateries, bars, museums, boutiques and hotels are mixed in among the windows and sex clubs and coffe shops. Of course when there is a rise in the seediness we want it to be addressed. But I am afraid there is a misguided agenda, and perhaps even a little racism that play into the current plans of the city council. As was mentioned by another Amsterdammer here, the bulk of the crime is being committed by non-Dutch immingrants, mostly muslim. I don't mind cleaning house when it gets a little disorganized, but don't be too quick to judge and reflect your own views by citing innaccurate revelations.
Comment: IM A RETIRED us nAVY sEAL LIVING IN THE USA IM STILL A CITIZEN OF THE NETHERLANDS LEAVE THE RED DISTRICT ALONE IT MADE AWSOME AMOUTS OF MONEY FOR THE QUEEN WHY CHANGE WHATS BEEN THERE FOR YTS AND YRS IF SOME CITIZEN DISAGREE WITH THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT THEN JUST DONT GO THERE WHY RUIN IT FOR EVERYONE ELSE THANK YOU AUGUST WILLIAM HERMAN VAN SUCHTELEN VAN DE HAARE YA THATS MY NAME
Comment: Trust me; when women think of Amsterdam, they don't think about red light districts.
And if they do, Amsterdam has a huge problem attracting female tourists.
If anything, it would be the reason women would boycott Amsterdam - simply because they pander to the sleazey, and most harmful aspects of gender relations.
Amsterdam needs to face the fact that men are not shoppers.
If Amsterdam wants trade of goods, it should pander to women, not men.
Women are the shoppers, but particular about where they shop.
Merchandising in Amsterdam should definitely exclude the selling of women to be successful.
Comment: As someone that lives in Amsterdam and near the red light district I am well aware of some of the less savoury activties that go on there. However this article is not factually correct: there are no plans to completely shut down the red light district, rather clean up the sleaze, reduce the organised crime and the number of prostitutes who are licensed. All of which are laudable aims. Prostitution will exist no matter what a government does and the liverbal attitude of the Netherlands is to license and regulate activities that other western nations ban in knee jerk response. As a result drug additction and vice related crime is remakrably lower here than in any other modernised western nation.
Call it liberalism gone made, but it's an effective policy and it works, unlike the American crack down on drugs and mandatory sentences for possession of tiny ammounts of restricted substances.
Comment: It is about time! The RLD gives a bad name to the Netherlands. I would be more inclined to visit a city that has cleaned up the sleaze. As it currently is, I wouldn't even accept a free vacation to the city. If people truly believe that these women are doing this work because they want to, they are dilusional. Many of these women are the vicitms of human trafficing and those that are not find that this is the best way to support themselves and, often times, their children. Education is the key to a more prosporous life for these women, Amsterdam and the Netherlands as a whole.
Comment: Glad this has finally happened! Overrated and outdated. Gotten worse since sleazy Turks and Moroccans trafficked poor Eastern European girls into slavery (prostitution) there. Good riddance - next thing they need to do is deport the Muslims who have invaded their land looking for 'asylum', only to attack the very people who took them in and to hypocritically ask for 'tolerance' they would NEVER give to westerners in their own lands.
Comment: I live in part of the US where women are shocked at prostitution, yet there's also one of the largest "swingers" clubs in town where there are "exchanges" made. Women get offended by prostitution, but only when it's a "cash up front" transaction, not when it's when she find's her own "sugar daddy". There are women who make a career out of marriage because of the Alimony laws in the US will benefit them financially. How is that any different?
Personally, if they want to clean up the RLD from crime and drugs, there are better ways to do it than displace these women. It will result in less attraction for the tourist, and less funds into the city. Plus the displaced workers, the families that thrive off the income... It's impending doom. There's a much better way to clean up crime in the area. Security checkpoints around a perimeter, pay to get into the "zone". At 10E per person, and you get patted down, no alcohol allowed, no cameras, and it would be more beneficial. Less risk to the women, less crime in the area, and everyone is happy. Tourists would even feel more comfortable as the risk of pickpocketing would be reduced as well.
Comment: Reading all these replies made me aware that the responses are overwhelmingly from the US. It goes back again to how conflicted and sensitive Americans are about sex.
I will agree with one observation though. Women are overwhemingly opposed to prostitution and with good reason. Their tolerance stops at activities that result in their gender exclusively being put under the hammer. Prostitution and pornography will always get such a negative response from women because they feel that this "freedom" is only enjoyed by men at the expense of women. Until that equation is changed, women will always oppose it. There may be more of a groundswell against prostitution and pornography because women are gaining more political power in the US.
Comment: I hope they have some re-training program for those prostitutes or this moralizing will result in poverty, privation or worse for these women, many of whom have little alternative. BTW, I love all these American moralizers wagging their fingers. How about taking the same attitude at home? You could shut down Las Vegas and every Indian casino in the country. As you say "How can you justify immoral behaviour? Because it provides jobs, brings in revenue?"
