I have a vague recollection from one of my first trips of an old alley way, leading to a courtyard, which had half a dozen to a dozen windows. I think it was round Oudekerksplein. I believe it is now long closed.

Can anyone else remember or confirm this?

Cheers.

Memory might be failing me, perhaps with age, or other things.

Yes you're correct. Was next to the now closed sex cinema facing the church as well.

I'm thinking at least 12-13 years ago?

Yeah, it was still open in 2008 (the first time I visited De Wallen) but I think it closed less than a year thereafter.

Aye it had “recently” closed before my first trip in early 2010, unsure if I’m imagining things I’m sure it was gated for a while and you could still see down there. Didn’t fashion windows take over?

I recall from my first few trips the Venus sex shop / cinema next to it. That thin alley used to feel really dodgy in the dark. Now it’s all crappy coffee shops and radio stations (I think the stupid coffee shop next to the red lights on the end is also now closed?)

And, also (again lol), going even further back, just around the corner, wasn’t the alleyway between the chicken shop / sex shop and the Emmelot bar also a red lit alley at one point? With the mirror at the end. I’d loved to have seen Amsterdam “back in the day” in the 80s and 90s, just to see the difference to now.

Good find, HC.

Was it called Slapersteeg?

This view is from OZVB and the map indicates that the unfortunately named Slaperssteg would run all along the back of that building on Oudekerkspleine.

http://www.amsterdam-red-light-district ... steeg.html

Found a 360 of it on that site.

Click just NNW of Oude Kerk .

http://www.amsterdam-red-light-district ... hotos.html

A good trip down memory lane this.

I’m intrigued by the photo of the entrance on George’s interactive map. My memory was that the NO SEX sign went up after the Windows were decomissioned, but before the gate was fitted, to stop people heading down there but the neon OPEN sign is still lit. If Sex wasn’t for sale down there, what was? :-)

Looks like, from George’s captions, that the courtyard used to be accesible from the rear, via Slaperssteeg in the 90’s and I do vaguely remember rumours when it opened in the noughties that this was a “re-opening” but I wasn’t even aware of Slaperssteeg when I visited in the 90’s.

Look what I found in the Archives

Interesting.

Apparently this was known as Ouderkerksplein Hofje.

Looking at this 360, I see no obvious connection to Slaperssteeg, but of course, there may have been some construction involved in the area.
https://kuula.co/share/7lpX5?zoom=1

I had no idea that these two things connected! You learn something every day!

And yes, there was a “no sex” sign for a while and the courtyard was used for fashion boutiques, unless I'm going crazy.

I've over this weekend. I'll do some sleuthing.

Still open?

Another excellent find, mate.

The POV walkthrough seems to trigger those vague memories again.

I'm actually meant to be there Mon-Thu, next week. Just swithering over whether the Quentin England Hotel is good enough.

I'll certainly have a look if I am there. I'll also have a look down the other possible entrance.

I first went in early 2009 so I guess the court yard area was still open then, but I must have mist it.



I guess the woman in the blue jeans was the famous Annie ;)




I also seem to remember fashion shops down there, but im not sure if I actually went in.

Interesting post so far.

I have been coming to Amsterdam since 1999. I remember the courtyard. Next to where the red light radio is today. I forgot when it closed but it has to be 10 years now.

Did anyone have any session in that courtyard back in the days? How was the services? What kind of girls used to work in there? When was that?

Yeah, I was winding old Kurt up but he didn’t take the bait. Tessa was another Forum favourite. Sadly no-one of Annie or Tessa’s quality resided in the ‘Hofje’.

Trompettersteeg was/is a narrow red light alley that had a mirror above one of the doors. That was Sherida's Kamer. Sherida worked days and always put a mirror above her door so she could see who was coming. (no pun intended) Does anyone know if she's still working anywhere or has she retired to Aruba?

I believe that was the entrance to a small courtyard that had perhaps a half dozen windows, mostly black or Hispanic women. I may have had a session there at some point, but I'm even older now and some memories, even the good and great ones are sometimes a tad fuzzy, or a bit exaggerated. But then, as I overheard one WWII vet say over twenty years ago, "Hell, we all remember things that never happened!"

I wish she was in Aruba. Still on Tromp.