Anni Wessman moved to Kalasatama from Meilahti in October 2022. She considers the location of her new neighborhood to be excellent and greatly enjoys her seaside view.
How would you compare Kalasatama to your previous place of residence?
I moved here in October from Meilahti, where I had lived for about ten years. I wanted to move from a park-like setting to a seaside location, and Kalasatama turned out to be a great area for that. I work in East Helsinki, and my commute has practically been cut in half, since I can take the metro and travel quickly along Itäväylä to the city center and from one place to another. One of the great things about this modern neighborhood is that road repairs or utility line renovations aren’t on the agenda at all.
I’ve really enjoyed living here, and my dachshund, Messi, also loves his new neighborhood. There are great opportunities for outdoor activities here, and we go for walks in Mustikkamaa a lot, for example.
What’s the best thing about Kalasatama?
Living here is modern and practical—downright luxurious. The Helsinki Smart Living concept is in use in the area and in my apartment building, which means I can take advantage of various smart home technology services. For example, I can monitor my apartment’s temperature, electricity consumption, and water usage in real time and, if necessary, turn off energy-consuming devices. Especially given the current global situation, it’s important that I can optimize my energy use. I can also make the necessary adjustments to the systems with the push of a button, for example, when I’m going on a trip. In addition, I can use the app to call the elevator in advance—it even knows which floor I’m going to. Of course, using technology as part of daily life isn’t necessarily everyone’s cup of tea, but it works well for me.
Having lived abroad, I often miss big cities, and despite the proximity to nature, Kalasatama and its tall high-rises have a certain urban vibe. I run errands regularly at Red—it has all the basic services I need. There’s also a fantastic Italian restaurant on the ground floor of my building.
“Living here is modern and practical—downright luxurious.”
— Anni Wessman
What else should be developed in the area?
Green spaces could be further developed, although it’s understandable that they’re still a work in progress, since my apartment building wasn’t even completed until the end of September. I’m looking forward to the bridge crossing the Verkkosaari Canal so I can get to my front door faster. There could also be more streetlights, as well as parking spaces for visitors and residents. In addition, a winter swimming spot would be wonderful—this would be the perfect location for it.
I hope the metro line will be expanded in the future so I can easily get from here to different parts of Helsinki and Espoo.
