Merihaka ( sv, Havshagen) is a coastal residential area in central

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

consisting of large high-rise

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wi ...

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

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

Kallio Kallio (; sv, Berghäll; 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 mo ...

and

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

. 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, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new Terrestrial ecoregion, land from oceans, list of seas, seas, Stream bed, riverbeds or lak ...

, 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 (American English) 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 ...

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 (21 December 1930 – 16 January 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 day ...

. 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