3 x Lovely Kalanti

1. Johanna Kantonen, Entrepreneur:  “Kalanti has a great vibe and a central location.” 

My husband and I chose Kalanti as our home 25 years ago. I was expecting our first child, Onni, when we bought a house that had been vacant for six years. Later, our daughters Olivia and Viola were born, and all of our children started school at the local elementary school.

I’m originally from Laitila and my husband is from Pyhämaa, so Kalanti is centrally located from our point of view.

All the services in Kalanti are close to each other: K-market, post office, Seo gas station, pizzeria, pub, pharmacy, secondhand shop, massage therapist, beautician, woodworking shop, library, and a flower shop.

It’s a small, tight-knit community—people take care of one another and their pets. For example, if our dog is on the loose, someone is sure to let us know where it’s running.
I appreciate that people here have common sense. If someone tosses a wooden shelf into the metal recycling, you’ll quickly see comments about it on Facebook.

Kalanti has a good vibe. Not long ago, there was a cruising event at the Seo station, and I could feel the fuel running in my veins again—it brought back memories of my youth!
In the summer, the Männäisten market offers entertainment for residents and visitors alike.

2. Elina Harikkala, Service Manager: “My childhood home pulled me back to my roots.”

I live near Kalanti church in the home where my paternal grandfather was born and where I also spent my childhood. My father passed away when I was eight, and I lived here with my mother and siblings.

The house stood empty for a long time after my mother passed and was mainly used as a summer cottage. I lived in the city center at the time, but because this place was dear to me, I decided to renovate it into my home. During the renovation, we found a log marked with the year 1862.

I’ve always lived in Uusikaupunki, except during my studies in Turku and Tampere. Now, I work in Turku as a service manager in elderly care for the wellbeing services county of Southwest Finland. Kalanti is in a great location—just eight kilometers from the center of Uusikaupunki and a reasonable drive to Turku. At my previous job, I sometimes biked to work thanks to the pedestrian and bike path from Kalanti to the city center.

Here, rural and small-town living blend beautifully. I want to live in a peaceful place with streetlights and neighbors around.

Kalanti’s town center offers services that I prefer to use—I often do my grocery shopping at the local store. For young families, Kalanti is a safe place to live with both a daycare center and a primary school nearby.

A car is a must here. For older residents, it would be great if there were some form of service transport between Kalanti and Uusikaupunki’s center.

3. Kalle Laato, Quality Engineer: “A good job brought me back home.”

I’m originally from the village of Hauto in Kalanti and studied engineering in Turku, but I was interested in moving back after graduation.

I’ve now worked for four years at Vahterus Oy in Kalanti. I started there as a maternity leave substitute doing project documentation, and now I work as a quality engineer. Vahterus is a major employer in this region, and with around 600 employees, there are also opportunities to grow in your career—which is fantastic.

In my free time, I enjoy sports. I play recreational floorball at Kalanti Sports Hall and badminton at the Männäisten gym. In summer, I play frisbee golf, basketball, and occasionally tennis at the Kalanti rink court. I’m also active in the Vakka-Suomi Junior Chamber International. The area offers great opportunities for mountain biking too.

One of Kalanti’s best features is its central location—you’re close to everything and don’t waste time in traffic.
My partner, our domestic cat, and I currently live in a townhouse in the Hakametsä district of Uusikaupunki, but in the future, we could imagine living in Kalanti. It really has everything a person needs.

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