“My family moved here in the 1970s, and I spent my whole youth here. I even met my spouse in a commuter train to Martinlaakso. When we were, back then, wondering where to set up our common home, Martinlaakso was a familiar and easy choice for both of us.”

The commuter train was an important criterion for the move.

“The bus routes can be changed easily and quickly, but since they’ve built rails here, they will not suddenly remove them and stop the train service.”

Ristimäki was right: there are now commuter trains running from Martinlaakso in two directions every 10 minutes. Since the Ring Rail Line was opened a few years ago, it has been possible to reach both Helsinki city centre and the airport from Martinlaakso in only 20 minutes.

“I go to work by train, and I use a lot of public transport otherwise as well. An easy connection to the airport is particularly pleasant when you are tired and returning home from a trip.”

The functional transport links are only one of the positive features Ristimäki finds in Martinlaakso.

“Martinlaakso, or ‘Martsari’, is a nice, human-sized place, where you can find everything you need for running your everyday life with ease. When you need something extra, the Myyrmanni shopping centre and the concentration of furniture stores in Petikko are just a few kilometres away,” Ristimäki lists.

On the cultural side, the main attraction of Martinlaakso is definitely the Cultural House Martinus.

“Of course, the cultural offerings of Helsinki city centre are only a stone's throw, or a short train ride, away, but there’s nothing to be ashamed of in the programming offered by Martinus either. The programme for this season includes quite a commendable number of the leading names in light music and stand-up comedy.”

The nearby Myyrmäki Sports Park has also become familiar to Ristimäki, since, over the years, she has followed numerous training sessions and football games of her son in Energia Areena, the football stadium and Myyrmäki-Halli.

“Many fond memories.”