Not as grand as Copenhagen or Stockholm.

Not as old as the Baltic capitals.

Still, cold as hell in the winter.

That's Helsinki.





I wasn't sure whether this could be put to "Your cities" since I don't know if you guys consider us part of Eastern Europe. How is it? I've always wondered how you see us in this respect. :)



These are all my pictures, taken over a period of few years.















If you've ever seen a pic of Helsinki, it has probably had this view, or at least this white church in it:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/oberleutnant/tallinn/hesa.jpg





You won't be seeing this building again here. It's dull, it's overrated and all too touristy.






DOWNTOWN



http://img157.exs.cx/img157/253/torninlahella9rc.jpg





http://img22.exs.cx/img22/421/aleksi13kl.jpg





http://img48.exs.cx/img48/2741/espa47bn.jpg





http://img157.exs.cx/img157/8251/wires5dv.jpg






http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/oberleutnant/katukuvia/kadulta.jpg






The statue depicts Czar Alexander I

http://img127.exs.cx/img127/6656/senaatintori3.jpg





http://img94.exs.cx/img94/7676/asemalta9kk.jpg





http://img213.exs.cx/img213/4766/keskusta3vp.jpg





http://img165.exs.cx/img165/7151/west7ky.jpg






http://img127.exs.cx/img127/2998/senaatintori2.jpg







http://img94.exs.cx/img94/3075/aleksi41ji.jpg







http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/oberleutnant/katukuvia/katukuvaa2.jpg















OTHER INNER CITY AREAS



http://img97.exs.cx/img97/3880/toolo6hw.jpg





I remember walking down this street one evening in the summer around 11.30 PM with a friend -- it was 23 C warm at that moment -- and we were both desperately looking for a cheap place where to have beer.

http://img157.exs.cx/img157/5518/kamppi32cj.jpg







http://img65.exs.cx/img65/9375/kruununhaka25je.jpg





http://img127.exs.cx/img127/2207/unionk3.jpg






http://img128.exs.cx/img128/4249/ruoholahti61ta.jpg




A canal in western inner city Helsinki

http://img183.exs.cx/img183/5599/ruoholahti19ht.jpg






Kallio, a former working class district. Now known for thai massage joints, cheap pubs, students, pizzerias, drunkards, old people and drug trade! Get drunk, laid (what do you think the "extra services" offered by those thai ladies are? :D), fixed with drugs and kebab at the same visit!

http://img200.exs.cx/img200/1388/kallio65xg.jpg




Kallio has got commieblocks, too!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/oberleutnant/kevat/merihaka.jpg





View over a 1970s residential district towards distant suburbs in the east.

http://img145.exs.cx/img145/1369/suburbsnorth2nj.jpg







Semi-tall office buildings

http://img97.exs.cx/img97/975/kniemi8mi.jpg









15km west of the city center

http://img97.exs.cx/img97/4073/espoonlahio23cx.jpg




15km east of the city center, the growing suburb of Vuosaari. The "Los Angeles of Finland", place where rich and poor -- white Finns and black African immigrants -- live. There's also a beach behind the spot where this pic was taken! :D These new flats by the sea cost hundreds of thousands of euros, while early 1990s commieblocks less than half a km from here cost only a fraction of that.

http://img97.exs.cx/img97/8936/vuosaari9kk.jpg

They're building this high-rise there at the moment >>
http://www.yit.fi/binary.asp?guid=D1E543F8-6EEC-49B3-AFE0-8827AE68B10F&field=image







A commieblock suburb some 15 km from the city.

http://img176.exs.cx/img176/6066/myyrmaki4bi.jpg






New and old in another suburb

http://img163.exs.cx/img163/2020/uusitalo42cs.jpg




30km north of the city center. Family Volvo, own home and a flag pole in forest. How idyllic...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v125/oberleutnant/Kerava/PICT0021.jpg




Hope you liked this. I tried to find a balance between different subjects. If you're interested, I can add more pics. ;)

Beautiful and Modern. Thanks for the pictures. I hope you will post some more.

very nice! I didn`t know Helsinki was so beautiful.

It's the first time I see Helsinki :) Before now I had no idea what Helsinki was like

that was nice :) I think finland could be included in eastern europe graphically... but it suits it much better to be grouped with scandinavia, since it seems much more similar to it than to the mostly slavic countries of EE.

http://img48.exs.cx/img48/2741/espa47bn.jpg

haha, loving the canadian flag in this and a few other pics :)

All I can say is - beautiful! Very nice pictures.

Cold as hell? I thought hell was hot? And little children went there if they ate too much candy. Damn those christian books, always spreading lies.

Cold as hell? I thought hell was hot? And little children went there if they ate too much candy. Damn those christian books, always spreading lies.

what christian books were you reading??? :runaway:

Cool pics!

Wow, very big thanks ya all. :) Here are few pics more.





Distant view to the city center, a ferry for Stockholm is leaving

http://img183.exs.cx/img183/2790/rooftops1hz.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)



Inner city areas

http://img227.exs.cx/img227/4524/rooftops20kj.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)







Views from 10th floor restaurant

The eastern end of Mannerheim street, one of the main avenues that lead into the city

http://img183.exs.cx/img183/9/mantie5od.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)



Central railway station and the area in front of it

http://img183.exs.cx/img183/1445/asemanseutu6dx.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)



View to Kallio church

http://img183.exs.cx/img183/3569/kallio27er.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)













Few night pics

http://img206.exs.cx/img206/9471/varit0pc.jpg

http://img11.exs.cx/img11/3048/aleksi58ta.jpg






Railwaystation's metro station

http://img233.exs.cx/img233/9606/tunneli0sl.jpg





The southern harbour.

http://img127.exs.cx/img127/2456/satamaa5fl.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)









Hotel Torni, a 1930s building.

http://img229.exs.cx/img229/2427/ilmansharpen5lk.jpg

Very nice photos once again! it looks very clean

what does Torni mean? there is also some Tornimae buildings in Tallinn.

I spent 2 days in Helsinki some 3 years ago and I was pleasantly suprised by the city. I thought the (modern) architecture was very original and it fit the city so well.. Another thing I noticed if that the Finnish tend to be really grumpy and moody (and like to drink a lot ;)) Saw many BEAUTIFUL women as well... :D and the place was full of 'hip' people..



:cheers:

Great pictures. Although I've never been in Helsinki, it looks very familiar to me. I would feel there at home:)

ahhh! u posted the pix of the city i liked the minute i got there... lol :D
that mall "Forum" really was cool too. nice place and nice pix. :)