Can people please tell me opinions and experiences about living in kotka.
I have to choose between helsinki & kotka for work placement.
Is kotka a nice place? is there many facilities? ie. sports halls, ice hockey
rinks, shops, snow skiing, bicycling tracks.
Any info please.
helsinki or kotka
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Ralf Grahn
- Posts: 70
- Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2006 6:00 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
Kotka
You could start by checking out Kotka http://www.kotka.fi >English.
http://www.kotka.fi/index.asp?language=2
Almost all Finnish municipalities have basic web information in Finnish, Swedish (maybe) and English. Most of the time you find the information on the web address www.[name].fi.
http://www.kotka.fi/index.asp?language=2
Almost all Finnish municipalities have basic web information in Finnish, Swedish (maybe) and English. Most of the time you find the information on the web address www.[name].fi.
If you check the towns web site
You will see that there are about 50,000 living in the area.
It is quite a pleasant place and in the summer quite active.
The harbour is a busy port but there are some nice parks, and pleasant islands to visit...If you like that sort of thing..
But in winter...it is a bit quiet...I found one pub where they have a bit of a social atmosphere...It was near the main central park ...But nothing much else to do...
Here is wb site that list all the pubs etc in Kotka.
http://www.vapaa-aikavirasto.com/ravintolat/?pid=149
I am sure there is a sports hall...but...not a wide choice.
It is a small to medium sized harbour town....but...
If you are looking for winter activities...doubt you will find much in Kotka.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotka
You will see that there are about 50,000 living in the area.
It is quite a pleasant place and in the summer quite active.
The harbour is a busy port but there are some nice parks, and pleasant islands to visit...If you like that sort of thing..
But in winter...it is a bit quiet...I found one pub where they have a bit of a social atmosphere...It was near the main central park ...But nothing much else to do...
Here is wb site that list all the pubs etc in Kotka.
http://www.vapaa-aikavirasto.com/ravintolat/?pid=149
I am sure there is a sports hall...but...not a wide choice.
It is a small to medium sized harbour town....but...
If you are looking for winter activities...doubt you will find much in Kotka.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotka
People do not become more irritable as they grow old - they simply stop making the effort to avoid annoying others.
I live in Kotka, and really enjoy it. Unfortunately I work in Vantaa and spend quite a bit of time driving. Kotka has a better atmosphere than many similarly sized Finnish towns. Not sure why, maybe the history of the port, the parks or people in general. Paper factories can stink if the wind is right. Great place for raising kids and the cost of living is much lower than Helsinki.
It all really depends on where you are at in your life. If you are looking for a beautiful, quiet place for your family with enough culture to keep things somewhat interesting, Kotka is a great place. Housing is much more affordable too. If you are looking for an extremely active social life, and a larger community of immigrants, then Helsinki is definitely the better choice.
Sounds like job hunting isn't a problem for you. My wife's family is in Kotka, and I've fallen in love with it, but there's a reason I work in Vantaa. Kotka is not the best place for a foreigner to find work unless you are involved in the paper industry or shipping. I'm not, so unless I want to keep spending 3 hours in the car every day I'll be moving eventually. Wish I could stay though.
Eric
It all really depends on where you are at in your life. If you are looking for a beautiful, quiet place for your family with enough culture to keep things somewhat interesting, Kotka is a great place. Housing is much more affordable too. If you are looking for an extremely active social life, and a larger community of immigrants, then Helsinki is definitely the better choice.
Sounds like job hunting isn't a problem for you. My wife's family is in Kotka, and I've fallen in love with it, but there's a reason I work in Vantaa. Kotka is not the best place for a foreigner to find work unless you are involved in the paper industry or shipping. I'm not, so unless I want to keep spending 3 hours in the car every day I'll be moving eventually. Wish I could stay though.
Eric
Kotka, if you're more into tranquility. Although Kotka and its surroundings (Hovinsaari, Mussalo, Karhula, Karhuvuori, Aittakorpi, etc.) are peaceful and quiet, there are still numerous places (ie. bars) and occasions (ie. seadays which draws about 150-250 000 people), for socializing. Also understand that by tranquility, peaceful and quiet I by no means insinuate that Kotka is made of wood and hay and locates in the middle of nowhere. And yes, we have your aforementioned sports capabilities and shops.
Helsinki, if you're more into socializing. Basically that's all I have to say about Helsinki. Expensive, everyone's angry and in a hurry. Only good for shopping.
So I'd say Kotka, definitely. Jobs and friends are relatively easy to acquire. Heck, I'll even personally give you a tour around the place and buy you a beer would you decide to move here.
Helsinki, if you're more into socializing. Basically that's all I have to say about Helsinki. Expensive, everyone's angry and in a hurry. Only good for shopping.
So I'd say Kotka, definitely. Jobs and friends are relatively easy to acquire. Heck, I'll even personally give you a tour around the place and buy you a beer would you decide to move here.