17.3.2022

First impressions of Jyväskylä ー part two

lähikuva pyöränrenkaasta jäällä. Image Tero Takalo-Eskola

First impressions of Jyväskylä - the series continues! We asked people who have recently moved to the city about their thoughts on their new neighbourhood. Be sure to also check out the first part of the series!

Events and activities for every day

When we asked new students what kind of first impressions they had about Jyväskylä, the most frequently mentioned things were the amount of hills and the compact size of the city. In addition to those, the students also mentioned that there is an abundance of events and activities in Jyväskylä.

"When I came to study, I tried to get involved in everything. Because of the coronavirus, there haven't been as many events as usual, but at least our student organisation has been very active. During the fuksiaiset (a party for the 1st year students) and the City of Light event I got to go around the city and see places," says the first-year student teacher.

The city's sports facilities are praised by a first-year business student living in Kortepohja.

"I chose to live here largely because of the low rent and the sports facilities. Here I can go to the student village gym at the end of the day, and the Laajavuori and Tuomiojärvi ski tracks are right next door. It's been great to live here."

Both students say that it is easy to find new hobbies in Jyväskylä. University sports (Korkeakoululiikunta), clubs in the city and student organisations often organise opportunities to try out completely new sports.

A city of forests and lakes

With the exception of the city centre, the forest is always close by in Jyväskylä. And even from the city centre, the Kehä vihreä and the Harju are great places for relaxing walks and unwinding.

Kaksi henkilöä juttelee selin Laajavuoren syksyisellä rinteellä. Image Tero Takalo-Eskola — From the slopes of Laajavuori, there are magnificent views towards Kortepohja and Lake Tuomiojärvi.

"In my opinion, there are not many cities in Finland where nature is not close by. Yet somehow, in Jyväskylä, local nature comes really close. I live in Halssila, maybe three kilometres from the city centre, and I can get to the forest in just a few minutes. Sometimes you don't see anyone else there," says a business student.

The centre of Jyväskylä is surrounded by no less than three lakes, and the large Päijänne is also very close by. Many students have found their way to the lakes.

"A friend tipped me off and I ended up playing beach volleyball on the shore of Tuokkari (Tuomiojärvi) as soon as I started my studies. There are really good facilities for this and other activities, and I got a very good first impression of the sports facilities," says one psychology student.