Student life in Otaniemi
Apila Huhtinen lives, studies, works, spends her leisure time and organises festivals in Otaniemi.
When Apila Huhtinen, originally from Turku, came to study bioinformation technology at Aalto University four years ago, she hoped to find a student apartment near the university.
However, this was not possible at first, and her first student apartment was in Ruskeasuo, Helsinki.
“It was a 45-minute commute from the university, but I had to take any apartment I managed to get. Fortunately, I was able to relocate to Otaniemi, to a shared apartment with a friend, already during my first winter.”
After that, she also tried living in a studio apartment in Otaniemi, but when a friend asked whether she would be interested in moving to a shared apartment community of 16 residents, she was intrigued. She slept on it for one night and decided to put in an application.
“This is more of a community than a typical shared apartment. We know each other and do a lot of things together: we organise parties, take part in hobbies and just hang out together. The community has existed for 33 years, and its anniversary parties and May Day lunches always attract former residents as well.”
When a room becomes available in the community, residents can recommend applicants.
“Living in a shared apartment community has a huge positive impact on our overall satisfaction with the city and university. We are all involved in volunteer student activities in one way or another.”
Life revolves mainly around Otaniemi. In addition to home and the university, leisure activities are also close by.
“There are over a hundred student associations or clubs run by volunteers in this district. For example, I practice pole dancing, and the cost at the local pole dancing club is one tenth of what it would cost elsewhere,” Huhtinen tells us.
She also volunteers for the student union’s Festival Committee, which organised a free outdoor festival for a couple of thousand visitors in the spring.
Huhtinen even got a summer job at the university, so she did not even need a season ticket for public transport until she met her current partner.
“Although I must say that the shops here are small. If you need something special, you have to go further. I would also like the student village to have a convenience store and more bus stops.”
On the other hand, Otaniemi offers great opportunities for outdoor activities:
“My favourite place is the tip of the peninsula,” Huhtinen says.
Did you know these things about Otaniemi?
- A district in the eastern part of Espoo, on the southern shore of Laajalahti
- Swedish name: Otnäs
- Known for the Aalto University campus area, which includes buildings designed by Alvar Aalto
- The Otaniemi student village has apartments owned by the Aalto University Student Union, the Otaniemi Housing Foundation and the Helsinki Student Housing Foundation
- There are also many jobs in the district
- At the end of 2023, Otaniemi had 4,574 inhabitants
Text: Katariina Krabbe
This article was originally published in the Espoo-lehti magazine 2/2025. Read other Espoo-lehti articles.