willowisp Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 My first visit to Amsterdam was back in the late 80s, around the time of the first raves and acid house. Back then it was a must, definitely worth going over as growing here was still in it's infancy, the law always came down heavily on smokers here and some of the hash available there was amazing. Anyone have any memories of awesome coffee shops that are now sadly gone? I remember a place called Easy Times, if it's still there fucked if I could find it last time...exclusively played reggae and had a big semi circular couch area at the back with a tiny sort of dance floor you could have a little shuffle on later in the night. Really nice chilled place with very few tourists! Cafe Sheba served cannabis tea...it was revolting even with lemon and half a kilo of sugar in it but totally blotted you out half an hour later! They used to stuff it in a little tea strainer thing, totally rank but effective. Pick Up The Pieces - is that still there? We were sat in there at the back, only ones there and the place got raided by old bill...after hassling us a bit and checking we weren't on any interpol list they threw us out and starting wrecking the place and duffing the budtender up! It used to be so different, the sex shops were mad, these days they're like a branch of Ann Summers...some of the little out of the way ones had "snuff" movies...this was before the internet so you could spend an hour in one of those places easy! The head shops were mad back then too. Maybe it's the internet again that's done it, but you could pick up some mad stuff in them...cocaine handbooks, little gold snorting pipes in the shape of a vacuum cleaner, real Aladdin's caves. Maybe it's just nostalgia but these days it's just coffee shop, from a fixed list of about 5, food, and hotel. Back then it was a big seedy adventure with no telling what you'd end up doing. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forest dog Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I remember the Old Man head shop, had a carving of an old fella outside. some of the little out of the way ones had "snuff" movies...this was before the internet so you could spend an hour in one of those places easy! That's a fucking worrying statement you make there Willow. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Morten Arthursson Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Back in my drinking days then,I just about remember getting on the ferry at Hull...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildbill Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I think pick up the pieces is still there. Place always was a bit sketchy like . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gravy_14 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Wow, i'd of love to have been your age during those years of acid house and an untainted dam. I love dam but only first went in 2007, must of been amazing back in the day. My favourite place out there currently is Kashmir lounge, there casey Jones was trippy as fuk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill cooper Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Anyone remember the Smoking Bull ? it was a pub that played some really good tunes , something i found very rare in the Dam surprisingly, that had a pool table and you could toke as well just on the edge of the red light district , i might even still be there but i haven't been back to the Dam for at least 15 years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Used to do lots of raves in the dam in the 90's 91-95ish at the old silo building..We got lots of good hash back then as most of the people at the coffee shops came to the parties..And the quality of the crystal delights was awsome..Would love to relive that time from squatting round the dam.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Growgreen Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Not as long ago as you, but had some great times out there. The grasshopper is always first stop as it's the first one you see! Had a laugh in coffe shop smokey I think it was called. The doors cafe and a good few others. Found one miles away from the c here when we got lost one day. Got twice the amount as in town for 25 guilders! Crazy days and crazier nights. GG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ital Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Still haven't been to this day and sounds like it's lost the smell of sleaze that draws many folk. Could be a 50th celebration though Had some mates coming back from Dam in 1990 with all sorts of goodies and was the only time I can rememeber almost freaking out on ganja. Scuff through a bong had me out of my seat, head out the window thinking my heart was going to explode followed by 20mins of uncontrollable laughter then completely passing out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willowisp Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 I remember the Old Man head shop, had a carving of an old fella outside. That's a fucking worrying statement you make there Willow. note the " " marks, I doubt they'd sell a genuine snuff movie in a shop! It was a weird little place with no signs or anything over by the first Kandinsky's, total sleaze den with the sickest, most beyond comprehension video covers I've ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwubba Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 I lived in the centrum hotel/hostel for about 2 months in '94 about 30 yards down the street was the greenhouse effect coffee shop it was bang opposite the main central police station in the RLD and I used to pull up the window and sit on the window ledge on the first floor with my legs dangling out taking hits from one of the inhouse bongs looking straight into the police station office,clear as day you could see everything,those streets are narrow,proper laugh.and there was a bar/coffeeshop called hunters they gave you a hashcard(plastic card like a credit card with hunters bar and addy on)for every gram you bought hash or bud they put a sticker on your hashcard and when you had ten stickers on the card you got a gram of anything on the menu free.i remember easy times aswell,went there 'cos of the reggae,shit hot. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willowisp Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 I lived in the centrum hotel/hostel for about 2 months in '94 about 30 yards down the street was the greenhouse effect coffee shop it was bang opposite the main central police station in the RLD and I used to pull up the window and sit on the window ledge on the first floor with my legs dangling out taking hits from one of the inhouse bongs looking straight into the police station office,clear as day you could see everything,those streets are narrow,proper laugh.and there was a bar/coffeeshop called hunters they gave you a hashcard(plastic card like a credit card with hunters bar and addy on)for every gram you bought hash or bud they put a sticker on your hashcard and when you had ten stickers on the card you got a gram of anything on the menu free.i remember easy times aswell,went there 'cos of the reggae,shit hot. Hunters is still in business, some say it's really good but I couldn't find the place last time. Everyone says "ah it's real easy to find your way round the dam, it's just a grid in a semi circle"...come on, admit it, we've all got completely lost at some point, not helped by being baked! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazyDaze Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 It's a disorientating city. For sure. I always struggle to work out which way I Need to go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shogun Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Amsterdam started going down hill around the time they changed to the euro. the prices rocketed, then they banned the sale of beer and weed on the same premises, then they brought in the smoking ban, then they cleaned up the red light district. and they are still trying to crack down on weed, with talk of thc limits and no concentrates. I don't know if i'll ever go back, theres much more desirable weed destinations these days. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victor Kruger Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I lived in the centrum hotel/hostel for about 2 months in '94 about 30 yards down the street was the greenhouse effect coffee shop it was bang opposite the main central police station in the RLD and I used to pull up the window and sit on the window ledge on the first floor with my legs dangling out taking hits from one of the inhouse bongs looking straight into the police station office,clear as day you could see everything,those streets are narrow,proper laugh.and there was a bar/coffeeshop called hunters they gave you a hashcard(plastic card like a credit card with hunters bar and addy on)for every gram you bought hash or bud they put a sticker on your hashcard and when you had ten stickers on the card you got a gram of anything on the menu free.i remember easy times aswell,went there 'cos of the reggae,shit hot. I worked in hunters for the summer back in the late 80s, low pay but great perks, they had cardboard hashcards you got stamped to begin with, great selections both green and solid there round the corner was the coin next to the police station with the best solids and along the canal in one of the house buildings was the most wonderful but private members only coffeeshop to chill out in ( forget the name ) . All cushions and recliners with lovely scantily clothed ladies loading up bongs or pipes for you One place we always avoided like the plague was the grasshopper Last two times I went was before the Euro change and just after.......... prices went sky high, coffee went from 20p to a £1 and I stopped bothering. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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