When thinking of Amsterdam, many of us still recall the youthful thrill of sneaking away to Europe's temptation capital for a weekend of slightly illicit pleasures. Whether you were escaping from university, family or straight-laced society, Amsterdam offered a panacea for the puritanical.
For years, Amsterdam has been something of a European sister to San Francisco: the socially progressive experiment on the Continent. And not unlike the manner in which the City by the Bay has become the bearer of the future, so, too, has Amsterdam evolved into a hub for design, style, culture and gastronomy.
You might think you know Amsterdam from your youthful escapades, but the city is far more than its coffee shops, bathhouses and all-night bacchanals.
Amsterdam is in the midst of a cultural renaissance that was ushered in with the gloriously restored Rijksmuseum reopened in its entirety in 2013 and was named 2015's European Museum of the Year for its seamless integration of the 21st century addition with its historical structure.
Notable for the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1827, followed by the opening of the first gay bar in 1927, Amsterdam is considered to be the birthplace of LGBT rights. The city's Homomonument was the world's first to the LGBT community, commemorating those who have been persecuted throughout history. The annual King's Night outdoor party there brings together a blissfully broad smorgasbord of the city's most spirited and fabulous residents.
While much of LGBT nightlife still centers around Reguliersdwarsstraat in the city center, equally alluring are neighborhoods such as the Jordaan, where local legend Marcel Wanders, dubbed the "Lady Gaga of design" by the New York Times, has a massive design studio with his signature Moooi gallery in a former 19th century school. Equally alluring, the Nine Streets neighborhood is a haven of vintage and designer shops, galleries, cafes and juice boutiques.
Amsterdam's renewed design focus has resulted in the rebirth of bars such as A l'Elephant du Congo, with sleek interiors by celebrated designers, alongside the opening of five-star hotels, like the Conservatorium housed in the city's erstwhile conservatory.
Alongside the newly resplendent Rijksmuseum, the entire Museumplein area has been reinvigorated by the expansion of the Van Gogh Museum, one of the world's most visited museums.
Annual LGBT events include Amsterdam Gay Pride, with its world-famous Canal Parade, and the massive weekend-long parties at Rapido, one of the world's most beloved LGBT nightclubs. In honor of World AIDS Day, Paradiso hosts Lovedance, a hilarious, chaotic bash that bursts with food, theater and dancing until the sun rises the next day.
In truth, Amsterdam might be even more tempting now than it was in your feckless youth.