Hi!
I am a 17 year old half Finn who lives in the metropolitan area. I have been in Finland for the past 5 years, since 2020, and I haven't been able to make a lot of friends in Helsinki. I don't really know where to go and where to look for friends around my age or older outside of school time. The school I go to (ammatti) is quite small and there aren't a lot of people I can find myself being friends with. This is just a post I am making to see if anyone who is in a similar position as me looking for friends to hang out with!
I enjoy making art, music, crocheting, skateboarding, collecting vinyls and cds, random stuff. If anyone is up to hangout or get to know each other, let me know! I am always down to meet new people!
:)

Edit: I do speak some Finnish, enough for me to keep up a basic conversation

Hi guys, I’m currently traveling to Helsinki, and my HDD just died. I tried manually repairing it with R-Studio, but the sectors won’t read, and the problem seems serious.

Where should I go to get good data recovery services for my HDD? I’m using a WD My Passport. There’s really important work data as well as personal stuff on it, so I would be very grateful for any suggestions.

I want to take time off work and rest after my college exams. I'm considering going to Helsinki in mid-February. Coming from Poland, I'm especially curious about how winter feels up north.

Could you recommend some nice cafés where I could relax and restaurants that are not too expensive? I’m also really into history, so any museums or historical sites would be great. If you have any other suggestions for things to do, I’d love to hear them!

Kiitos!

Eli pieniä maisteluannoksia edullisesti. Haluaisin joskus kokeilla erilaisia ruokalajeja/raaka-aineita (esim simpukoita tai rapuja), mutta ei huvittaisi hankkia isoa annosta ja jättää sitä syömästä. Mahdollisimman pientä ja halpaa hakusessa.

I miss plantagen, I used to get a lot of plants from their store in kamppi. This winter all my plants managed to get mites from some new plants I got (I was stupid and didnt quarantine them or check for insects) and after a lot of effort most of them still died, as I probably noticed the problem too late. I would love some suggestions for plant or flower shops, where you can get potted inside plants like peperomia, spider plant, ferns etc. Preferably in the kamppi/punavuori area, or in espoo.

Hey everyone! 👋

I’m considering creating a website that shares real experiences from:

✅ International professionals in Finland on how they navigated job hunting, networking, and applications.
✅ Finnish professionals & recruiters on what they look for in candidates and how they approach hiring.

The goal? Make job hunting in Finland easier for internationals by providing real-life insights.

Before I invest time and resources into this, I’d love to hear if this is something people would actually use. Could you take 1 minute to fill out this short form? Your feedback will help shape this project! :)

📩 https://forms.gle/H39cCk7Yr5FPZhBE6

Backstory: I graduated in December 2023 and started job hunting. For months, I kept applying but didn’t see much success. Coming from a different culture, I later realized that I was missing key elements in my applications and interviews, things that I wasn’t even aware of!

What changed everything for me? Talking to professionals - both Finnish and international.

With their insights, I improved my job search strategy and finally landed a job! This made me realize how important real experiences and advice are when navigating the Finnish job market as an international. So, through this project, I want to help others and hopefully add some value to their job search journey. Please let me know what you think! 🙂

Thanks a lot! Any feedback is appreciated! 💙

I love journaling/Hobonichi and enjoy decorating my pages with cute stickers! Anyone else with a similar hobby? Where do you usually get your stickers? I’ve been to Mic&Mim, Kari’s House, the sticker corner in Muji, and Mikumiku Kamppi, but I’m always looking for more recommendations!

Good evening, folks!
My partner and I would like to go out for some burgers and fries. Could you recommend the best places in town? I'm Italian, so I’m familiar with McDonald's and Burger King, which we’d like to avoid. The only requirement is that the menu should offer both vegetarian and meat options, and if the burgers are big, even better!
Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone! I’ve just got a nomination to do an exchange at the University of Helsinki this autumn and I saw that the university offers studios in partnership with UniHome. Is it hard to get a studio from UniHome or should I start looking for private options as an alternative as well?

Hi there!

Could you guys suggest me some places to visit or some nice cozy café/places to eat a quick burger and etc. in Helsinki? Me and my fiancee are travelling to Helsinki for 3 days in February(6-9).

Any suggestions are appreciated! 👌

Hello,
How can I find out when does my HSL card expires? I topped it up for 1 month for AB zones but don't know when I did it exactly
Thanks

Hello,

I need to remove some wallpaper and I'd like to hire someone to do it. I'm based in Helsinki, Punavuori area.

