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My home town is middle of the south coast and name of the town is Loviisa.
1745 King of Sweden gave order to built this city and name came from his wife, queen Loviisa Ulrika.
Finland was at that time part of Sweden but sure it was nice for King to go home after hard work day:"Honey, I am home and quess what...I built a city for you!"
From those days this town has been knew as an "Queens own city"
I think that this is great place to live, If need to go Helsinki, bus is going almost every hour and with own car it takes only 50 minutes and same with Helsinki-Vantaa airport.
Living costs on place like this are cheaper than in Helsinki area and also one benefit is that no rush-hours and what ever your hobby is, here you can do it...And sure nature is very close all the time.
Here is short video from market square cam, "Thru the year":
As you can see, center is still old style and in fact, almost whole city is still quite similar(Old city area) than few hundred years ago.
Lot of old houses and these are still at living use, owners are very proud of these "oldies" and once per year many of these houses are open the doors for visitors at "Loviisan wanhat talot"(Old houses of Loviisa) fairs....Owners are giving tips to vistors how to keep house in good shape and how to rebuilt if needed.
This happening seems be to more and more popular when years are passing, at this summer here was almost 20000 visitors in two days on this happening.
Here is some video concerning also city center but also is showing private houses from "old city area"
Must say that as an younger these things were not so important but now I feel that it is nice that history is part of daily life.
This is a very interesting post, thank you.
What are the living conditions for average-income Helsinki residents? In what kind of jobs do higher earners work?
Have you tried using a mo-ped or scooter, or is that what you mean by "bike"?
Cost of driver's license and driver's instruction is similar in Sweden, so even in rural areas, not everyone can afford a car.
Scandinavia is not representative for Europe because distances and population density resemble the US and Canada more than the rest of Europe.
I live in the Netherlands and you don't need a car here, in cities larger than 100.000 people it is even impracticable to have one. Parking spaces are limited, parking costs are high and there is a lot of congestion during rush hour. Many people go around walking, on bicycle or by public transportation which is possible because we do not have the urban sprawl like in the US or Canada. Unlike the US, walking or riding the train to work is not looked down upon, even rich people do so. I go to work by train and I work during my train ride, decreasing the time I have to be at the office. It is more or less the same for other countries in Europe. I do own a car btw, many people do just because they can afford to do so.
What is good about Europe is that the infrastructure for public transportation, pedestrians and bicyclists is actually existent, in contrast to the US or Canada. I really wonder what you are going to do in 20 years or so when oil will simply be too expensive for personal transportation.
My home town is middle of the south coast and name of the town is Loviisa.
1745 King of Sweden gave order to built this city and name came from his wife, queen Loviisa Ulrika.
Finland was at that time part of Sweden but sure it was nice for King to go home after hard work day:"Honey, I am home and quess what...I built a city for you!"
From those days this town has been knew as an "Queens own city"
I think that this is great place to live, If need to go Helsinki, bus is going almost every hour and with own car it takes only 50 minutes and same with Helsinki-Vantaa airport.
Living costs on place like this are cheaper than in Helsinki area and also one benefit is that no rush-hours and what ever your hobby is, here you can do it...And sure nature is very close all the time.
Here is short video from market square cam, "Thru the year":
As you can see, center is still old style and in fact, almost whole city is still quite similar(Old city area) than few hundred years ago.
Lot of old houses and these are still at living use, owners are very proud of these "oldies" and once per year many of these houses are open the doors for visitors at "Loviisan wanhat talot"(Old houses of Loviisa) fairs....Owners are giving tips to vistors how to keep house in good shape and how to rebuilt if needed.
This happening seems be to more and more popular when years are passing, at this summer here was almost 20000 visitors in two days on this happening.
Here is some video concerning also city center but also is showing private houses from "old city area"
Must say that as an younger these things were not so important but now I feel that it is nice that history is part of daily life.
It looks nice but it looks somewhat different from Seinajoki - there you feel more presence of Northern nature ( may be more pine-trees and less people? Colder temps? I dunno...)
( That yellow building in the center of the city again reminded me of some older buildings in Moscow and St. Petersburg in particular; the rest is quite different.)
I've found a skate park and even the hippodrome with trotters ( something I haven't seen for ages), but I still can't picture what the life in your city without car would be.
Scandinavia is not representative for Europe because distances and population density resemble the US and Canada more than the rest of Europe.