The second point I would make is the lack of piorities in US. Why does this come into the discussion. Because a country that has 40,000 gun murders a year should be worried about guns and violence not sex and nudity. Therefore, we should be worried about dealing about our REAL problems, not some other country's tolerance or lack thereof of sex. This is especially true in a country that has minimal gun deaths and murders.
Comment: Sweet Peanutbutter8, bless your heart. It is clear to me that you've never actually met a sex worker before. Prostitution is, indeed, a choice people make. I made it and so have hundreds of my friends. Yep- all proud sex workers- strippers, escorts, prostitutes. I've been at it for about 20 years now. It might also surprise you to know that I am highly educated, have traveled the world, and absolutely love what I do.
It is such a shame that Amsterdam will change its ways after so many years. But as all of us sex workers know, the business will continue, no matter how far underground it goes. The further you push it underground, however, the more dangerous it becomes to many of the less privileged workers. But I suppose like in Sweden, if you don't see it, you can pretend that it doesn't exist. Nevermind that many of those unable to work from the internet will now have to be more dependent on "agents" to secure clients for them.
Comment: Keep legalized prostitution LEGAL !! Alexis Fire HBO Cathouse & the World Famous Bunnyranch
Comment: Keep legalized prostitution LEGAL !! Alexis Fire HBO Cathouse & the World Famous Bunnyranch
Comment: Help fight the transnational slavery of women and girls. We should all work to end these crimes against humanity. Prostitution is never a choice people make. Human beings are coerced into this either socially, economically, or by violent means. It is systemic and systematic rape, in other words, and should be looked at with the same indignation as slavery of the 19th century or genocide in the 20th. Involve yourself in your community. Be wary of 'massage parlours' in your city. Write to your representative and local officials. Join the Facebook cause against human trafficking: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/1103
And please visit the website for Coalition Against Trafficking in Women International.
Comment: Help fight the transnational slavery of women and girls. We should all work to end these crimes against humanity. Prostitution is never a choice people make. Human beings are coerced into this either socially, economically, or by violent means. It is systemic and systematic rape, in other words, and should be looked at with the same indignation as slavery of the 19th century or genocide in the 20th. Involve yourself in your community. Be wary of 'massage parlours' in your city. Write to your representative and local officials. Join the Facebook cause against human trafficking: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/1103
And please visit the website for Coalition Against Trafficking in Women International.
Comment: Help fight the transnational slavery of women and girls. We should all work to end these crimes against humanity. Prostitution is never a choice people make. Human beings are coerced into this either socially, economically, or by violent means. It is systemic and systematic rape, in other words, and should be looked at with the same indignation as slavery of the 19th century or genocide in the 20th. Involve yourself in your community. Be wary of 'massage parlours' in your city. Write to your representative and local officials. Join the Facebook cause against human trafficking: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/view_cause/1103
And please visit the website for Coalition Against Trafficking in Women International.
Comment: Well they are the happiest people over there, and as this happens maybe we can do a little sociological study on it that will probably reveal legalization of such things as drugs and the sex industry allows the government to actually control it. And I know what your thinking, duh!!! This is going to make things worst there, not bad, but worst. And yes, please keep the mushrooms!!!
Comment: Finally. I'm glad. We humans are NOT for SALE anymore.
Comment: Call me a square for not endorsing the sex industry and "sex work" for that matter.. But PLEASE keep the hallucinogenic mushrooms until I can get over there!!
Comment: Call me a square for not endorsing the sex industry and "sex work" for that matter.. But PLEASE keep the hallucinogenic mushrooms until I can get over there!!
Comment: To all those here who hope they keep the red light district and think it's a good thing....maybe one day your daughter can work there....wouldn't you be proud?
Comment: I am so glad to hear that they are trying to turn that city around. The breakdown of the family in this country has taken a masive toll. I'm surprised that there are still 67% of the people of the people left who are not addicted to the sex and porn lifestlye to make this change. Bravo for the those who are fighting!!!
Comment: Prostitution is a degrading profession. Nobody likes to be called a 'prostitute'. Do you? It is immoral and should be eradicated. What happens when a son gets the sexual services of his prostitute mother, paid for it and then tells the father and other siblings about it?
Comment: If I were a native Amsterdamian, I would be asking who is profiting from the sale of these buildings and the closing of the RLD? Chances are there is a select group of businesspeople who want some select, canal-side property to put up yet one more boutique or specialty store or bar. The one thing that makes Amsterdam truly unique is the RLD. Every other major city has plenty of restaurant/bars and boutiques which cycle in and out of business with great regularity. The RLD has been there for a very long time and anyone who has problems with the type of business that goes on in that district should simply avoid it. This smacks of religious conservatism once again dictating to everyone how they should live their lives and conduct their business. Follow the euro and see where it leads!!
Comment: It does sound like a crocked up accusation. If crime were so rampant there, there would have already been a strong backlash against the district from both locals and tourists. And the survey showing 65% dissatisfaction was carried out by a city-designated polling service? Yeah, then I really have trust in the results. Plus it is transparently hypocritical for the city to "license pimps" while shutting down the district. So the city wants in on the business, eh? It will profit from licensing pimps!? And the roaming pimps will somehow be more accountable than the in-situ brothels? Well, I guess they could stay in one place, set up shop.... oh, but wait--that would be the same as the current district! Anyway, even without all the hypocrisy, one reason to keep the district is simply good, old-fashioned diversity. The world dies a little bit every time we turn it into a monoculture. Uniqueness is what makes the world worth living in.
