Helsinki

Helsinki by Night

When summer inches north in June to Finland, put sleigh-bells, reindeer and naked ice swimming out of your mind. When the Nordic summer sun rises it stays out exhilaratingly late, a formula Finns seem to mimic with their nightlife.

Long hours of daylight notwithstanding, pack a raincoat! And, if you are in Helsinki, make sure it is stylish. The seaside capital, long a cozy alternative to neighboring, jet set Stockholm, is shedding its famously shy exterior and seeking deserved attention for its top notch design industry, chic hotels and lounges, and unpretentious -- but surprisingly edgy -- art.

Located in the heart of the city’s Design District, the Klaus K hotel (where I've been staying this past weekend) is a good example of this new Finnish face. Exceedingly hip but pleasantly friendly, this design hotel includes two restaurants -- one Italian (Toscanini) and one more traditionally Finnish (Ilmatar) -- alongside Ahjo, a cool, all-white lounge with a streetside terrace and an intimate, similarly high-design club in back.

Late into Saturday night, well-heeled young Finns in designer suits and dresses poured out of taxis and into Ahjo's live, pounding house. Thankfully, I couldn't hear a thing from my room when I, too, finally called it a night.

A small city, it still helps to stay near Helsinki's center and -- if you're going to frequent the gay nightlife -- as close to the Design District as possible. Around the corner from three of the city's most popular gay spots, Klaus K is hard to beat for this.

Two blocks south of the hotel is Hugo's Room , Helsinki's newest gay lounge. Impeccably cool -- although somewhat pricey -- Hugo's Room is great for dressing up, claiming a window-side booth and watching the busy street outside.

Crowded by 10pm (especially on weekends), folks tend to drift out of Hugo's Room by midnight, either going directly across the street to Don't Tell Mama -- DTM for short -- or stopping by Hercules first, a dance club one block north of the Klaus K hotel. None of these venues charge a cover, but entry is supposedly restricted by age -- 20 at DTM, 22 at Hugo's Room and 24 at Hercules. Local Finns, however assure me that no reasonably-aged young man is denied entry.

By 1 am, the crowd really picks up at Hercules, a fun and well laid-out club that spins roaring pop remixes and dance tracks. There's a spacious back lounge where conversations can actually be heard, too. Until recently, when the city closed them all, Hercules maintained an appreciated dark room, but its absence hasn't dampened the club's popularity or the mixed patrons' forwardness!

DTM is Helsinki's most iconic gay place. A friendly café with an outdoor patio by day, a bar by evening, and a busy club later on, DTM is more or less open 24 hours a day. Locals grumble a bit that it's cool factor, multiple dance floors and good music have begun drawing a sizeable straight population, but all agree that it is still the place to be seen, to bring your female friends, to dance all night, or just to have a quiet afternoon coffee.

Sunny, summery Helsinki

Although Helsinki's weekend gay nightlife might keep you up (and sleeping in) late, the days in between can afford a useful opportunity for sight-seeing and sampling the amazing restaurants that have popped up in the last few years.

The best way to spend a morning is at the open-air produce, knick-knack, flower and antique markets. They're impromptu, weather-dependant affairs but thankfully dependable if you have a clear-skied day to bring the local farmers, fishermen and attic-cleaners out in force.

Just west of the Design District, at the end of Boulevardi street, you can unearth occasional gems at the lively, ragtag flea market known as Hietalahti. The main show, though, is the adjacent indoor antique market where you can pick up anything from a 19th century English birdcage to vintage Iittala glassware.

Nearby, No. 9 is a relaxing gay-friendly café that serves a popular, tasty lunch. The Atkins salad is recommended, but make sure you want a whole steak with your greens.

Catering more to souvenir needs is Kauppatori market, located at the small harbor at the end of the Esplanade. Weekends are packed with stalls, but you'll find deliciously fresh seasonal produce, local fish and a variety of kitschy Lapland Reindeer-based handicrafts every day.

From Kauppatori, it's easy to take an afternoon trip to Suomenlinna, a small UNESCO heritage-classified island 15 minutes from the market by hourly ferries. This hilly former fortress has plenty of history -- some Finnish, some Swedish, some Russian -- but its chief appeal is picnic-ing amid grassy knolls and sea breezes. Cafés dot Suomenlinna, in case you don't port around lunch yourself, and there's a cute shop selling works by the Finnish artists who inhabit it if you need a souvenir.

Back on the mainland, don’t miss Kiasma, Helsinki's Museum of Contemporary Art. The institution's stunning permanent collection of Scandinavian and Nordic artists is full of clever, often funny and surprisingly edgy work -- like this neon, flaccid Darth Vader.

To 'finnish' -- pun! -- off the day, I recommend Juuri, a five-year old restaurant run by two women chefs who are as warm with their patrons as they are talented in their profession. Mid-range by price thanks to their stellar seasonal 'Sapas' or tapas menu, Juury is decidedly top tier by taste.

Modern riffs on traditional Finnish cuisines combined with intimate, unpretentious décor make Juuri popular with small dinner parties and dates alike. Dress decently, make a reservation and take the chefs' recommendations -- it's a dinner you won't regret.

Designing Helsinki

Story: Nikko Lencek-Inagaki; Photos below: Courtesy Companies

Although Helsinki's gay nightlife, restaurants and cultural offerings are well-worth the trip on their own -- at least in summer! -- the city is also an emerging design capital, marked by its current finalist bid to be 2012's World Design Capital.

There are also plans for a new design university to accommodate all the talented young Finns who are building on older international A-listers like Eero Aarnio -- remember this chair? -- and Alvar Aalto.

Of course, the best place to see chic new Finnish design work -- famously simple, eco-friendly and functional, but still statement-worthy -- is at the annual international design fair.

Barring that, downtown Helsinki's Design Forum combines showroom, shop and café into a stylish multi-use space where you can see (and purchase) work by both established and University-fresh designers.

At the top of the rising star list (look for his watch work with Issey Miyake) is Harri Koskinen, whose elegant but pleasantly whimsical glasswork for Iittala is simply beautiful. His furniture can be harder to find -- and transport -- but will be online soon.

Dotting Helsinki's Design District, you'll also find a handful of cool boutiques stocking the wearable version of new Finnish design. IvanaHelsinki, for example, the first label invited to Paris' main catwalk, has their flagship womenswear shop in the heart of the neighborhood. Beam and Tiger are the best places to start for menswear by Scandinavian designers, but neither carry Finnish labels. A few can be found, along with everything else one needs in life, at Stockmann, Helsinki's massive department store.

For something more funkier -- but still very Finnish -- check out Secco, a small shop on Syrjälänkat that specializes in recycled streetwear and accessories by forty or so local designers.

After a long day of the new Finland, unwind with one of the culture's oldest traditions: the dry sauna. A beautiful, central sauna -- and, built in 1926, perhaps Helsinki's oldest -- can be found at Yrjönkatu alongside a huge pool and a Turkish steam room. Check for mens' and womens' days and be comfortable sweating nude with a bunch of Finnish men of all ages.