A love letter to the city: Beautiful new guidebook shows Helsinki through the eyes of its residents
Town planner Patrick Geddes once said a city is a drama in time rather than just a place in space. Following the stories of inhabitants is the best way to understand this drama. This idea drives a new Helsinki guidebook, Helsinki – People Make the City, by New Zealand writer Melanie Dower and photographer Laura Iisalo.
The book departs from traditional city guides. It illustrates life and work in a city frequently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable. Dower intended to create something different from the typical guidebooks available.
Take the Helsinki experience home
The authors created an insider guide to the Helsinki lifestyle. Readers can recreate a day in the life of the featured residents. This experience extends to the kitchen. Readers can prepare salmon soup or cinnamon buns regardless of their location in the world.
Food in Helsinki
Food is the central theme. The selection process for restaurants and cafes involved extensive research. The authors spent a year testing cinnamon buns and meatballs. They only included places they genuinely loved.
Living like a local
The book features cafe and restaurant owners alongside shopkeepers, designers and a taxidermist. The residents chosen define Helsinki at this moment. Even those familiar with the city may not know the people behind the businesses.
The book follows real people through their favourite districts. It covers Suomenlinna, Punavuori, Töölö, Kruununhaka, Kallio and Vallila. It shows how the city is constructed from its vibrant population.
