The core of Aalto - TKK - did exist in 2000-01. Aalto is a rebranded TKK with a few faculties from the arts side tacked on.Rosamunda wrote:Aalto didn't even exist as such in 2000-1. It has changed a lot and I hear more and more positive feedback on the place all the time (I teach in a UAS in Helsinki and I work with people who currently work in Aalto).
If you are working in Otaniemi then you don't have to stick with Tapiola. Tapiola housing is relatively expensive (unless you can get accomodation in Otaniemi itself) and the whole area is currently being dug up due to the metro expansion and suburban redevelopment. It's chaos at the moment and will be for the next 2-3 years. I wouldn't want to live there now (but it will be nice when it's all done).
There are good public transport routes into Tapiola from places like Matinkyla which, although high rise by Finnish standards, is right on the sea and packed with amenties for young families. It's only 20 mins into the city centre by bus, so a good point for travelling around the metropolitan area. And anywhere in between Tapiola and Matinkyla is good too (Olari, Niittykumpu etc ie the Länsiväylä corridor). There are also plenty of English language daycare places in Olari/Matinkyla as there are several English-language primary schools in the area. You can find more info on http://www.espoo.fi
I've continued to work with a number of profs since I left in 2001, and although a lot of departments have been reshuffled/merged, it's still the same guys.
For a researcher lifestyle - which I'm guessing Rosamunda knows little - proximity of acommodation to work can be extremely useful.
It's not always 9to5, and it's not unusual to visit work several times a day or at weekends. Living nearby helps.
If they can get one of the family apartments at Teekkarikylä that would be their best option https://campus.ayy.fi/apartment/apartme ... ail/id/319
As a foriegn family they should stand a fair chance - I had an apartment there for 6 months.
Another possibility would be Munkkiniemi / Pikku Huoplahti / Meilahti, the completion of the west-metro will come too late for the OP, but for now there's still good bus routes to Otaniemi and the English school is located around there, also puts them closer to downtown and all that it offers in terms of quality of life, over being out in the sticks (Olari, Niittykumpu etc ie the Länsiväylä corridor).