True that, at least when I look at images of Seinajoki, one after another, it reminded me Pacific Northwest for whatever reason, just colder. sjk
Just gorgeous, but not survivable without car as far as I can see ( except for downtown areas)
Quote:
I live in the Netherlands and you don't need a car here, in cities larger than 100.000 people it is even impracticable to have one. Parking spaces are limited, parking costs are high and there is a lot of congestion during rush hour. Many people go around walking, on bicycle or by public transportation which is possible because we do not have the urban sprawl like in the US or Canada. Unlike the US, walking or riding the train to work is not looked down upon, even rich people do so.
And that's how I picture Europe for the most part. Last time I was flying to Moscow via Amsterdam and when we were taking off from Schiphol, I looked down at all those neatly divided small patches of green fields, and I've got the feeling yet again that the whole place is so small ( Europe that is,) that everything is taken care of in such careful manner, as in some kind of a green house under one big roof.
Quote:
I go to work by train and I work during my train ride, decreasing the time I have to be at the office. It is more or less the same for other countries in Europe. I do own a car btw, many people do just because they can afford to do so.
^
This. I am missing my reading time that I like on bus/train, while someone else does what they like - namely DRIVING.
Quote:
What is good about Europe is that the infrastructure for public transportation, pedestrians and bicyclists is actually existent, in contrast to the US or Canada. I really wonder what you are going to do in 20 years or so when oil will simply be too expensive for personal transportation.
Who, me personally?
I' M GOING TO DIE. I'M GOING TO EXPLODE AND DIE))))
What is good about Europe is that the infrastructure for public transportation, pedestrians and bicyclists is actually existent, in contrast to the US or Canada. I really wonder what you are going to do in 20 years or so when oil will simply be too expensive for personal transportation.
So do I. But they keep raising the mileage/gallon requirement for cars, thinking that will solve the problem. As erasure has pointed out, the whole approach to urban design needs to change, and there needs to be more investment in public transportation, not only in cities, but between cities. But given the economic situation (not to mention the control the auto and petrol industries have), that's unlikely to happen. Though electric cars are gaining popularity and other petrol-free car technologies are being developed.
How widespread is car-sharing in Europe? That was getting a lot of media attention in the US for awhile. There were car-sharing agencies in some cities.
It looks nice but it looks somewhat different from Seinajoki - there you feel more presence of Northern nature ( may be more pine-trees and less people? Colder temps? I dunno...)
( That yellow building in the center of the city again reminded me of some older buildings in Moscow and St. Petersburg in particular; the rest is quite different.)
I've found a skate park and even the hippodrome with trotters ( something I haven't seen for ages), but I still can't picture what the life in your city without car would be.
Jean Sibelius spend some time at Loviisa and did his "Kullervo" symphony here, on that house were the plate is and that is also reason for monument ans sure the name of street(Sibelius street)
Those pictures on your link was from "Old house fairs", from those you can image that not too much parking places availabe in two days when visitors are filling this town.
In northern, pine trees are more common than here in south and yes, less peoples also at north and more and more peoples are moving to the south. I think that after 100 years northern is just big nature-park and this quite sad scenario...Hope that things will change and whole country will stay as it is or was, other hand, it is more and more expensive to live so that 5000000 peoples live around the country what is small but big for this amount of peoples....and yes, northern finland is colder and differences between north and south goes so that when south still have + 20 C, in Lapland sometimes it is snowing already. At winter time average temperature in south is some where - 3 or 4. So lot of snow dont mean automaticly colder. In fact, when snowing, temperature is coming up.
You are right when you see some influence on russia on old houses, it is very common that 100-200 years ago desingers took some ideas from Russia and some from Sweden and then put some own ideas to the "Soup".
It is quite hard to tell how to live here with out car but lets try and lets put you as an inhabitant of Loviisa
So, if you are owner of this small apartment: Myytävät Asunnot, kerrostalo, 3 huonetta, Keskusta, Loviisa, Uusimaa, 9639982 - Etuovi.com
You are living at the shopping street (On of three) and your location from the market square is 100 meters.
Distances to walk(or with bicycle):
-Supermarket ( With all kind special,fresh food also) 400 meters
-Pharmacy 200 meters
-Special shops(Electronics,clothes, etc.) 50-200 meters
-Banks 200-400 meters (several banks)
-Restaurants( food-restaurants,pubs,dancing restaurants) 100-500 meters.
-Sea-shore,yacht harbour 600 meters and beach with tennis courts, 2 km.
