There is no need to queue at Riihimäki and there is always a parking space in the city for your car

Riksuu in love is a story series in which people from Riihimäki share their thoughts about their hometown.

The Hakomäki family's home yard in Korttionmäki has plenty of space to play and relax. Sons Edwin, 4, and Linus, 5, bounce on the trampoline. Laura Hakomäki installs the air-filled hot tub she just bought on the terrace.

Joonas Hakomäki is wondering whether to oil the terrace or cut the lawn.

"It's wonderful when there is a lot of space both inside and outside. We can accommodate a family of friends with children in our guest room for a couple of nights. For Midsummer, friends from Helsinki are coming to the village, because we have the most space. We could even fit small parties of friends on a 1-square-meter lot, where a tent could fit, and you could also sleep in the barbecue house," laughs Laura Hakomäki.

The square footage of the home almost tripled

The Hakomäs previously lived in Kauklahti, Espoo, in a small detached house of 69 square meters. There were already two children in the family, and more space was needed. The family had no connection to Riihimäki, but an acquaintance they met at a friend's wedding praised Riihimäki so much that the Hakomäs decided to drive to see Riihimäki three years ago in the summer. They thought the center looked nice, and they started to follow apartments for sale in Riihimäki as well.

"Previously, we had only looked at what Uusimaa had to offer, because there seemed to be some kind of mental limit in Hämee. We looked for a house in many municipalities in the capital region, but our absolute criterion was walking distance to the train station. It is now two kilometers from us."

When the Hakomäs saw their current home, they fell in love. The house did not need any renovation. The home in Espoo was sold immediately, and the living space was almost tripled with a 60 euro down payment. The house, built in 000, has 2007 square meters, and the 184 square meter plot has a garage, log shed, barbecue hut, playhouse and a large terrace.

"You can hold children's birthday parties well in the large dining room, because the table can accommodate ten people. A fireplace creates an atmosphere at home. I really appreciate the two toilets and the utility room, which the children can access directly from the outside in dry clothes to be cleaned," thanks Laura Hakomäki.

A safe small town

Laura Hakomäki is from Savonlinna, and Joonas Hakomäki is from Karkkila. Small-town living is familiar to both of them, and they say that it certainly made moving to a small town easier.

"Everything is close in Riihimäki, and nowhere is there the same kind of congestion and crowding as in Espoo. You don't miss queuing and queue numbers. Here, it's easy to go shopping with the kids, for example, because you can always find a parking space nearby," says Joonas Hakomäki.

Laura Hakomäki praises the health services, especially the dentist and the counseling center.

"It's wonderful that there is always the same health nurse at the consultation. In Espoo, the nurse changed almost every time."

Both describe life in a small town as easy and safe to be with children. Kindergarten friends live near the home, and there are many different hobbies available. Hakomäki's boys have tried hockey school and football. In the summer there is a swimming school, and in the fall maybe we will try karate.

"In summer, the inland swimming pool is a great oasis for the whole family. The Vesitorni bar is a cozy place where you can get into an almost southern holiday atmosphere. One of our favorite places in Riksu is the Hatlammi swamp, where we like to go in all seasons with the children to walk along the long trees," says Joonas Hakomäki.

Laura Hakomäki states that Riihimäki has a nice number of free cultural events for the whole family. The area of ​​the glass factory and the museums are also nice, and the play at the summer theater is definitely a must-see.

"Bodrum is a really good kebab place, with authentic and original flavors in the dishes. We couldn't find an equally good kebab in Espoo."

The Hakomäs think that from Espoo's Kauklahti, they could have reached the center of Helsinki by train in half an hour. They rarely visited, maybe a few times a year.

"If you are further away from here, you could also visit Helsinki every now and then, because there are two local trains per hour. It takes 45 minutes to get there by car."

Hakomäki warmly recommend Riihimäki for families with children, as there is plenty of room and space.

"We have tried to attract my parents, who also live in Savonlinna, to move to Riksuu, but for now my father's fishing hobby keeps them close to Saimaa," says Laura Hakoniemi.

Laura Hakomäki

• Born in Savonlinna in 1989.
• Moved to Riihimäki in October 2020.
• Consulting special early childhood education teacher in the city of Riihimäki.
• The family includes the spouse and Edwin, 4, and Linus, 5.
• Does group exercise, favorites are body pump and spinning.

Joonas Hakomäki

• Born in Karkkila in 1989.
• Moved to Riihimäki in October 2020.
• Account manager at Liana Technologies in Helsinki. Mostly works remotely.
• The family includes a spouse and 4- and 5-year-old sons.
• Going to the gym as a hobby.

Reija Ypyä