Developing areas of Espoo

by **user2** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 4:46 pm

Maybe this question is too "esoteric" or rather weird to ask, but what are the developing (currently dull) areas of Helsinki/Espoo/Vantaa (or even nearby) to watch out for?

Well, I am speaking of those kind of areas what Matinkylä & Leppävaara were 6 years ago!!! And now they are most wanted with prices sky high.

Any comments on areas like Espoonlahti, Pisa, Soukka, Saunalahti?.. Though I don't think any big building like "Sello" is being planned there.

Also does anyone know what future developments in Leppävaara are being planned. Would it be safe to buy expensive apartment in this area?

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by **otyikondo** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 5:11 pm

user2 wrote:Maybe this question is too "esoteric" or rather weird to ask, but what are the developing (currently dull) areas of Helsinki/Espoo/Vantaa (or even nearby) to watch out for?

Well, I am speaking of those kind of areas what Matinkylä & Leppävaara were 6 years ago!!! And now they are most wanted with prices sky high.

Any comments on areas like Espoonlahti, Pisa, Soukka, Saunalahti?.. Though I don't think any big building like "Sello" is being planned there.

Longshot: Espoon Keskus itself. The local councillors may sooner (or later) realise how much they have neglected the place where they work and almost universally do NOT live. Plans are afoot - something arrived in the letter box not long ago - for the main Espoo Library to come, plus a new mall to replace and/or beef up the useless Espoontori, plus an "urban centre". The fast train link is to be extended from L'vaara out to Espoon Keskus, which will make the place more attractive to commuters, too. I think the arrival of a Bishop in the neighbourhood (and the upgrading of the Church to a Cathedral) may have given the councillors pause for thought. They've faffed about with the place for far too long.

If Matinkylä and Leppävaara are your examples, however, then it seems the only way to push property values up is to build a @#$% great shopping mall. Not sure I WANT to live on top of Shopper's Paradise.

by **penelope** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 5:43 pm

Hentää and Suurpelto. Just off Keha II good access to everywhere (Leppavaara, Iso-Omena), Central Park within walking range.... and site of the huge new campus area including Finnish / Swedish schools and adult learning centre and the new Espoo International School.

Also anywhere along the new metro line corridor which could eventually go as far as Kauklahti. Kauklahti is IMO a safe bet too.

by **otyikondo** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 5:48 pm

penelope wrote:Hentää and Suurpelto. Just off Keha II good access to everywhere (Leppavaara, Iso-Omena), Central Park within walking range.... and site of the huge new campus area including Finnish / Swedish schools and adult learning centre and the new Espoo International School.

Also anywhere along the new metro line corridor which could eventually go as far as Kauklahti. Kauklahti is IMO a safe bet too.

Yes, Hentta is going to change radically (more's the pity, as it's a lovely bit of lungs in the middle of Espoo), but you'd need a certain amount of radical chic to move in there right now, as it will be a long process and the services will take their time coming. You'd be buying into a greenfield site.

by **user2** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:06 pm

About new metro line that Penelope mentioned, has there been any news about it?

I guess they will eventually build the Metro till Matinkylä & beyond upto Kauklahti, but when

by **otyikondo** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:12 pm

user2 wrote:About new metro line that Penelope mentioned, has there been any news about it?

I guess they will eventually build the Metro till Matinkylä & beyond upto Kauklahti.

I must say I'd not heard of any plans to run a metro line to Kauklahti. Seems a bit pointless, since Kauklahti already has an good-to-excellent train connection. Actually I thought Penelope was referring to the speeding up of rail links on the overground line, as I was. That will come a damn sight sooner than any Western metro extension, and at a much more reasonable price-tag for the residents of Espoo. The principal reason why the western extension has NOT come as yet is because car-bound Espoolites in the flesh-pots of the southern suburbs really couldn't give a hoot about better mass transit, while they can zoom in on Länsiväylä and either do park-and-ride at Ruoholahti or take the car to work.

by **penelope** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:38 pm

There are many, many people in Matinkyla, Kivenlahti, Saunalahti, who use public transport (or would if it existed), not to mention everyone in Tapiola, Olari..... we don't all live in OKT with matching 4x4 and petrol cards :wink:

I might have made up the Kauklahti bit.... sure it already has the train. But if there is a new metro line it would have to end somewhere and presumably a train station would make a good hub/terminus. I haven't seen any new info recently. There was some revival of interest during the elections last year as several candidates mentioned it.

by **otyikondo** » Fri Nov 04, 2005 12:19 am

penelope wrote:There are many, many people in Matinkyla, Kivenlahti, Saunalahti, who use public transport (or would if it existed), not to mention everyone in Tapiola, Olari..... we don't all live in OKT with matching 4x4 and petrol cards

I might have made up the Kauklahti bit.... sure it already has the train. But if there is a new metro line it would have to end somewhere and presumably a train station would make a good hub/terminus. I haven't seen any new info recently. There was some revival of interest during the elections last year as several candidates mentioned it.

I've not seen any official plans that go any further west than Matinkylä. Which would kind of leave the Espoonlahti and Saunalahti folks looking like a beached whale. There are also those who fear that the introduction of a good mass transit along the southern corridor would lead to the over-development of the area, to the detriment of their park spaces. And let's not even mention the obstructionism being put up by HKL and others in Helsinki...

Running a line north to Kauklahti from a theoretical western end at Kivenlahti would be extremely costly in terms of the present density of population along Kauklahdenväylä who would presumably be using it. If they decide to massively develop that region, all well and good, though I suspect Nimbyism will rear its ugly head if that happens and the detached house bigade hear that there are going to be 5,000 new apartment and row-house dwellings on their doorstep.