Matti Pyykkö
Anna Airola
英語
You can feel like a true Helsinkian at the central railway station.
From the city of Kokkola on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia to Helsinki in 2014. And five years later to play the lead in a hugely popular television show on the national broadcasting network as a coffeeshop owner in the trendy Kallio district. This was Anna Airola's route from the provinces to become the face of life in the big city.
"Helsinki is such a lovely hotpot of people, full of all kinds of people from everywhere. A large number of my friends have moved here from somewhere else. I love Helsinki, its cultural scene, nature and the sea. The size is perfect, I don't need anything more."
Size is a relative concept, and one that changes through time. "The city has become smaller and smaller. At the same time, my own tracks and circles have remained pretty much the same throughout. I've noticed that everyone in Helsinki has their own ways of being, their own places and routes. Then there are also many places that I know nothing about. That is also fabulous!"
For Airola, Helsinki was a logical destination as she already had family and siblings in the city. "In the beginning I had somewhat of a rebellious phase. I was annoyed by the metro and the expressionless faces. From those moments, my relationship has only gotten better and I don't think of the local residents as only expressionless, even if avoiding eye contact on the metro still feels strange to me."
Airola got to know the city on her bike and by riding the tram. "A friend invited me on a bike trip right when I moved here. When we cycled along the shoreline, I realised how places relate to one another and started to build my map of the city. Regardless of having already lived in Helsinki or a while, I suddenly noticed that you can really walk everywhere. The distances are short, and you don't always need the metro. You can walk and bike everywhere."
Your local guides
Select any filter and click on Apply to see results
Out of all cinemas in Finland and Helsinki, Kino Engel is my favourite. It is small and quaint, the location is central and most importantly they have the best film selection. They screen, for instance, many European movies you might not catch elsewhere. The last film that made an impression on me there was probably the Japanese film Shoplifters.
Arkadia International Bookshop looks small from the street, like a regular second hand bookshop. In reality it's huge, they have a big selection of books in many languages. They host concerts, art exhibitions, discussions and other events downstairs. Arkadia is a living room for encounters, you get to know new people easily over coffee. The manager is my uncle Ian Bourgeot, a citizen of the world who arrived in Finland in the 90s. He is a funny and stylish gentleman, and makes amazing paintings on top of everything.
If you want to experience the forest and the sea at the same time, the Arboretum in Viikki is the place to go to. An amazing forest with good public transport connections. I often head there for a run.
The tram number 1 starts off in the southern downtown area, travels slowly through the most beautiful districts and ends up in Käpylä. I love the final stops most of all. On Käpylä's Pohjolankatu, you can find for instance an old-time canopy kiosk as well as Cafe Saurahuone. Riding the tramline number 1 is an excellent idea for a day off. My tip for anyone visiting Helsinki is to go to the park, or ride a tram! It's a great way to see the city. On a tram, you basically only stay in central zones so getting lost is not a huge risk.
I love trains. For me, traveling by train is a luxury, it's so fast and amazing. I've started trips from the Helsinki Central Railway Station to, for example, Mongolia and Beijing via Moscow. I live in the Käpylä district nowadays, and I sometimes head to the city centre just for the trains. Helsinki's Central Railway Station has of course an ambiance of its own. I remember traveling to Helsinki by train as a child. The station was the first place I saw. It was so big! As a teenager I loved that nobody would stare at me, like who is that. I could disappear in the crowd. Nowadays I run into people I know and I can feel like a proper Helsinkian.
The place doesn't look like much from the outside, but it is by far the best Chinese restaurant in Finland. I think about Chengdu's tofu dish at least twice a week, it's so good! I visit Chengdu whenever I'm around Kulosaari. I first found it by accident. I only read a review in the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper afterwards. They didn't rave about it for no reason!