In my opinion, Helsinki has become livelier... a bit happier... and a bit more vibrant since I first started coming over.

I first came during Covid and have been over a fair amount subsequently.

I'm not sure if what I'm experiencing is the tail end of the 'Covid bounce back' and if it was quiet before because of the pandemic; or if it genuinely feels more open here than it did even just a few years ago.

Partly, I think I just know my way around a bit more.

I think I'm becoming used to the fact that the city doesn't shout at you, and you kind of have to go and find things if you want to enjoy them.

But also... people seem more open to chatting, the atmosphere is lighter, it feels busier and more bustling...

Before, I'd come over for work and sort of... enjoy the Finnish culture (sauna and such) but feel a little disappointed that I couldn't find a sense of life and fun in the city.

People would talk about the sacredness of silence, and I'd receive that as kind of profound but also maybe a little over-serious.

Somehow it just feels a bit different this time around.

I feel light here, I feel a sense of buzz... it feels more like the cities that I'm familiar with.

I really like it!

Come join everyone! It's going down on Oct 24! Here's the event text:

Konepaja Spoken Word is Helsinki's monthly English-language open stage for spoken word, poetry, and performance. It is organized by Helsinki Poetry Connection in collaboration with Kino Konepaja and Catalysti Association of Transcultural Artists.

Hop on stage or just come and listen and be part of the community. The evenings are open to both first-time performers and experienced artists. The focus is on sharing, experimentation, risk-taking, and live encounters. We would love to hear your words, whether carefully crafted or spontaneous. To reserve a performance slot, please sign up below. This open stage welcomes poets, performers, storytellers, and experimental voices working with text, voice, movement, sound, and presence. Whether your work leans toward poetry, performance art, short fiction, monologue, or something in between and beyond, this is a space to try out material, share ongoing processes, and meet others working with language and performance in Helsinki.

Save the dates and sign up through this link if you want to perform: https://forms.gle/3rzGssgLXGsWvf916!

October 24: "SYMBOLS" (with bilingual translator and poet Kasper Salonen)
November 21: THEME TBA
December 12: THEME TBA

You don't necessarily have to follow the theme, it's to provide a prompt for those who choose.

5 minutes per performance

The events are held in English, but all languages are welcome on stage.

Free admission
Location: Kino Konepaja, Konepajanpasaasi, Vallila, Helsinki

Arrival 7 PM
Open mic showtime 7:30 PM
Afterparty 10 PM to midnight

Our events follow HPC's safer space guidelines as found on HPC’s website. We want this event to be safe and welcoming for everyone. By attending, you agree to respect people’s boundaries. If you feel unsafe or witness something concerning, please speak to the organizers.

https://www.helsinkipoetryconnection.fi/en/all-events/konepaja-spoken-word/

Moi, hakusessa olis laajalla olutvalikoimalla varustettuja pubeja/baareja ens viikon visiittiä varten. Tilat saa olla minkänäköiset vaan, kunhan tarjonta on monipuolista. Vertailukohtana voisi valikoiman laajuuden puolesta toimia Tampereella Kultainen Apina. Mitäs tulee mieleen?

Hey all! I've posted here before about a similar event I ran in the past with D&D, but for the Halloween season I have arranged a Call of Cthulhu event that should give you that spooky fix during this time of the year.

If you have never played Call of Cthulhu before, do not fret, I will be there to explain it.

They are four dates open, them being:

Friday, October 23
Saturday, October 24
Friday, October 30
Saturday, October 31 (Halloween)

If you have any questions, I will be here to answer them.

You can sign up via the link below:
https://forms.gle/qhhvyZZgqpYk5qff7

Hey, so I was flying from Tokio to Germany recently and had a stop at the Helsinki airport. I don't know what it is, but I caught myself over and over again, thinking about how beautiful Helsinki looked during the landing. I immediately made plans about wanting to visit in 2027.

How long should I plan my vacation, to get a good look at the city? Is 1 week enough? Or should I extend to 2 weeks and visit places outside of Helsinki as well?

And also, what should I make sure to absolutely visit while I'm there?

How good can I manage without a rental car? (I do not drive, so I am reliant on public transportation).

I'd be very happy about a short reply, thanks!

Ollaan tulossa Placebon keikalle sunnuntaina (Veikkaus areena) ja hotelli on ihan keskustassa. Onko suosituksia mihin mennä jatkamaan iltaa keikan jälkeen? Suotavaa olis että pääsee fiksusti julkisilla liikkumaan.

Hi! I spotted a light silver-grey, long-haired cat in Arabia today around 8:35 PM. It looked like a medium-sized adult cat with a long, very fluffy tail, possibly resembling a silver Siberian cat.

It ran across Hämeentie towards the football field. It ran off pretty quickly, so I couldn't get a photo, but I've attached the exact location and a sample image.

I'm not sure if it's someone's lost pet. I've seen cats outside during summer, but usually around their homes or gardens.

I want to ask if it is normal to see one roaming around at this hour (pretty dark outside) and in this weather (around 10 degrees) especially crossing a road? Thankfully there were no cars at the time.

I checked some lost cat listings but couldn't find anything nearby (maybe someone who speaks Finnish would have better luck). I don't use other social media, so I thought I'd ask here just in case someone is looking for it.

Location:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/KzJgwKBccoPzjJDW7

Hei,

Posting this as I really want to know as many cultures as possible.

I am a curious person and the mix of cultures in Finland is quite interesting. In June I decided to move here and I am living now in Tikkurila. As I am full time employed, my free time is a bit limited but I want to use this free time to know as many people as possible.

