Welcome 2017!

Hyvää uutta vuotta kaikille! Have a happy New Year! Now 2017 arrived and it is not an ordinary year. This year Finland turns 100! It was opened with a huge party at Kansalaistori and the unveiling of the new city library's name (it is going to be Oodi).

But there is more, much more to come. Throughout the year there will be loads of special events in the capital of course. On the Suomi Finland 100 website you can read up on everything you should know about the year-long birthday party. Check it out!

But for now I wish you all a great start into the new year and an amazing 2017!

Helsinki's first time cafe

There is a new pop up cafe Hauskafe in Lasipalatsi that you really should try. It is Helsinki's first time café. The concept already exist in some other big European cities and now also came to the Finnish capital.

Instead of paying for what you order you pay for the amount of time you spend here now. When you enter you receive a card marked with your entrance time. Every hour costs 5 €. During the time you spend you can have as much delicious Johan & Nyström coffee, tea and cookies as you like. 

You can also play table football, board and cosole games, read books or use the meeting room. Some special cakes and sandwiches are charged extra but still for a rather reasonable price. You can also bring your own food or beverages if you like.

For now Hauskafe will be at this location until mid December. If things go well, the cafe will be established there permanently.

Give it a try!

A new level of Forum

Now the Forum Kauppakeskus in the center has gotten bigger. After a long rennovation the lowest level has been completed and opened for the public.

Check out a lot of new shops and restaurants on additional 6000 m² downstairs and stay up to date on their special events and offers through their website.

Have a great start into the week!

Smokin' hot advertisement

In most cases advertisements are just annoying. But sometimes they manage to surprise.

Like at Iso Omena shopping center in Espoo. Here they installed a completely new way to present advertisements. This machine makes smoke fall down vertically onto the escalators and projects the add onto the falling smoke. From afar it looks like a waterfall and it is funny to see people's reaction to it. Check it out if happen to be in the area. You have to take the escalators from the supermarkets down to the parking lot.

Have your burger the NYC way!

After Ruoholahti Kauppakeskus has been renovated and modernized among other things it’s now also a great place for burger lovers.

In the entrance hall of the shopping center NYC Burger opened. And they serve exactly what you expect them to – delicious burgers. Choose for example the Harlem Burger with juicy meat, cheddar cheese, pickles, lettuce and sauce served in a burger bun that comes straight from the oven. Or just grab a paper at the counter and build your own dream burger.

During lunch you get one changing burger with potato wedges for less than 10 €. Unfortunately you can’t see find their menu online so far. So just drop by and check it out yourself.

Enjoy!

KAOS at the tram stop

HKL (Helsinki’s public transport) is renewing their tram stops in the center at the moment. And since Helsinki is the world’s design capital this year it couldn’t have been just any new stops. According to HKL the new stops are going to cover a bigger area and will over more possibilities for providing electronic information.

Together with the designer Stefan Lindfors they came up with a new modern design for the stops. The so called KAOS tram stops are going to be inaugurated on August 23^rd. 

For that occasion HKL is organizing an opening party at the new stops at Kamppi on Fredrikinkatu at 21.00. Everyone is welcome.

Something amazing is coming…

That is what is says at the flag ship store of Nokia in Aleksanterinkatu. It is the only store in the world that is actually owned by the Nokia Company itself. Currently the place is under construction and the new opening is scheduled for September 7^th.

After the huge problems the company had lately they need to come up with something great. But apparently they are working on something that is going to be revealed in September and the Nokia Flagship store will be part of that. So mark the date in your calendar and be surprised about what’s going to come.

The QR code on the windows of the store gets you to nokiagraffiti.me. Check this place out for new official announcements if you are curious to get some hints.

HelsinkiIn of course will keep you up to date.

Fresh from the garage

The Sinebrychoff brewery created a new drink for this summer. It's called Hard Lemonade.

The alcoholic drink with lemon flavor is a really nice and refreshing summer drink. Compared with other products like Bacardi Breezer or Smirnoff Ice it actually tastes way more natural and has a stronger lemon taste. 

It’s a great drink for a hot summer day. You get a bottle for around 2,50 €.   

The new shortcut to the center

Right in time for Helsinki’s 200^th anniversary as capital of Finland the new cycling and walking street Baana was opened. It is a shortcut from Ruoholahti to the Main Station in the heart of the center. With a lot of construction work an old ditch could be turned into a way that allows cyclists and pedestrians to get to the center without being bothered by cars.

And the city did its best to make the new connection attractive for people. Along the way you can find sports facilities for skating, table tennis and basketball and you can also always stop at one of the many benches.

Baana is 1,6 km long and makes cycling and walking to and from the center a lot easier, more comfortable and more save.

Itäkeskus becomes Itis

Did you know that Helsinki has the biggest shopping center in the Nordic countries? Itäkeskus in the eastern part of the city is not only big; it’s also the oldest shopping center in the Finnish capital. Its first part Pasaasi was built in 1984 and has been extended twice (1992, 2001) since then.

But especially since the older parts haven’t been undergoing any big renovation and the shopping center is located in one of the poorer and more problematic areas of the city, its reputation has suffered lately. To make it more attractive to visitors again a big media campaign was started this year. Along with that came also a new name. Itäkeskus is now Itis.

Coming up with the name was simple and at the same time quite clever. Itis has always been the nick name for Itäkeskus among Helsinki locals. A new name normaly also suggests a new look and a more modern appearance of the whole center. So far there is not much changed visible though. But renovations are in full process and should be finished till summer this year. 

Itis is anyway worth a visit. Apart from its shopping possibilities it also has its very own atmosphere that differs a lot from what you can find in the center. If you want to see a different Helsinki and get a glimpse of what the eastern part of the city is like you should take the Metro and spend an afternoon at there.