My new favourite place is the old port of Sörnäinen (or Sornainen, for those who can't view umlauts) beside the city center. Satellite view:
This is also along the route by which I usually bike to the city center to go to the university library.
It was a cargo port until last year, when all cargo traffic was moved to a new, modern establishment built in eastern Helsinki. The coal harbour of the neighbouring power plant was left, and some ferries still moor there, in addition to which there are harbour places for privately-owned boats. Otherwise, the whole vast area is freely accessible, until they start building a new "naval" city district. The train tracks of the cargo trains have been torn out, there are half-demolished buildings, one with just the concrete core standing so that you can climb upstairs, another with remains of some machinery and used by young people as their graffiti art and hanging around place; one of those huge lifting cranes used in cargo ports is still there. There's all sorts of stuff around the area, so much to see including several chairs lying about the place - and photograph! I went there three days straight during the weekend: friday, saturday and sunday. I was so excited. I guess it's a kind of an urban wasteland right now, but I find it fascinating. It really is a fantastic thing that the city has kept the area open for now. Along with so much to see, it provides plenty of space for the youth, for things like skateboarding and BMX biking - and for older people as well: on saturday I stopped to exchange a few words with an older couple, who had also been tempted to come visit the port area by an article in the newspaper recently. The woman asked me if I had walked all the way to the other end of the port area, and explained that they were trying to locate the spot where she used to go swimming, "quite some years ago", she smilingly added. Really, the huge area would just go to waste if it was left to stand empty and fenced off.
I have to say once again that I'm so happy that I live in Helsinki, by the sea!
This is also along the route by which I usually bike to the city center to go to the university library.
It was a cargo port until last year, when all cargo traffic was moved to a new, modern establishment built in eastern Helsinki. The coal harbour of the neighbouring power plant was left, and some ferries still moor there, in addition to which there are harbour places for privately-owned boats. Otherwise, the whole vast area is freely accessible, until they start building a new "naval" city district. The train tracks of the cargo trains have been torn out, there are half-demolished buildings, one with just the concrete core standing so that you can climb upstairs, another with remains of some machinery and used by young people as their graffiti art and hanging around place; one of those huge lifting cranes used in cargo ports is still there. There's all sorts of stuff around the area, so much to see including several chairs lying about the place - and photograph! I went there three days straight during the weekend: friday, saturday and sunday. I was so excited. I guess it's a kind of an urban wasteland right now, but I find it fascinating. It really is a fantastic thing that the city has kept the area open for now. Along with so much to see, it provides plenty of space for the youth, for things like skateboarding and BMX biking - and for older people as well: on saturday I stopped to exchange a few words with an older couple, who had also been tempted to come visit the port area by an article in the newspaper recently. The woman asked me if I had walked all the way to the other end of the port area, and explained that they were trying to locate the spot where she used to go swimming, "quite some years ago", she smilingly added. Really, the huge area would just go to waste if it was left to stand empty and fenced off.
I have to say once again that I'm so happy that I live in Helsinki, by the sea!
3 comments:
I love being by the sea aswell.
so..this is sort of a 'ghost town' only not in the desert in the city of Helsinki.
What is the temperature of the water there? Here is never warm enough for comfortable wading or swimming without a wetsuit.
The sea water gets to about 20 C (68 F) by July, or even above if it's a really warm summer. I should go to the local beach to check but I don't think it's more than 16 C, 17 C now.
A city by the sea is a special place indeed, Maria. I hope it stays as open for everyone to use as you describe. Sounds great!
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