Comment: Well, it's very obvious to me that either u folks have either a) not been to Amsterdam in a VERY long time, b) lying through ur teeth & NEVER been to Amsterdam, c) have lead EXTREMELY sheltered lives & r not very well educated on anything other than what's going on in ur own back yard, literally. Or d) think ur a femminist & truley have NO IDEA WHAT THAT MEANS.
My brother &his wife (who don't so much as drink let alone do drugs) have lived in Amsterdam for many years. I have visited there SEVERAL times.& for the most part, Amsterdam is a very inviting , wonderful place to visit/ live. & just like ANY OTHER PLACE through out the globe there are "nice areas" and "not so nice areas" to visit / live. Everyone who goes / lives there, knows pretty much where they are. U go where u'd like depending upon what U'D like to see, That being said:
It's been illegal to do "hard drugs" such as any introvenious drugs, heroin, etc any where in the Netherlands for MANY years! U are not allowed to posses them or sell them. Pot Hashish etc may only be bought or sold in a cafe & used there or in a private home.,NOT on the street. Although MANY PEOPLE DO smoke on the street.
MANY countries have a RDL & Amsterdams scores one of the highest in containment of the area, cleanness of the premis & girls, washing facilities r in each cubicle, girls must be licenced w/ the government &checked for stds regularly which makes human trafficing a little more difficult & crime rate is lower than most rld
The women who CHOOSE to work in the RLD r often VERY attractive, some r young ,of age,working their way thru school making EXTREMELY high pay.(More $ in 1 session than a weeks pay) They DO have the right to decide who IF & in what way they will provide service. Many of them r their own boss, renting the booths themselves. yes, there is something for everyone, as the story goes, " I'm home sick NOT HORNY" Point? Most women working the district r there because they want to be, running their own buisnesses, working on their own terms , making there own decisions in a less sexually frigged country than the U.S.exploiting the fact that men can't "keep it in their pants" That's not feminism ..?
The RDL was established a VERY long time ago, Its contained within itself. Anyone purchasing property in that area to raise kids?- IDIOT!
The men that visit the Red Light r a very diverse group of buisness travellers, tourists, locals? many are the husbands of women who live there & r happy their husband occasions the RDL & "leaves (them) alone" .They HAVE A DIFFERENT CULTURE! THEY DO NOT HAVE THE SAME IDEAS ABOUT SEX AS AMERICANS DO.GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE PEOPLE!!!!! I did get some passing glances in the rdl like d in the states, no pawing no hunting me down, or brushing up against me!, ITS WORSE HERE! they had no need to. They were too buisy "window sho
Comment: Well I for one will no longer stay in Amsterdam when travelling abroad. My trips to India has a layover in Amsterdam and I would often stay an extra day or two in the city. I would walk through the Red-Light District in wonderment at the freedom that city allowed its citizens. Even though I politely refused any offers of drugs and did not take the opportunity to "visit" with any of the girls it was great fun and entertainment to be there. I tired of the museums and galleries after two visits, but the Red-Light District kept me coming back. And it was not apparent that anyone avoided Amsterdam with their kids, just that well marked and identified section if they desired. I never saw Police having to make any arrests or investigate any crimes. Were there some? Yes, but apparently nothing severe enough to involve the authorities. I just said "no" and that was it for me.
Comment: Well I for one will no longer plan a stay in Amsterdam when traveling abroad. My flights to India go through Amsterdam and I usually stay a few days to relax and watch with wonderment the freedom within that city. I would stroll through the Red-Light District several times during my trips and stay in a hotel bordering on the district. I always politely refused any offers of drugs and was not bothered again by that person. I did not partake partake of the offersing
Comment: I have visited Amsterdam and while I oppose the closing of the red light district, I must say it's the people of Amsterdam's city, and they're right: there was more crime there than in other areas of the city. That said, it was easy to avoid the guys peddling small amounts of hard drugs and be safe. The harm done by criminalizing phenomenon that should be viewed as a social health issue is far greater when behaviors are pushed underground.
Comment: II live in Nye county Nevada within a 1000 feet of two major brothels, Talk to the women who work at these establishments occasionally and they prefer the safety. I have lived in other cities where prostitution is illegal and the street hookers and drug dealers are everywhere I prefer living where it is legal and monitored. I even feel safe letting my children go outside and play. Were it is legal allows a place for MOST sexual deviants to fulfill their fantasies. The women I have talked too do not mind what they are doing they all tell me they make really good money for the little time they actually have to work. The holier than thou people need to spend more time monitoring their own lives instead of trying to build a false eutopia while their own lives are a shamble.
