A ntwerp, Belgium has turned its once-violent prostitution zone into an incredibly safe and efficient red light district, criminology professor Ronald Weitzer writes in a fascinating book that advocates for legalizing prostitution. His book, " Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Lawful Business , " shows pictures of the pristine district, which is far from the city's center and resembles an upscale outlet mall on a slow day.
The new sex district was created in , after a decade when Antwerp faced a growing problem of dangerous prostitution in the part of the city where sailors stayed.
Mobsters moved onto those streets and occasionally fought, driving out non-prostitution businesses, Weitzer writes. In , the city's mayor squeezed prostitution into a heavily regulated, three-block "tolerance zone. This regulation makes Antwerp's red light district a relaxing place to visit, even if it may not be as entertaining as other red light districts. Related stories. A New York Times Magazine travel piece described the city's prostitution district as the perfect place for an after-dinner walk:.
Inside the tiny, large-windowed storefronts, women of all ages, races and shapes chatted on cell phones, read magazines or posed suggestively. Many were strikingly beautiful and most, apparently health conscious, had large bottles of spring water beside their stools. These women may be happier than sex workers in other red light districts because they get to socialize with one another.
While "window rooms" in other districts may be relatively siloed, the units in Antwerp are connected in blocks of three, five, or seven units, according to Weitzer. Antwerp's prostitution zone is pretty much the antithesis of the spectacle found in Amsterdam.