Hello, I am a student from the United States staying in Helsinki for February as a tourist.

I stupidly came to Helsinki without buying an adapter for my computer/phone beforehand (this is my first time ever leaving the United States, so I haven't had to purchase an adapter for European outlets previously)

I found a charger for my phone nearby, but I don't know where to go for a computer charger/outlet adapter. If you have any store suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you :)

Hello,

Would really appreciate some advice on this. I bought four tickets for the Lahti skiing games, including two pensioner tickets for my parents, only to realize that I mixed up the months. So now I have two useless pensioner tickets. The website ticketmaster states that tickets can neither be returned nor refunded. Does that mean I can give them away or sell them to someone (who is of pensioner age)?

First off I want to start by saying that I'm ignorant to the origins of the name of your city and so I am asking and for anyone that comes across this in the future knowing that I know nothing don't just take this as the answer.

I am wondering where the word Helsinki comes from? I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm curious if it has anything to do with the goddess hel? Not hell. Hell is a place of punishment and hel is a heathen thing. I don't want to bother the City Museum if there is one if someone knows and can help me learn

Looking for specifically queer and trans friendly martial arts gyms in the pk-seutu :)

Hello! I am traveling to Finland soon and have booked a session with Löyly, but am now wondering if it's a bad idea. This is already a great step out of my comfort zone, and to add, I have really poor vision. It seems uncomfortable and unsafe to enter with glasses (fogging up and affected lenses, but especially the fogging up, as I can carry a spare pair), and worse with contact lenses (I haven't ever worn them, too). Should I cancel the booking and just come back later? Thanks!

Hello, I have a rather stupid question. I'm considering applying to University of Helsinki (bsc science), and I scrolled through reddit to gauge what the student experience is like. Almost every single comment said not to come because Helsinki is dark, cold, and boring.

I understand that people from southern countries might think that, but I'm from Lithuania (arguably not that south), and I wanted to understand whether it was really that bad.

I'm used to:

• November - mid March being dark and cold (8am - 4pm of light during december - january).

• Little to no sunlight during the winter (5 days is pushing it)

• a temperatures drop to -15 for a few days, but a winter is generally around -5 to 2 degrees.

• a lot of snow / rain

So, does that sound different from Helsinki? Is it worse? colder?

Thanks for answering my silly question!!

Hi all 👋🏾

I’m planning a visit to Löyly in Helsinki soon for my first-ever sauna + cold plunge experience. I’ve never tried anything like this before, and while I’m really excited, I’m also a bit nervous.

Are there any safety tips or things I should keep in mind to make sure I stay safe and don’t harm myself? For example, how do I avoid passing out, getting hypothermia, or doing something wrong?

I come from a warm country where something like this feels a bit “dangerous” culturally, so I’d appreciate any advice or reassurance for a total beginner!

Thanks in advance…. and sorry for the silly questions!

Good afternoon,

I am moving to Helsinki (aka the best city in the world) for work and would like to get some second hand furniture.

Is there an app like mooova that allows for posting to transport furniture/trash collection?

I have been googling and have seen that there was such a service in 2022.

Or is everything based on private companies?

Thanks in advance for all recommendations:)

Why is the hot water from tap slightly translucent?

I just am curious to know. I know it is not for drinking, but for other purposes like dishes/shower it is okay but still want to know

Moi! Mulla on vanha tascam (kasetti)raituri. Se on rikki, enkä osaa itse korjata. Voisiko joku suositella alan ammattilaista Helsingistä?

Hi guys
Here goes another sauna question

I'll be on Helsinki early march and really wanted to have the sauna experience with the cold water and everything

I am a tourist and traveling on my own

I have gone to this type of sauna only once with a local friend in Norway

Considering this, I thought of going somewhere tourist friendly haha where I will feel less lost in how to behave. I, like many tourists, narrowed it down to Löyly and Allas. I saw many great comments on Löyly (i have read a lot of posts here before asking), however the time I have left for sauna is in the morning and Löyly opens at 15h

My question is: should I rearrange my trip to go the sauna in the evening or will it be a nice experience to go to allas on a friday around 9 in the morning?

As I will be by myself, I think I wouldn't want to be totally alone in the sauna

Thanks in advance!