Comment: lilymax--I appreciate your comments and alternate perspective on this issue, especially since you've worked directly with some of these women, but I don't agree with your assessment that it's a close-minded Americanized view to think that prostitution as a profession (particularly when women are put up as window displays) is demeaning, assuming the sex is consensual, of course. If it doesn't pass the "would-you-want-your-daughter-to-do-it-test" doesn't that mean there's something wrong with it? I don't think that makes me close-minded or Americanized (whatever that means--I don't assume that all Americans think the same way and are close-minded).
Comment: Among the many sad things about this situation is that much of the animosity fostered by the RLD is a direct result of tourists wanting to exercise Amsterdam's freedoms and not their responsibility. Having been to the city a few times I'm no expert, but I did find the most unpleasant factor was obnoxious tourists, stoned and/or horny, who believe everyone should be living it up like they do. Since marijuana and prostitution are black markets in America and much of the world, people can't associate these freedoms with responsible attitudes. The sex trade is a much more cruel and dangerous situation, but I second the comment that it represents a small portion of the unionized and regulated hooking membership. Sadly the clearest way to export responsible and safe attitudea to the tourist's homelands is among the least likely; namely the recreation of these pragmatic policies towards sex and drugs in the United States and elsewhere.
Comment: I lived in Amsterdam for three years, and I first went to Amsterdam's Red Light District in 1979. Over the years I have been back there dozens of times since. As an American, I found the Dutch peoples attitude towards sex refreshing. As the Dutch Government strictly monitored the licensing and health permits of the sex workers, the Red Light District offered a safe, and exhilarating rare experience. Only a short stay in Amsterdam will enlighten people unaware of the Dutch populaces attitudes towards sex, and its sex workers. The sex workers are not ostracized by their countrymen as whores or deviants. Unfortunately, Amsterdam is going the way of other once great Cities. New York City sold its soul for the almighty dollar. Only the rich can afford the rental of apartments there now. Gone is the day of the corner Bodega's or Greek diners. London is now controlled by Middle East dollar. The last time I was in London, there wasn't a decent Fisk' N"Chip place left. My Son is only fifteen, and I was hoping to take him to the Red Light District on his eighteenth Birthday. I guess I better take him now before another flavor of life is flushed. . .
Comment: I lived in Amsterdam for three years, and I first went to Amsterdam's Red Light District in 1979. Over the years I have been back there dozens of times since. As an American, I found the Dutch peoples attitude towards sex refreshing. As the Dutch Government strictly monitored the licensing and health permits of the sex workers, the Red Light District offered a safe, and exhilarating rare experience. Only a short stay in Amsterdam will enlighten people unaware of the Dutch populaces attitudes towards sex, and its sex workers. The sex workers are not ostracized by their countrymen as whores or deviants. Unfortunately, Amsterdam is going the way of other once great Cities. New York City sold its soul for the almighty dollar. Only the rich can afford the rental of apartments there now. Gone is the day of the corner Bodega's or Greek diners. London is now controlled by Middle East dollar. The last time I was in London, there wasn't a decent Fisk' N"Chip place left. My Son is only fifteen, and I was hoping to take him to the Red Light District on his eighteenth Birthday. I guess I better take him now before another flavor of life is flushed. . .
Comment: The world is a big place. If one chooses to live in Amsterdam as an adult. That adult chooses that environment. Sure, the arguemnet always stands, "What about the children? They don't have a choice." Very true. Again, I can see the benefits for having, or not having a RLD, but financial benefits are not a valid arguement. The fact that Asscher is touting Guliani as a great leader is questionable. He rode the "911" wave until it reached the beach. I thank God for calm waters.
Comment: I've actually met several women who have worked as prostitutes and I have a friend who was held as a sex trafficking slave. None of them ever told me that they felt that there was any dignity in their former profession--they felt they had no other options at that time in their life. And the woman I know who was a sex trafficking victim DID in fact feel like a slave--because she was.
Comment: It's doubtful, in my mind, that many "sex slaves" are working in the red li9ght district--too out in the open!! It sounds like you're pushing an agenda! If you don't like the activities in the red-light district, you have the fredom not to go! Please don't impose your morals on other people, in the guise of some "Greater Good" or perceived injustice. We fought a war over freedom! As for the "greater good" or invariant truth, look at what happened during the Inquisition, the reign of Nazi Germany, the witch burnings in Salem, etc. One day you might find yourself on the other side of "The Greater Good!"
Comment: And the RLD is right next to my neighborhood, which makes me feel much safer because there are police safety cameras on every corner and it is the only neighborhood where this is a police presence at all, making it one of the most expensive. family-oriented neighborhoods in central Amsterdam.
