In Leppävaara everything is near

While wonderfully close to nature, Leppävaara is a modern urban centre with excellent private and public transport connections to all directions. Leppävaara (formerly Alberga) also has a rich and unique history and extensive cultural heritage. Throughout its history, Leppävaara has always welcomed new residents. Might Lepuski, as Leppävaara is fondly called by the locals, be just the right area for you to live, too? See our tips to learn more about Leppävaara.

Old manor houses for those who are hungry (for history)

History is still very much visible in Leppävaara’s urban landscape. The old Alberga parks and the grounds of the Alberga Manor convey a sense of times past with summer villas and a thriving community of artists: this is where all of the big names of the Golden Age of Finnish Art would spend time in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

One of local attractions is the Gallen-Kallela Museum, the residence and studio of the artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela that is now a museum. In addition to providing a look into the Gallen-Kallelas’ life, the museum also hosts changing exhibitions and lectures.

The perfect way to end the museum tour is to visit the nearby Cafe Zoceria for specialty coffees, fine bakery products and classic lunch dishes.

Those into good food will also be interested in Villa Lilla, a wooden villa transformed into a restaurant. Their brunches and Christmas Lunch are raved about by those in the know. Lunch at Villa Lilla is well worth even a longer journey.

Leppävaara also boasts many other places of cultural history interest hosting a variety of events. Check out sources such as the website of the neighbourhood association Leppävaara Society to see what is happening!

Wide range of services and excellent transport connections loved by residents

Today’s Leppävaara has the wide range of services of a modern city. The Leppävaara station is right next to Sello, Finland’s largest shopping centre in terms of number of visitors and with the largest and most diverse library in the country. The first shopping centre in the area, Galleria Leppävaara also attracts visitors year after year.

Leppävaara is the third-biggest public transport hub in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and provides quick and easy access by train or bus to destinations all over the metropolitan area. The local train takes you from Leppävaara to the centre of Helsinki in 12 minutes. For smooth access to destinations all the way to eastern Helsinki, the trunk bus line currently provides a rush-hour service every 3–4 minutes and will be replaced in 2024 by the new Jokeri Light Rail line.

Leisure opportunities and comprehensive services

Might now be the time for you to take a course to learn golf? The location will definitely not be an issue preventing that as the Tali golf course is within walking distance from Vermonniitty. Or how about disc golf? There is a park dedicated for that, too, in the neighbouring Tali area. And if sitting down for a nice bit of food or drink is more your thing, you will find treats to every taste as well as a relaxed atmosphere in the numerous cafes and eateries of Vermonniitty and Leppävaara.

Vermonniitty is also very close to a full range of services and a huge selection of guided leisure activities for people of all ages, such as sports, music, art as well as activities with your dog. There are schools and daycare centres in the area. You will not need to venture far for lots of other things to do with children, either: there are playparks and theme parks, museums, the seafront, outdoor recreation areas and an indoor swimming pool.

Vermonniitty’s own local shop will soon expand into a larger store for your day-to-day shopping. Large supermarkets and a big selection of restaurants and shops can be found at the nearby Sello Shopping Centre. By the way, did you know that Sello is the largest shopping centre in Finland in terms of the number of visitors?

Dream urban district for those with a dog or into other outdoor activities

Do you live with a four-legged friend that loves walks in the wood? Or someone with two legs who enjoys walks or runs? The Tali park area starts right by Vermonniitty and continues as an uninterrupted green zone almost all the way to Pitäjänmäki station. The area has several dog parks, seafront areas (such as Iso Huopalahti bay for spotting birds), the Tali allotment garden area as well as other things to see, such as the planet Jupiter in the model of our Solar System created by Ursa Astronomical Association.

Vermonniitty also has a large dog park where you can get to know other locals owned by a dog. The local area has a good range of services for your canine companion from vet to grooming. Or perhaps agility is your thing? This is the ideal neighbourhood for dogs and their humans alike, with places to roam around for hours and hours no matter how many legs you have.

Culture in an eclectic, developing urban centre

Interested in music or dance performances? For the culture vulture Leppävaara is an easy choice. The Sello Hall is a venue for a full range of concerts and performances around the year. There is a large cinema at the Sello Shopping Centre. You can also do your own music and dancing – Leppävaara has several music schools and a broad scale of dance schools.

Leppävaara, or Alberga, used to be a strongly Swedish-speaking agricultural area with manor houses. In the early 1900s, a growing number of Finnish-speaking workers started to move to the area. This means that newcomers have been a familiar sight in Leppävaara for a long time. There has always been space for people moving here from all over Finland and the world. Today, you can hear dozens of different languages and see people from various parts of the world when walking down the pedestrianised Leppävaaranraitti street. Throughout times, tolerance has been the local lifestyle in Leppävaara, and this is also reflected in the range of restaurants and shops available.

If you get more into Leppävaara’s events, development and history, you can become a member of the Leppävaara Society. The society has produced several books about local history and organises many kinds of events, such as the annual Raittikarnevaalit carnival.

Leppävaara’s growth will continue long into the future. More and more business facilities, services as well as homes are being planned and constructed in the area. Property experts currently regard Leppävaara as the most attractive district in Espoo. And rightly so! Lepuski is a brilliant place to live.

Maybe this is where you belong, too?