Hi hasanyoneseenmypipe1,
Beleive me m8 the Dam is right there, blows yer bloody mind, it can be full on!!!
What I have found, if your there for a bit then Haarlem is a great place to regroup the old brain cells, its a friendly place with excellent coffee shops generaly a bit less manic than the big A, the hotels are cheaper and its about 15 minutes on the trains which run 24/7.
or 40 minutes by bike.( with a fair wind and a following sea )

Have a good one and visit often

Al.