Comment: I don't think that you can write that way about the Red Light District or the women who work there without having lived there and met these women yourself. It's a very close-minded, American-ized view of yours to assume that these women are "like slaves" who are treated worse than animals in zoos. I have done a lot work with the women in the Red Light District in Amsterdam and for many of them this is their profession and they are everywhere from indifferent to proud of what they do. Obviously there are still flaws in the system, and there are women who are there against their will and this is truly awful and needs to be addressed immediately (which is directly related to the work I was doing there) but putting hundreds of other women out of their jobs and closing down one of the most historically-rich districts in Amsterdam is not the answer. Prostitution exists everywhere, and that's not going to change. The way that Amsterdam has dealt with it is the safest and most productive method for both the government and the wealth of the city (as a tourist attraction) and the women themselves. They have security, they get the amount of money they request , they have rooms where they can be safe, they can easily and safely receive STD testing (but all also requre the use of condoms) they can turn down anyone they don't want, and they don't have pimps so they can freely come and go as they please from the profession. Clearly, this is not always the case and there are many cases of corruption and terrible situations; however, give me one woman in Calcutta who has even a chance at any of these benefits. Or even in America, with street prostitution, where women are at the mercy of their pimps and the cops. Go to Amsterdam, visit the PIC (Prostitute Information Center) and then talk about the lack of dignity in this profession, and how poorly Amsterdam has control over the sex industry.
Comment: Way to go Lily! I agree entirely. Prostitution is a part of humanity and Amsterdam, from what I've read, takes the most intellectual and humanitarian approach to the reality of it.
Comment: T-RUE!!! I tire of conservative religious-based attitudes determining the direction of the rest of the world. Left to them, they would do away with such ideas as: free choice, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion - to worship or not. I have visited the RLD and seen very few incidents of illegal activity. I saw police stations on every other street with officers within easy hailing distance. I felt safe walking the streets as a tourist and never felt taken advantage of until I went into one of those tourista bar/restaurants and paid an unbelievable price for a watered-down drink. I could overlook that as I was in awe of the culture which I felt respected the individual's freedom to choose a mode of livelyhood condemned by much of the wrapped-too-tight, western, church-dictated cultures. One of our former presidents was quoted as saying that whenever conservative religious leaders hold sway, segregation, discrimination, and the incedence of lethal violence increases. Looking at history, I have to note that any time fanatical trends infiltrate the government structure, the toll in human death spirals out of control. While wew are not talking about firing squads, burning at the stake, gas chambers or guillotines, we are talking about a conservative core governmental group snuffing out a particular part of western European culture. I say go after the traffidkers and leave the ladies alone to earn a living.
Comment: To all those who believe the people of Amsterdam should put up with an RLD for tourist enjoyment. Maybe, you wouldn't mind if it were next to your neighborhood.....I didn't think so.
Comment: With all that being said, I think the city???s motives in this situation are totally disingenuous. Isn???t the theory behind regulated prostitution to eliminate pimps and sex traffickers? I don???t think regulating pimps and forcing prostitutes out into the streets without governmental assistance will do anything to help these women, especially the ones who are victims on non-consensual prostitution (or, shall I more accurately say, serial rape). If the city government were really serious about cleaning up things up, they???d either outlaw prostitution altogether a la Sweden or get more serious about really running a regulated sex industry that is free from traffickers, pimps and other criminal elements a la the Bunny Ranch in Nevada.
Comment: What does it say about us as humans, when we state that we would only want to go to Amsterdam if it has a Red Light District? I haven't been to Amsterdam but if I do go as I'm planning to do this summer, I think the pity I would feel for the poor women who work in these shops would by far outweigh the curiosity factor. We treat animals in shelters and zoos better than these women and I think there's something really sick about 'checking them out' even if you don't plan to patronize them. Obviously, since most men don't go around bragging about their visits to prostitutes, there's some embarrassment factor associated with it. I'd feel just as embarassed if I went to gawk at these women simply because they're human beings being put on display similar to the way slaves were. Even if there are women who are there by choice, I think most people would agree there???s little dignity in turning tricks and even less in being part of a window display to show off your wares. Why would I want to contribute to that humiliation? No, I don't live in Amsterdam but I can imagine that if I did, I would want my city to be known for something other than prostitution and drugs. I also don't live in a country where there's a genocide occurring but I don't think that means I shouldn't speak out when another country facilitates or ignores one that???s happening within its borders. And I don't think that we can look at the sex industry in Amsterdam as an issue that is only relevant to the people of Amsterdam. Many (or perhaps I will be somewhat presumptuous and say that most) of the women who are working in the city's sex industry are not from Amsterdam. I think the way prostitution is dealt with should be a global issue because it is, at least in part, a Human Rights issue. Amsterdam is not a city in a Third World country. If they haven't been able to get their act together enough to control prostitution the way many people think it can be controlled in theory--without sex trafficking, with regulated sex shops and prostitutes who are tested for communicable diseases and offered a reasonable level of protection--how can we realistically expect that other countries and cities that lack the financial and governmental resources Amsterdam has will be able to do the same? I certainly wouldn???t trust the local government here in Italy to regulate prostitution???they can???t even get people to pay their taxes and get the trash picked up. Just as it's unrealistic to think that prostitution will ever go away, I think it's also unrealistic to think that prostitution can always exist in a sanitized regulated vacuum. Amsterdam is a prime example of that reality.
Comment: You said it all. You haven't been there, you haven't seen it. All you have done is read about it in some one-sided, conservative point-of-view rag which is like watching the evening news here in the U.S. and saying you know what the average Italian or Franco individual thinks about the U.S.'s involvement in Iraq. No way!! Saints preserve us from ignorant, well-meaning interlopers.
