Helsinki is a small urban area by world standards with only roughly one million people living in its metropolitan region. It didn't become a proper city until 19th century when Russian Czar Alexander I had it made the capital of the newly-conquested Grand Duchy of Finland. It survived the Finnish Civil War and Second World War relatively intact, but not the wrath of 1960s city planners, who had many of the old beautiful buildings replaced with soulless POS. 1990s economic depression hit the country and Helsinki very hard, but recovery was fast-paced, and by the year 2005 city's GDP per capita was on the same level with Amsterdam and Wien.
It's an alright place to live, I suppose. My biggest gripe is the outrageous price level (10th most expensive city in the world) and cold winters (Finland is in fricking the armpit of Baltic Sea, between Abba and Stalin).
Sorry if the number of photos is too much over the top, but I couldn't decide which ones to omit.
The Lutheran Cathedral dominates the skyline from the sea
The parliament building and its front columns.
One of the primary shopping hubs in downtown, the western end of Aleksanterinkatu (Alexander's street). The department store Stockmann is holding a spring sale.
Western side entrance of Eliel Saarinen's Art Decoish railwaystation. His son Eero designed the Gateway Arch in Saint Lous.
Helsinki Cathedral
Rain-swept late midweek evening in Alexander's street.
Underground shopping tunnel (dangerous place at night)
The old headoffice of the Pohjola insurance company with its castle-like facade and devilish stone figures.
Close-up
"City Center", considered by some as the ugliest building in the city due to its very dominant position opposite to the railway station. The massive building will get a 100 million euro renovation in few years.
Street performer
Rooftops of southern Helsinki.
Central railway station metro entrance.
Esplanade street in the winter.
Esplanade street in the summer.
Ascending the stairs of Central Railway Station metro
A street in southern Helsinki, as seen from the top of a rescue station tower.
View to the suburb city of Espoo (my birthplace, yay)
The modern side of the 19th century district of Kruununhaka. The buildings belong to the University of Helsinki.
The old side of Krunununhaka
A gritty commuter rail station in northern Helsinki suburb in afternoon rain.
Museum of design.
Southern Helsinki is among the oldest areas in the city -- these prewar buildings are rather new by its standards.
Töölö district, a pure example of 1920s urban planning.
More Töölö.
And more
Crisp late winter sunset in the Hietalahti shipyard.
Headquarters of the Finnish security police Supo ("Finland's FBI").
A street called Boulevard that streches out from the downtown to the newly-built Ruoholahti district . . .
. . . which can be seen here . . .
. . . and here.
Young people at a free open air concert.
Backyard of an early 20th century buildings in the former blue-collar quarter of Kallio, now a posh district for young people and artists.
Art Nouveau, this time in yellow package.
Metro station entrance in Kallio.
Rooftops.
Eira, a fashionable early 20th century district where all the buildings are "manor"-esque, such as this one here
Another typical building in Eira. Apartment prices here go up to several million euros.
A statue in Eira
Another one
Art Nouveau disguising as "medieval building".
Agricola Church, one of the tallest structures in the city. During the war its spire was taken off, so that it wouldn't present itself as an obvious landmark for Soviet bombers.
My old apartment was in the building at the background. Built in 1913, its walls were at least half a meter thick and almost completely soundproof.
A beautiful rainbow as seen from my apartment.
It was one of those magical moments
Hope you liked.