-Natural park, 500-600 meters
-Liberary, 400 meters
-Bus station, 400 meters ( bus traffic between Helsinki and the city of Kotka goes via Loviisa, day/evening time around one bus per on hour to the both directions, also direct connection to the Helsinki International airport twice per day, travelling time around 1 hour and 15 minutes)
-Hospital 500 meters
-Schools 500 meters
-Coffee bars(Several), 50-400 meters
-Many public parks around the center.
-Hippodrome 600 meters(Race is on each monday evening)
-To the several horse ranchies, 2-4 kilometers
-Around the city, on each street, wide side-walks and also using of bicycle is "problem free".
Now, other place to live on this town and this is next house from me... Myytävät Asunnot, kerrostalo, 3 huonetta, Valko, Loviisa, Uusimaa, 9400769 - Etuovi.com
-To the center 7 km, can use bus to go there or with bicycle or even walk if feels so (or by rent-horse) but I am using own car.
-To the sea side, 100 meters
-To the beach, 300 meters
-To the supermarket, 200 meters
-To the liberary, 300 meters
-To the restaurant...well,7 kilometers.
-To the nature...zero,I live middle of the nature.
I like to stay here, only sounds are making by crazy birds when they are chatting to each others and sea is just behind the corner
Also I think that living here is much much better than in Helsinki...well, we dont have opera here but I can live with this problem
Also costs of living here is much cheaper tha in Helsinki or very near it. Exsample aparment like mine ( 2 rooms,kitchen,bathroom and balcony) would be in Helsinki suburbs around 250000 € but here around 50000 €.
200000 € is nice money to put in hobbies....for exsample.
Hope that this was helpfull, when thinking how to live here if not having car ( Or horse)
Almost forgot,when speaking about public transport, there is also good train connection from very near of my aparment to the near of city center.
Once or twice per year, on the time of "Old houses fairs"
True that, at least when I look at images of Seinajoki, one after another, it reminded me Pacific Northwest for whatever reason, just colder.
Just gorgeous, but not survivable without car as far as I can see ( except for downtown areas)
I'd actually say most of the Finnish landscape and nature is very similar to what you find in Michigan's upper peninsula and the northern parts of the lower peninsula, as well as the eastern parts of Wisconsin and Minnesota. In some places so strikingly similar one might have a hard time figuring out which country are they actually in. Population density is quite similar too, and even the weather conditions. Not that cold here at all most of the year. Only major difference being the length of the day, which varies much more depending on the season here, very short days in winter, and almost continuous daylight during mid-summertime.
Almost forgot,when speaking about public transport, there is also good train connection from very near of my aparment to the near of city center.
Once or twice per year, on the time of "Old houses fairs"
Love it, i'd take this kind of public transportation any day.
And speaking of rail, the freight rail business in Finland is being suffocated to death every day. I'm quite sure our government doesn't even understand this, and much of the damage has already been done in the last 20-25 years. With the introduction of harsh regulation requiring costly signal and train control systems on even the most marginal rail lines, as well as track user fees which make operating diesel-powered trains very expensive, it's become almost impossible to run carload freight business profitably. Lines such as the one to Loviisa, that have steady, year-round business, are on the chopping block. Even alot of the mainline freight business has suffered. Needless to say, there's been a huge increase in truck traffic.
Our state-owned rail system is managed by people who mostly have no knowledge or experience of railroad business or railroad operations. Politicians on 4-year terms have alot of power, and sometimes projects are so short-sighted, that they are already redundant and serve no useful purpose when completed, while sucking tens of millions of public money. An awful alot of times the current minister of transport is equally clueless on all other forms of transportation as well.
I sometimes get a chuckle when people badmouth the North American rail system. Rail in the US has an over 40% (and growing) market share in the freight business, compared to the now about 15% percent we have. Even the most marginal rail lines in the US always seem to find an owner who can keep it alive, not to mention make a buck out of it. They have the power to cut unneccessary costs and be flexible. Overall rail assett management, public or private is much more in touch with the real short- and long-term needs of the properties.
The reason I'm using the word "luxury" when talking about car ownership in Europe, is because I hear sometimes that car ownership in the US is a matter of "convenience" or "freedom."
Which I find to be nonsense, because with few exceptions here and there, car ownership is a must in the US with all its sprawl, a necessity vs convenience (if to use this word instead of "luxury") as it is in Europe for the most part ( granted - there should be exceptions there too I suppose.)