Comment: The fact that prostitution exists and perhaps always will is undeniable, as long as there are customers who most likely are someone else's soul mate. I wonder how many of those ladies standing in the windows started when they were 12, 13 or even younger, providing pleasure for the perverted pedophiles and despots in the back rooms out of sight until they became of age. I wonder how many of them might well have been kid sisters of those who think it's so cool to "get a piece of tail" in the Red Light District. Have any of you thought that many of these ladies were stolen, sold or promised a better life, only to find they became psychological prisoners at a very early age? Simply put, it makes you a pedophile as well--but only a delayed one. I wonder how many of those who frequented the place ever thought of how his wife or fiance would feel discovering that he bathed in a tub frequented by hundreds of others, of varying degrees of cleanliness, or lack thereof, or perhaps even many more than that, and then bringing the exposure of the communal tub to her bed. I suspect they would vomit their hearts out knowing their "soul mate" had so little soul. If you need a "piece of tail" so badly, why don't you all make it more interesting for your wife or lover? Chances are, most of you are of the "wham bam, thank you ma'am" ilk. Not to mention, of course, that the vast majority of you can neither spell nor type with any degree of proficiency, nor do you think for a moment that what you do is a violation of trust, so long as the rutting instinct is satisfied with anyone or everyone. It is a pathetic commentary about those who think that the existence of prurience on a large scale is the only thing which makes a country worth visiting.
Comment: I am always amazed at how you people always characterize someone who uses a prostitute's services as being deviant or a despot. Sex is a natural act of normal human beings. When someone avails themselves of prostitute's services, they may be satisfying a need which they can't have fulfilled at home with their straight-laced, bible-thumping, frigid, asexual partners. What is the greater sin - marrying and then resorting to sexual restriction and politics to manipulate one's partner, or that partner satisfying those needs with a willing partner, albeit one compensated with the coin of the realm. Who is the greater despot? As long as the exchange is consensual, and the nature of the business has been around for thousands of years, who are you to apply your mores to anothers life? As far as being a pedophile, that is a matter of case-by-case incidence and should not be generalized to apply to everyone. As far as wondering about my sisters - I have found that I cannot be responsible for their decisions and have found that they are quite capable of getting themselves into and out of questionable situations all by themselves and I have long since stopped being responsible for their choices - a point that probably should apply to many of those 'victims' of prostitution. Show me one that was kidnapped, chained and forcibly raped for profit and I will be the first in line with the castration knife for the guilty party but barring that, the rest is a matter of choice. Those 13 and 14 year old girls are as mature as many 20- 25-year olds of yesteryear. While I may not agree with them being 'working girls' at that age, I think it will be hard to keep them from taking advantage of their 'natural' ability to make money in that field. Good luck trying to regulate human nature. Not too many years ago, it was common to see ' good Christian girls' married at the age of 14 or 15, but then, that sexual arrangement was sanctioned by the church, wasn't it?
Comment: Whole lot of generalizing on there Sparrowhawk. You are assuming anyone opposed to closing the red light actually frequents prostitutes. Some folks (including me) have seen it from the law enforcement side, and as bad as it may seem legalized, deinstitutionalize it and see how bad it gets. The red light in Amsterdam is actually a model of how it should be. These brothels and the women working in them are regulated, tested, and there are rules. When illegal and hidden, those dirty tubs you are talking about get dirtier. The chance a man is going to take something home gets worse. It's naive to believe this will stop just because someone preaches to "spice up your life" with your partner. Men who do this will do it even in a completely happy marriage. It's not about their partner, it's about ariation and stepping out of their normal social role. The best course is the Amsterdam red light. Closing it will just make things worse.
Comment: Sweet,
Babydoll, You need to relax. Don't you know that sexuality will always be viewed as a strength in women by men and women alike? Or haven't you been there yet? I'd love to see you be appreciated for your mind, but it's hard to get past all of the capital letters.
As for the RLD, I've never been there. I have never been a customer of a prostitute, but I certainly would not be condescending to one who has or the prostitute him/herself. Amsterdam should really take a step back and think about the the irony of a man named Asscher removing prostitution. Likewise, Americans should continue to look back at how we've permitted Dick and Bush to screw us while filling their own pockets. That is abuse!
If Amsterdam decides to replace the RLD, that's OK too. However, Asscher is completely off his rocker if he thinks this will help the city financially. Every city in the world has boutiques.
Remember folks, without a left, there is no right.
Comment: Sin. Sin, is allowing an industry that we all well know has thrived and will thrive with or without government approval, to be thrown back into the underground. Sin, is allowing sex workers to work without hiv testing or other std testing. Sin, is saying you are backed by god and trying to oppress people. Jesus was a friend to sinners (friend of the devil is a friend of mine kind of guy). Until we all become earthworms (asexual) the sex industry will have its place in society. Stop letting them blind you with bull sh** issues. There are real problems out there. Sounds to me like some one is trying to flip some good real estate. Hope the workers organize and win.