Usually i get easily attached into any kind of hobbies and activities, I enjoy staying indoors as much as I like a good hike with nice company. I enjoy hanging out for a nice conversation as much as I enjoy a good club or festival..what I am trying to say is that I am kinda into everything:))..is that bad?

I am male, European so if you feel interested in sharing or also connect with new people I am more than open to chat and also hang out.

PS. Was a bit shy to post this so apologize if I don't make to much sense :)

Hi, I will be at Slush on 18-19th Nov. I would need a ticket for me and my co-founder but the official site is sold out. Also, I would appreciate any tips for places to stay. Happy to hearing from you!

I will be arriving in Helsinki tomorrow at 12 PM, and we will be driving to Tampere. Could you recommend some places along the way where we can make short stops and try some good local food? Also, what are the must-try foods in Helsinki, and where would you recommend eating them?

Moi! 31F, just moved to Finland. I’m just wondering if there are places to meet for coffee or beer in Helsinki. Especially during winter. It’s going to be my first winter too, so I’m hoping to meet new friends. 🙏 Kiitos paljon!

Hei! For those who went to see Wardruna yesterday how was it? Did they play mostly new songs or good oldies as well? If you're going today or tomorrow, I'd love to hear how it was :)

I'm considering going to see them in Tallinn on the 16th. I don't go to concerts often because they can be overwhelming. But I've wanted to see Wardruna live ever since I discovered their music.. Tempting! Thank youu :)

Hey, I found the last post talking about this to be 4 years ago

https://www.reddit.com/r/helsinki/s/jnHAR0hYXS

Perhaps anyone wants to reestablish their recommendation or add new ones? :)

We are 4 architecture students coming from berlin. We have a design project based in Helsinki so we have come here until sunday to check out the site and how the city operates. For each one of us this is the first time in Finland so we are getting to know Helsinki the tourist way and it has been very nice until now.

Maybe there are some recommendations for bars or places to visit for us over the week to get a drink and to see where peers in the city hang out :))

Also very important - where can we get heets for iqos?!?!

Thank youu :))

This february a friend and I are going to helsinki to do some ice skating and to play some hockey outdoors.

The problem is it is very hard and expensive to take our sricks on the plane.

Does anyone know a place where we can get sticks?

Not necessarily buy them, but borrow them or just get some old ones from somewhere.

Anyone have some left sticks we can use in our one week in finland?

Hei!
Olen 27v nainen, etsin minduun kautta juuri psykoterapeuttia kelan kuntoutuspsykoterapiaa varten. Onko kenelläkään ollut hyvää terapeuttia? Itse haluan jonkun joka työntää ja analysoi psyykettäni eikä anna vaan jotain hengitysharjoituksia kotiin. Mielellään nainen.
Kiitos :)

Hi all! I am a solo traveler from the USA (M28) on a 6 week backpacking trip as a post-PhD trip/break. My next few days are in Helsinki and am wondering if anyone would either have suggestions or would be up for a cafe or a meal/drink? I've seen the cathedral and public library and am planning a sauna tomorrow and perhaps Kallio tonight? But otherwise Helsinki seems a bit more quiet than I expected. I just came from copenhagen, gothenburg, and Stockholm and head to Tallinn in 2 days.

Thanks for anything in advance! :)

I am going to Helsinki just for a night and sadly it will be monday. Is there any bar where i can meet people and so?

I am a beginner/intermediate guitarist that wants to learn more about metal guitar, being in one of the metal capitals of the world I figured there may be some lessons around, anyone know where I can look for them? I am actually in Espoo but regularly go to Helsinki so either place works!

I wanna improve my skills and write songs. Any help or pointers are appreciated!

A little arrangement of a gorgeous piece by Jean Sibelius: https://youtube.com/shorts/P1-8dhiMOYE?is=VAdBih_gx9iodQlr

Hi all - I am going to Helsinki at the end of January 2027 (Thur to Sun) and would love to do some kind of snow-shoeing/cross country skiing excursion. I am a complete beginner and have never done it before. Can anyone recommend any companies that organise such trips please?

I’ll be visiting Helsinki in a few months. There are so many things I want to see and do in Finland, but there’s one person I’ve heard about whom I really want to meet: Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

I’ve heard that he’s pretty chill and nerdy guy and he often visits random cafés in Helsinki to chat with people, just like an ordinary guy enjoying a relaxed day (as if being the Finnish president were a chill job 😂). Apparently, he also talks about all sorts of topics beyond politics, which makes him even more interesting to me.

I heard he's pretty easy to find tbh but I'm not really sure if he still does this just like in his prime minister days. But from what I search and researched he still does. This video made by Geography Now where he visits Finland shows him meeting with the Stubb (at the time PM) at some random cafe He meets stubb around 1:48.

Also if he still does go to random cafes and chat to random people, Does he usually go to the same place or its most of the time random?

I know it is pretty much in vain to ask at this point, but I still wanted to know about CVs for applying for jobs here in Finland. I moved here as an international student in 2024, originally from South Asia, 28F. I have been applying to all sorts of jobs ever since I came here, but yeah, so far nothing.

What are the usual ways to build CVs for the jobs here? I always applied with a one-page CV that followed Harvard resume style, but someone told me that it is really important to use a picture on a CV while applying for jobs here. Is it?

I know at this point it doesn't even matter anymore, but yeah, I still wanted to know. I am so done with the situation here, even after applying to 400+ jobs in the last two years, with countless follow-ups and calls without any results. Just wanted to try harder once again before I move back, so here I am.

Thanks!