Exchange student from UK - Live in Espoo or Helsinki?

unscientific · Post by **unscientific** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 1:01 am

Hi everyone, I would be spending my summer in Finland, working at Aalto University for 3 months. I'm trying to decide where to live - Helsinki or Espoo. I'm thinking Helsinki has a greater student population so it would be easier to meet people, and is a city with better night life? I'm definitely into pubs and bars

On the other hand, Espoo is closer to Aalto University so that would mean less travelling time, and Espoo seems to be cheaper to live in than Helsinki.

Would be good to get input from people living in Helsinki/Espoo, cheers.

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riku2 · Post by **riku2** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 2:22 am

I would recommend helsinki, it's where everything happens. espoo is a suburb of helsinki (although finns would pedantically point out it's a separate city) and like any suburb it's a shadow of what happens in the capital. Think of studying in Watford and living in London. Watford is (for the pedantic ones) not part of greater london but it's really an extended suburb of the capital and everything interesting lies just south of there.

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:13 am

Espoo isn't a suburb of Helsinki. It is a collection of suburbs. Otaniemi at one edge of it is faster reach from parts of Helsinki than from good part of rest of Espoo.

Espoo is closer to Aalto University so that would mean less travelling time

If you'd live in Otaniemi itself or in Tapiola you could walk to work (both also have good bus connections to Helsinki center). Otherwise the statement isn't at all necessarily true.

Considering it is summer so there isn't much happening in Otaniemi, I'd prefer Helsinki city center. If you can't get anything (reasonably priced), I'd start looking something close to it or the Otaniemi campus, using map and public transportation times ( https://www.hsl.fi/en - preferably a direct reasonably frequent route) as a guide. The official city limit really only affects the bus ticket price and it is hardly an significant issue and you'd be working in Espoo and spending likely most of your spare time in Helsinki anyway.

inkku · Post by **inkku** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 9:04 am

I think you have two basic choices: either Otaniemi or somewhere in Toolo or central Helsinki.

Otaniemi itself is a lively place, loads of parties etc. Yet, during the summer time it could be a bit quieter. Good transrpot links to Helsinki.

If you move to Helsinki, move to the Western-Central side (Lauttasaari, Meilahti, Toolo, Kamppi) so that you can easily catch a bus from there. The bus ticket to Otaniemi will cost more from Helsinki but you could also get a bike, it is a nice route to Otaniemi.

Forget about Tapiola, or elsewhere in Espoo.

CH · Post by CH » Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:18 am

I would pick the student housing at Otaniemi Campus ("Teekkarikylä"). Especially if you will be working there. Cheaper accomodation, you are right at the campus, and easy access to downtown Helsinki via either bus or train (in nearby Leppävaara).

Both Leppävaara and Tapiola are right next to Otaniemi, and have both shopping malls, libraries, and movie theatres.

But either way, I would choose student housing. The page for student housing seems to only mention summer housing in Teekkarikylä (in Otaniemi), if I read it correctly, though.

unscientific · Post by **unscientific** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 5:20 pm

Thanks for all the reply guys, I really appreciate it.

I've decided to live in Helsinki. I have browsed several websites and noticed that most of the housing is reserved for students at Helsinki/aalto -

https://campus.ayy.fi

Only available housing on AYY is in Tekkarri Village, Espoo.

http://www.hoas.fi/www/hoaswww.nsf/sp?o ... ntent835BC

No housing in Helsinki for hoas either.

For a non-student like me, are there other options available?

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 6:15 pm

If you can get a flat in Otaniemi (Teekkari Village), I'd consider that a very good option. You can walk to work and afterwards take frequent and pretty fast bus to city center, and return is available until quite late in the evening/night (check the time tables). I'd consider it better than most of Helsinki, and student apartments in the center don't exist in that great numbers.

cors187 · Post by **cors187** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 7:11 pm

Would be good to get input from people living in Helsinki/Espoo, cheers.

almost the whole of the outer city limits, espoo and vantaa is exactly the same.
espoonlahti in the west to vuosaari in the east, all around the Keha III, its all the same.

inkku · Post by **inkku** » Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:37 pm

http://www.hoas.fi/www/hoaswww.nsf/sp2? ... entD7370-2

http://www.hoas.fi/www/hoaswww.nsf/sp2? ... keskustelu

Liam1 · Post by **Liam1** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 9:16 am

I live in Espoo and it's great......

...for a 40 something with 3 kids and a mortgage. It is not where I would choose as a student or post grad 20 something though!

One point already made that I would stress is that "Helsinki" is only really good for student life in the central areas too. Therefore if you cannot get / afford these areas, you might as well live in Eastern Espoo (e.g. Leppävaara - Helsinki centre takes 15 min by train and there are ca 10 bus or train options per hour. Even between 11pm & 2am there are 4-5 buses/trains per hour.

Therefore if I were you I'd live in central Helsinki, but if not, don't fall in love with the idea of "any" Helsinki as it can be further away from the centre and no more intresting than the area around your college.

If in doubt use the following route planner https://www.hsl.fi/en. Plug in the area that you are interested in and check travel times / frequency to your college and also Kamppi (central station in Helsinki).

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 2:23 pm

Its also "which Espoo" as you can live in Lahnus and wonder the moose droppings on your yard...

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Mon Mar 17, 2014 2:25 pm

To Otaniemi the "Jokeri" route is also one ofvyhose routes thst have some better and worse spots...

MC Deli · Post by **MC Deli** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 12:21 am

My two cents:
Pick up the phone and speak to Hoas. They have some amazing flats all over town - if you can get past the waiting list.

If you want nightlife and to feel like you are in the action then anywhere in the central Helsinki peninsula but also out through Hakaniemi, Kallio - and Töölö.
The buses/Metro are very quick. Kallio would be great as a student but you might not like the 30-40 min commute to Aalto (always check Reittiopas because some routes can be very quick).

If you want nightlife and to feel like you are in the action then avoid Espoo and Lauttasaari (known as sleep city for a reason).

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue Mar 18, 2014 6:34 am

MC Deli wrote: If you want nightlife and to feel like you are in the action then avoid Espoo and Lauttasaari (known as sleep city for a reason).

Depends on the public transportation connection between the place and center (the link has been posted many times already). But for many places after 2 am or so you'd need to depend on your feet, (the rather expensive) taxi or somebody else's bed.

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