Comment: oh, and i just wanted to add that right wing neo conservatism is fascism, as is far left wing meddling. true republicans did (and still do) want smaller government and no federal fingers interfering in our lives (No, i am not a Democrat, but a traditional Republican. The kind that existed before the invasion of the religious right.)
Comment: Getting rid of the Red Light District will only drive prositution underground and generate more crime and violence. The women in the Red Light District have to be licensed; since that's the case, why not include an extensive background check and deny licenses to any women who can't prove she's not a victim of human trafficking. Next thing you know Amsterdam will be getting rid of the Brown Cafes. Big question; what impact will this have on tourism. Many folks go to Amsterdam because of the cityi's attitude toward sex and drugs. Isn't getting rid of Amsterdam's red light district and the brown cafes like closing down the casinos in Las Vegas. How many of you would go to Vegas if the US Supreme Court ruled tomorrow that all forms of gambling was unconsitutional? Besides a few Van Gogh and Rembrandt paintings, what's the incentive for tourist to visit Amsterdam? 80 percent of the folks who stroll the Red Light District aren't customers; they're just coming to look. I've been to Europe five times and I always start my trip in Amsterdam. If they shut down the Red Light District, London or Paris will be my first destination and I'll skip Amsterdam.
Comment: This is a real estate scam. That mayor could care less about the sex workers. Without the protection of the government there lives are going to be in danger. Look at the USA where prostitution is illegal, missing out on tax dollars and making some pimp rich (tax free). Holland really should reconsider. Tolerance will always be the best policy. As for taking your mom or wife or daughter or sister into the red light district thats just plain silly. I have never visited Amsterdam, but I am pretty sure there is an alternate route to walk. Focus efforts on real issues and stop trying to buy up real estate to flip for your own gain. People open your eyes and stop letting the government blind you with bullsh** issues. There are real problems out there in this world. Who cares if the oldest profession has its own neighborhood. I bet the hiv rate among those workers is zero.
Comment: Maybe other cities will follow the example of Amsterdam wanting to rid the immorality it relects to the world they no longer desire. Anyone, Christian or not with morals and standards has looked at Amsterdam as a place of a people as a whole to have an approved area as the RL Dist is a step back. As society grows so should our morals of clean living, not to regress. We should have the inteligence what is right and wrong and show as human beings we grow. All whether they want to admit it or not know what is right or wrong. the deepest tribe in Africa knows not to kill, steal, or commit adultry and never hear anything of any religion. They are born with it for God has instilled it in everyone. As for the responses that there is no God, I have never heard anyone dying, suddenly dying, a child hurt or dying, or anything major happen in their life God doesn't get mentioned in a bad or right way. this is a good sign mankind from the deepest of modern sin has now began to see that sin in the long run is not a lasting or innner personal satisfaction. Good for the people of Amsterdam!
Comment: Maybe other cities will follow the example of Amsterdam wanting to rid the immorality it relects to the world they no longer desire. Anyone, Christian or not with morals and standards has looked at Amsterdam as a place of a people as a whole to have an approved area as the RL Dist is a step back. As society grows so should our morals of clean living, not to regress. We should have the inteligence what is right and wrong and show as human beings we grow. All whether they want to admit it or not know what is right or wrong. the deepest tribe in Africa knows not to kill, steal, or commit adultry and never hear anything of any religion. They are born with it for God has instilled it in everyone. As for the responses that there is no God, I have never heard anyone dying, suddenly dying, a child hurt or dying, or anything major happen in their life God doesn't get mentioned in a bad or right way. this is a good sign mankind from the deepest of modern sin has now began to see that sin in the long run is not a lasting or innner personal satisfaction. Good for the people of Amsterdam!
Comment: Mary Magdelyn might disagree with you. Plenty of prostitutes in the Bible. There are several tribes in New Guinae where the women have multiple husbands who all bring her items for the right to reproduce. There are well over a billion Buddhists in the world who may disagree with you about whether there is a "God". They certainly don't cry out his name when they die or are hurt. It's exactly you attitude of universal morality that enables people to opress others. It's your assumption that everyone believes in God that allows Christiand and Muslims to try to force their universal and righetout view of God's will over others who reject it. People like you make me sick.
Comment: Well, it looks like the disease of American neo conservatism has spread overseas. It's sad, really, considering the fact that Europe (and specifically the Netherlands) was the last bastion of true freedom.
Now, with this new "Moral Majority" taking hold over there, i see no reason to ever visit the land of my ancestors again, as i might as well just stay in the "good ol' u.s. of a" and have the same results.
