Beth Morton, a 28-year-old writer, lives in the garden city, Tapiola, which is also one of the major urban centres in Espoo.
Where do you live?
I live in Pohjois-Tapiola, on Keijumäki which is just off Louhentie.
How long have you lived there?
I have lived here for two years.
What kind of neighbourhood is it?
It is in the suburbs in Espoo, a 15-minute bus ride from the Helsinki city centre.
What do you like about your neighbourhood?
My neighbours are really friendly and will always stop and speak to me, even if they see me out and about elsewhere. I love the area where I live. Our building is surrounded by trees, lawns and wildlife. There is a park just beside our building which comes really handy for picnics in the summer.
Our little neighbourhood is really convenient for everything. We have a supermarket just a two-minute walk away and further down the street we have Pohjantori, which is filled with a few hairdressers, a couple of restaurants and another reasonably sized supermarket.
What is special about your neighbourhood?
The most special thing about my neighbourhood is that it is peaceful and quiet but also near enough to the hubbub of the city when we want it. The many paths to other neighbouring suburbs mean that we can easily walk to the Otaniemi area and also straight down to Tapiola city centre for the bigger and better variety of shops. We are in no way cut off from any conveniences, yet still get to enjoy the tranquillity of our little area. The main roads through Pohjois-Tapiola provide us with great bus connections and regular services that make even getting into Helsinki easy.
Please recommend one shop or service in your neighbourhood that you would like to promote.
Grilli Toro, a restaurant on Louhentie, a place for those who like their meat. The steaks are amazing and the portion sizes are huge for an extremely reasonable price. The place is very popular with the locals.
Other things you would like HT readers to know about your neighbourhood?
One more thing that makes Pohjois-Tapiola special is its spectacular views if you manage to get up high enough. I live on the sixth floor of my building and the view is stunning. I can see all of Otaniemi, which is like a red city with the iconic red brick of the Aalto university buildings, and can even see as far as the cathedral in Helsinki on the horizon. As I work from home most of the time, the view is a welcome part of my working day.
HELSINKI TIMES
