Kartanonkoski, hip and trendy
This evening, YLE2 had a small segment on the Helsinki area’s most talked about neighborhood, Kartanonkoski (I think Jakomäki was #2 on my fake survey). It’s a new residential housing block located just over the Helsinki border in Vantaa, near Jumbo mall. Everyone seems to have an opinion about it, most either love it or hate it.
The Kartanonkoski project began in 1998, when the City of Vantaa held a contest for the planning of a garden villageÂÂ. This concept is taken from British city planners of the 1890 s, who suggested that buildings should not be square or rectangular, but shaped instead like half-moons, or curves. They also maintained that residential areas should be lined with green areas, and plenty of trees.
The winner of the contest was the Swedish firm, DjurgÃ¥rdstadens Arkitekter. The urban structure they proposed for Kartanonkoski closely follows this concept. The neighborhoods consist of blocks of flats, townhouses and detached houses, with colorful facades, arranged along curving streets. And throughout this green neighborhood are protected gardens and parks, day care centers, schools and playgrounds. Another unique aspect that gives the area a distinctly new appearance is the location of parking spaces, in the immediate vicinity of buildings.
Sounds nice from the builder’s website, but when I toured it, all I saw were a bunch of tiny houses and apartments all squeezed in like sardines. Your front yard was the street, your back yard was the parking lot. It felt very stuffy in there with absolutely zero privacy.
The site which is built on looks as if they just leveled the entire area rather than building in between the nature (but maybe it was just a field to start with?). I couldn’t find any useful shops within the vicinity except for some gardening stores - Jumbo mall is a bit of a hike away. The rush hour traffic in that area is atrocious, it seems as if they built all these apartments without first building the necessary infrastructure.
And from what I’ve heard, these houses ain’t cheap for what they are and since its been dubbed a “trendy” neighborhood, you’ll be paying even more so you can brag to your friends about where you live (My #1 tip for purchasing a house in Finland is stay clear of those “trendy” neighborhoods and save yourself a fortune). Being that Finland is so “neighborhood oriented” compared to the U.S., I have found that the neighborhood you live in is more of a status symbol than it is in the U.S.
Well, at least the houses are nicer than these new pastel/sherbert colored Barbiedoll houses that are popping up everywhere. I dunno, I just really love these a bit older neighborhoods where they actually attempted to blend them in with the nature.
So what do you think - Kartanonkoski - love it or hate it?
This post is brought to you by the Espoo Homeowners Association 
I think I agree with you Phil. The picture makes the buildings look like some sort of cartoon design. I am suspicious the whole thing is a very miserly set of poor house designs dressed up with some pretty decoration and vague concept to sell second class housing for first class prices…however I haven’t seen it in the flesh.
Comment by lewis — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 12:11 pm
There has been a big field, where Kartanonkoski is now. So they didn’t cut many trees with the exception of the alley that separates Backas manor house from Kartanonkoski.
The houses are overpriced, but as others said before me, this seems to be a reason to buy rather than stay away. Isn’t it nice to meet people you know, when they know you life in a 300kEUR rowhouse?
I wouldn’t want to life there, maybe not even if someone gave me an apartment for free. The neighborhood is boring (unless you like to go to the local Karaoke bar, which by the way closes @ 9pm except Fridays and Saturdays)!!!
Comment by Saksalainen — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 12:50 pm
“Everyone seems to have an opinion about it, most either love it or hate it.”
I have no personal opinion about Kartanonkoski as I’ve never visited it but I’m very interested in what makes a place liveable or likeable. Not everyone has to like it, it would just be good, if the people who move in, would like it. Do you know if the people who love it would be prepared to live in those houses or are they just the kind who ‘know better’ what’s good for someone else?
Comment by Tom — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 2:58 pm
There has been an ongoing discussion between people who moved to Kartanonkoski, the architects and the City Planning Council of Vantaa for at least 6 months now. Some people who moved there complained they were tricked into moving there by brochures stating that everything that belongs to a small village would be there. Obviously, a newstand, a shop/shops, a coffee/bar and or restaurants are not among the things that belong to a small village in the architect’s and city planning council’s opinion. Well, one of them answered in an open letter that they have no reason to complain - they have a couple of hotels nearby to go out to eat ;-))))) Great, I enjoy going to a hotel bar, when I want to go out drinking!
Comment by Saksalainen — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 4:23 pm
Just one comment from a lifelong Helsinki resident:
Anyone associating “Vantaa” with “hip and trendy” should rather buy a bridge in Brooklyn. Still, a laudable attempt to build a new area that at least tries to look urban. Too bad it’s in the middle of f-n nowhere.
Comment by Anonymous — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 5:06 pm
They have similar “English-style” housing popping up everywhere. lepp?¤vaara has an area (and talk about expensive) and theres one row in Malminkartano that actually looks kinds funky, as every facade is different.. and different age/style regardless they’re being built at the same time. Well, anything is better than the toilet-tile architecture.
Kartanonkoski sucks because of the lack of services. The bus to Tikkurila doesn’t take too long, but then again you could get a house nearer to Tikkurila anyways.
Comment by Hank W. — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 7:05 pm
Yep, it’s not like the competition is very hard - Kartanonkoski has a unified look but not white or grey nor is it in that boring semi-modern style that Finnish architects and town planners love. I would not move there, but it is nice to see at least some real variety. It is actually quite an achievement considering the location that this place is actually the talk of the town. Anyone exited about Merihaka or It?¤-Pasila?
Comment by mjr — Mon, Aug 1st, 2005 @ 10:31 pm
Been living almost a year here in Kartanonkoski and while the area is still very much under construction (most houses should be ready by 2006 but the parks and landscaping take up to 2010) it has been a great experience for a former city boy to live under a great blue sky and surrounded by green.
The houses are nice to look at and there’s a genuine community sense all around.
I wouldn’t mind having a cafe or two here, but there is everything you need just a 15min drive away.
Comment by Manorman — Fri, Aug 5th, 2005 @ 12:45 am