;;
And for the puritanical
Comment: It is a part of life . Be more concerned about genocide, poverty
Comment: Actually, the US was always a de facto Christian nation. Officially of course, there never was a STATE religion...unlike the Anglican Church and the Catholic Church in Spain and Portugal. People always get that confused; separation of church and state. The whole concept came from the state interfering with the church, NOT the other way around! It was an attempt to keep religion free from state corruption. However, it was never meant to keep religious influence out of the government. Maybe liberals who want to dismiss the idea of a Christian nation would rather have the godless secular culture of the old Soviet Union. Now, most of the citizens of the former Soviet republics are reaching out for meaning in their lives through the church (AKA: Christianity). No matter what they tried, the state could not fill the spirtual void that everyone has. Supressing religious expression obviously did not work in the end. Maybe life would be better if it mirrored the world of "The Golden Compass"? Comparing the Right Wing with Fascism is a total joke; the same could be said of the Liberal Left Wing (mass media) as well! BTW: Prostitution is NOT legal in Las Vegas...
Comment: Prostitution IS legal and closely monitored by the government in the state of Nevada. It is illegal within the Las Vegas City limits.
Comment: The U.S. has also been a de facto racist nation, a sexist nation, a warlike nation - none of these means that's what our nation's founders intended it to be. I do agree that the separation of church and state was intended to protect religion AS MUCH as the population. Now look at the corruption that has infiltrated many branches of American religion - preaching materialism and war in the name of Christianity - it's just as our founders feared. Liberals who point out the obvious fact that this is a SECULAR NATION don't want the Soviet Union, where believers weren't free to practice their religions - we want the secular United States our founders promised us, where you are free to live YOUR life as you see fit, and recognize the same freedom in everyone else.
Comment: As an American service man in 1960, I had the unique experience of my life when I visited the RLD. I had never seen anything like it and have never forgotten it
Tulips-smulips. The Rld has ALWAYS BEEN the main attraction of that city. I personally can't imagine Amsterdam without it.The so called do-gooders will still get their jollies behind some closed door. Leave it alone. It endured for a long, long time.......wonder why???
Comment: What the Heck?!? It puts knots in my stomach at all of this. I just have to wonder what the "One that put us ALL here, for A reason" says about all of this. Do you ever just STOP an wonder? Peace, Forgiveness, Purity. Have we looked these words up in the dictionary lately. Really, I was amazed. I havent picked up a dictionary in years. I looked up the word Gay. It said "a state of happiness." Hmmm. How did everything get so messed up.
Comment: You need a new dictionary
Comment: Please don't close the Red Light District! This place has been around since the 15th Century.....Its part of world history. We as American bragg about our freedoms and how we are free to express ourselfs, but I feel Amsterdam and its Red Light District truely shows real expression. Can you imagine a Red Light District in Chicago? How about in the heart of Manhattan? Maybe downtown Los Angeles? People here would calapse and have heart attacks from the very thought!
Comment: 3,958 US soldiers dead in Iraq
Comment: Thank you
Comment: Just cant help but think that too many Americans have their priorities all screwed up.
Comment: If the moral majority (i.e. the megalopolies that run us) would pay as much attention to cleaning up the poisons they daily pour into the atmosphere and down our throats under the guise of food, for an enormous profit, as they do to the "social crimes" they drag across our paths as a red herring to deflect us from their real agenda, maybe we truly could clean up this world. But unless there's a buck in it, no one is gonna do anything that really matters. Waiting for the end, hope it comes soon!
Comment: Having been to Amsterdam in 2005 and visiting the RLD in daylight hours I felt a very dark, oppressive and heartbreaking weight set in. Couldn't get out of there fast enough... Children on their way to and from school were also walking those same streets and I couldn't imagine my kids seeing what is offered up and that being normal. Congratulations to the City for their desire to promote an image based on something other than sex and immorality. Amsterdam is beautiful and has a rich history that tourists will still want to take in - families will feel safer travelling to the City - good move!
Comment: Hmmm...not sure where the comparison with Bourbon St. in New Orleans came from (maybe left field)? The only time of year that it would be a comparable comparison would be during Mardi Gras (& Fat Tues.). However, for the remainder of the year, Bourbon St. is nice and clean like Beale St. (Memphis, TN) and the Promenade in Santa Monica, CA. As far as the Red Light District is concerned, I always thought that it was tacky, along with all of the other legal liberal vices in the Netherlands. Maybe great for teenage boys and young men with too much testosterone, but it is not exactly the ideal token of civic pride. It's about time that they clean it up! Maybe they could use "virtual windows & peep shows" by placing flat screens on the street; if you're interested, you call the prostitute and get directions for a more discreet rendezvous. Everybody wins!
Comment: Miamijer says ".not sure where the comparison with Bourbon St. in New Orleans came from (maybe left field)? The only time of year that it would be a comparable comparison would be during Mardi Gras (& Fat Tues.). However, for the remainder of the year, Bourbon St. is nice and clean like Beale St. (Memphis, TN) and the Promenade in Santa Monica, CA."
I don't know what part of Bourbon Street you hang out at but the section between St. Ann and Canal Street is an endless party. New Year's Eve, Halloween, Jazzfest, St. Patrick's Day, Essensefest, Super Bowl, the decadence festival, March Madness and Spring Break are some periods other that Mardi Gras where Bourbon Street is rocking, and there are many more party dates on Bourbon. Comparing Bourbon Street to the Promenade is like comparing Disneyland to Fremont Street in Vegas...Please
