Merihaka () is a coastal residential area in central

Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

consisting of large high-rise

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of aggregate bound together with a fluid cement that cures to a solid over time. It is the second-most-used substance (after water), the most–widely used building material, and the most-manufactur ...

housing blocks. It is located by the Baltic Sea next to districts of

Hakaniemi Hakaniemi (; ) is an unofficial district of Helsinki, the Finland, Finnish capital. It covers most of the Subdivisions of Helsinki, neighbourhood of Siltasaari in the district of Kallio. Hakaniemi is located at the sea shore and is separated from ...

Kallio Kallio (; ; literally " the rock") is a district and a neighbourhood in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, located on the eastern side of the Helsinki peninsula about one kilometre north from the city centre. It is one of the most densely pop ...

and

Sörnäinen Sörnäinen (; ''Sörkkä'' or ''Sörkka'' in Helsinki slang) is a Subdivisions of Helsinki#Neighbourhoods, neighbourhood in the city of Helsinki, Finland. Sörnäinen is located a little more than one kilometre north from the coastal centre of ...

. It is known for its tall, grey buildings. The residents of Merihaka tend to value highly the scenery, central location, tranquil atmosphere and lack of cars. The housing complex was built, partly on

reclaimed land Land reclamation, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamatio ...

, during the 1970s and 1980s, and today it is home to some 2,300 people. A distinctive feature, shared with some other places in Helsinki such as Itä-Pasila, is traffic segregation: the streets for cars and buses together with large

car park A parking lot or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface. In most jurisdic ...

s are on a level of their own, below that of pedestrian footways and the main entrances to the buildings. This arrangement was to increase the cosiness of the area as well as improve traffic safety. The area has a central location, only about from the core of downtown Helsinki. Some flats with sea views command very high prices. The attractiveness of Merihaka is increased by its small-boat harbour and many residents are members of the local yacht club. Public transportation possibilities are diverse and rapid. Former residents Merihaka include the former prime minister of Finland,

Kalevi Sorsa Taisto Kalevi Sorsa (21December 193016January 2004) was a Finnish politician who served as Prime Minister of Finland three times: 1972–1975, 1977–1979 and 1982–1987. At the time of his death he still held the record for most days of incumb ...

. There is also a very active sports hall in Merihaka.

References

External links

Sports centre in MerihakaMerihaka boat/yacht club
Subdivisions of Helsinki Redeveloped ports and waterfronts {{SouthernFinland-geo-stub