Excellent post. People throw out examples of New York or downtown Chicago as examples here in the US of where you can live easily without a car. In those places, for sure it is easy to live without a car. But in most of the rest of the country it is a HUGE inconvenience to not have a car- in fact it's usually essential. Take the town I just recently moved out of- Lincoln, Nebraska. It's not a big city, but not a small town, either- at 250,000 people. It has a bus system but the routes are poor due to the city being sprawly like most of the US is. So from where I lived to my workplace was about 7 miles- it took me 10 minutes to drive that far. If I were to try to take the bus, it would have taken an hour and a half going half way across town to switch busses- and then would involve about a mile walk from the nearest bus stop to the office. Obviously that would not work. And then the busses stop in early evening, so if you need to go anywhere in the evening you have no option besides paying an arm and a leg for a taxi ride each way.
And in the many, many smaller towns where I have lived in the past (in South Dakota and Nebraska) there are no busses. And you can't just walk everywhere because it is still a few miles across those towns- you'd be walking for hours to get to work and back, not to mention those who have to go from one town to another to work, shop, etc. Then you are talking about 15 or 30 mile trips each way- you aren't going to walk those distances, and there are no busses making those trips.
And it's a bit better bus-wise in bigger areas as I live now (suburbs of Seattle). But my 15 mile trip to work takes me 25 minutes. If I were to try to take busses, it would again be over an hour due to having to switch busses at least once. To go almost anywhere we need to drive, we just don't have busses going up and down every major road constantly like big cities in Europe and Asia do, so there is no real way to get around easily. Living without a car is really like having a major disability here in the US, sadly. The only places where this is not true would be New York, San Francisco, and downtown areas of some of the biggest cities.
Love it, i'd take this kind of public transportation any day.
And speaking of rail, the freight rail business in Finland is being suffocated to death every day. I'm quite sure our government doesn't even understand this, and much of the damage has already been done in the last 20-25 years. With the introduction of harsh regulation requiring costly signal and train control systems on even the most marginal rail lines, as well as track user fees which make operating diesel-powered trains very expensive, it's become almost impossible to run carload freight business profitably. Lines such as the one to Loviisa, that have steady, year-round business, are on the chopping block. Even alot of the mainline freight business has suffered. Needless to say, there's been a huge increase in truck traffic.
Our state-owned rail system is managed by people who mostly have no knowledge or experience of railroad business or railroad operations. Politicians on 4-year terms have alot of power, and sometimes projects are so short-sighted, that they are already redundant and serve no useful purpose when completed, while sucking tens of millions of public money. An awful alot of times the current minister of transport is equally clueless on all other forms of transportation as well.
I sometimes get a chuckle when people badmouth the North American rail system. Rail in the US has an over 40% (and growing) market share in the freight business, compared to the now about 15% percent we have. Even the most marginal rail lines in the US always seem to find an owner who can keep it alive, not to mention make a buck out of it. They have the power to cut unneccessary costs and be flexible. Overall rail assett management, public or private is much more in touch with the real short- and long-term needs of the properties.
Yep, thats the way it is on these days....Exsample here in Loviisa is harbour and it is now biggest export harbour for timber and wooden products but only one freight train per day is coming from Lahti to Loviisa and delivery of the timber is done by trucks (60-70%), from saw mills around the country.
I can some how undestand this if saw mills dont have railway tracks and when timber is loaded to the truck, costs of unload timber from truck and load again to the train, are something what need to calculate....But this I dont understand:
Harbour have also some import products and one is coal.
This coal goes(All) to the city of Lahti, to the power plant and this power plant have own railway tracks but transport of coal is done by trucks, day and night...24/7.
So this quite crazy, state owned railway company can not give reasonable price to transport this coal because they want maximum profit....And same time, road to Lahti(What is quite old an narrow and goes thru villages) need all the time be fixed,regulary new surface(More offen than normally),extra good winter service, etc...State is payer for this and it need this extra maintance for heavy truck traffic!
So, state owned company want to have maximum profit and when they can not have it, they dont transport and same time the owner of railway company is paying lot of extra-money to keep trucks road
And here is other case:
Few years ago state gave some money to the fix of fairway for ships when coming to the Loviisa, I think that costs where somewhere around 10-12000000 €.
This was done because after that 30000 tn ship can take ful load of timber from here and export via this harbour was and is increasing and state also believe that increase of traffic will continue.
When project was ready, message from state (railway traffic administration) was that railway between Loviisa and Lahti need to "Delete" because it need some money to fix in good shape and they dont believe that export thru this harbour will increase
Concerning our current minister of transport, it is better than I dont write anything about her....she have quite extra ordinary visions what sometimes are not from this planet.
But here is tip for William Shatner, if he is still doing "Wierd or what" tv-series, have a look our minister of transport...
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