Kontula has it all

Kontula is fantastic for an active lifestyle

Benefiting from the metro, this classic Helsinki district provides brilliant access to outdoor recreation and sports facilities:

• Kontula Sports Park with its tennis courts, multipurpose artificial turf and artificial ice rink is located on the southeast side of the metro track.
• Located next to the sports park is a pleasant local exercise place.
• In addition to the local exercise place, outdoor exercise equipment can found in Kelkkapuisto park and in Naapurintie residents’ park.
• The skatepark in Kelkkapuisto park is also located on the northeast side of the metro tracks.
• Finland’s biggest indoor skatepark can be found right next door to the shopping centre.
• Kontula Swimming Hall is also located next door to the shopping centre.

In Kontula, there are leafy tree-lined streets between buildings, wide passages for walking and easy access to Vartiokylänlahti bay to enjoy the seafront on a nice day.

Kontula attracts visitors from other parts of the city

Kontula’s ethnic restaurants and little shops in particular attract visitors from other parts of the city too, and entrepreneurs with a migrant background have done a great job providing the shopping centre with an uplift.

Check out what to eat in Kontula »
Read (in Finnish) about Restaurant Uzbekistan »
Take a look at Helsinki by night (in Finnish for subscribers »

Kontula is growing rapidly

There seems to be a persistent belief that many neighbourhoods outside the city centre tend to be stuck in the past.

This is definitely not true for Kontula, as the district is growing and developing rapidly. The City of Helsinki is organising a design competition on the shopping centre area, and residential buildings are undergoing modernisation. There is also plenty of space for new development in this uncrowded neighbourhood.

Take a look at SATO’s Porttikuja 11 rental homes, for example »

What do people think about Kontula?

We asked SATO Pulssi Residents’ Panel members what Kontula made them think of. Below are some of their comments.

“I’ve lived here in East Helsinki for almost half of my life and seen how these neighbourhoods have changed. For example, Kontula has changed for the better, except for the shopping centre area. I live in Vuosaari at the moment, but I could move somewhere like Kontula. In my opinion Puotinharju, Itäkeskus, Roihuvuori, Myllypuro and Kontula are pretty good neighbourhoods despite their reputation."

“Better than its reputation suggests. There are the services you need as well as restaurants at the shopping centre, and the artificial ice rink in the sports park is good."

“I think people talk unnecessarily poorly of Kontula, and the area is much better than many people imply. You can find everything close by in Kontula, and the transport links are good. This is a good place to live."

“Better and more pleasant as a place to live than its reputation suggests. The community of residents is multicultural and layered."

“Some time ago I used to think of it as a district I’d never move to. A while back I drove through Kontula and discovered that it’s actually a pretty nice-looking neighbourhood, and I’ve also read about the new plans for the area. After all, it depends on the people what an area eventually shapes into!"

“I don’t much think about Kontula. But anyway it’s nice that it exists."