Stay in Matinkylä
A Coastal Gem just outside Helsinki
My name’s Celina and from March to September 2024 I lived in a Comodo apartment in Ullanlinna. I didn’t realize it at the time but the unexpected move allowed me to experience life in Helsinki from a different perspective. After I moved back home I decided to continue the adventure by spending more time in the other districts of Helsinki. So join me, as I see what life would be like in Punavuori, Kallio/Hakaniemi, Jätkäsaari and Töölö.
No Waterfall Ruins, but a Coastal Gem
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If you Google “things to do in Matinkylä” one thing you’ll find (or I found when I wrote this) is “waterfall ruins”. So, I thought, let me grab an Uber to this address and I’ll start my adventure there. After all, the common words that kept coming up were “coastal gem and nature.” Well, I can tell you, from personal experience, there are no waterfall ruins (at least not at the address this website took me to).
I fell to the ground in hysterics, what an epic fail. But, you don’t really get the feel for a place unless you get lost sometimes. What I ended up finding was stunning nature and a coastal shore to die for.
Nature, Peace, and Community
Matinkylä is located half an hour from town and is easily accessible by metro. It’s only if you want to venture to the outskirts to play golf for instance or visit waterfall ruins that don’t exist you’ll need a car.
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After my epic failure, I decided to take a walk through the forest. It was a beautiful sunny day and I wanted to get a feel for what it’s like to live here and be part of this community. The outskirts are cute, you’re a few km from central Matinkylä but it’s like its own little town. There were neighbors chatting on porches, people walking their dogs and kids biking around. A quiet, calm, peaceful suburban area.
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Iso Omena: The Beating Heart of Matinkylä
Then I took an Uber back to the heart of Matinkylä, to the mall called Iso Omena. Just like all malls, it has everything you need: Korean stores, grocery stores, pharmacies and so forth, and it’s a nice design too. Think of a very big greenhouse, it just doesn’t get hot.
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Now, I had seen nature, and the city, it was time to head towards the sea.
Towards the Seashore
My friends were actually boating and I had asked whether they could pick me up from Espoo. It was thanks to them I ended up exploring the seashore. There is a beautiful, cozy cafe called Cafe Mellsten, located in the neighborhood of Haukilahti, right at the sea. It’s about 2 km from Iso Omena.
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So in case you’re staying in a Comodo apartment in Matinkylä, count yourself lucky because you’re literally only 2km from the sea and it’s an entirely different experience to Lauttasaari because you’re nowhere near the hustle and bustle of town- there’s very little boat traffic too.
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Cafe Mellsten offers drinks and it’s just so cozy. There’s a beach in front and a deck to the sea. It’s serene and picturesque. There’s a boat club too and that’s where I went to meet my friends to continue exploring by sea.
Idyllic Living in Matinkylä - Nature, Family and the Sea
It’s no wonder that it’s clearly calmer and quieter around Matinkylä, there’s a little over 33,000 people living in Matinkylä and its outskirts of Olari and Henttaa.
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If you want to be closer to nature, while also enjoying the serenity of the sea and what could be referred to as an idyllic family neighborhood, staying in a Comodo apartment in Matinkylä might be ideal for you!
The Journey Continues...
As for me? I needed to head back to town. But before I went home, I had one more stop to make and that would be Kalasatama – yet another fantastic area in Helsinki where Comodo offers temporary accommodation. Read how my adventure continued here.
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