Kulttuuritalo (Helsinki House of Culture) is possibly the most iconic concert venue in Helsinki today. It was designed by the legendary Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Ella Fitzgerald, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk and Duke Ellington played there. Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Cream, too. When a relatively new band called Queen played in 1974, theContinue reading “Helsinki House of Culture”
Author Archives: nonvisedvoce
The Helsinki Book Fair
The Helsinki Book Fair is an annual celebration of the printed word. It is held at the Expo and Convention Centre in Pasila and fills vast halls with publishers and shops great and small. I am told 90,000 visitors came this year, which is a new record. It is a bustling market of books andContinue reading “The Helsinki Book Fair”
Love and Anarchy
I have visited the Helsinki International Film Festival for a few years now. I forget how many, to be honest. The festival has been around since 1988, and I am certainly a newcomer. This year I was fortunate enough to go to many screenings, which makes me feel like I am happily making up forContinue reading “Love and Anarchy”
On Hidden Gems
I don’t think any restaurant really wants to be a hidden gem. It is more likely that restaurants want to be popular hot spots for hordes of customers. Most restaurants are in the business of making money, after all. As they should be. At the risk of sounding condescending, trite, cliched and all the restContinue reading “On Hidden Gems”
How Do You Choose a Barber?
Choosing a barber is serious business. Yes, you must select someone who can make you look presentable. But you also have to trust them enough to let them hold a razor to your throat. There are few professions that require that level of intimacy and trust. Only dentists or doctors get this much access toContinue reading “How Do You Choose a Barber?”
The Best Pizza in Helsinki
It is very easy to find good pizza in Helsinki. Putte’s is the classic. Daddy Greens is my favorite after homemade pizza. There are numerous other small places peppered around town that serve perfectly acceptable pizza. Then there is Via Tribunali. Via Tribunali became famous after their first location opened in the more touristy sectionContinue reading “The Best Pizza in Helsinki”
Kumpula Botanical Garden
The Kumpula Botanical Garden is one of Helsinki’s best kept secrets. The premises seem smaller from the outside than they actually are. Once inside, you will find that its collections include domestic species and exotic plants from around the world. There is a nice little café on the grounds. A manor house has stood onContinue reading “Kumpula Botanical Garden”
Tallinn Is Not Helsinki
I know this blog is about Helsinki, but it would be silly not to mention Tallinn. It’s a Helsinki thing. Several ferries crisscross between the two cities. Some are more luxurious than others, but even the scruffier ones have food, drinks and entertainment. If you need a break from your fellow passengers, you can reserveContinue reading “Tallinn Is Not Helsinki”
The New Orion
Before I moved to Helsinki, I started dating a local film buff. The theater of choice for buffs at the time was Orion. The theater was founded in 1928 and is a Helsinki institution. Last year, we were reminded of how fragile it actually is despite its iconic status. The National Audiovisual Institute decided toContinue reading “The New Orion”
Minibar
Minibars typically bring to mind feelings of shame and regret. They seem like a good idea when you finally return to your hotel room exhausted and desperate for a nightcap, but when the awful truth is revealed the next morning at checkout, that final late night drink does not seem to warrant the exorbitant cost.Continue reading “Minibar”
