“There is a refreshing village community feel to Uusikaupunki”

The faint morning sun sheds its rays through the white wooden house’s grilled windows. Marko Vikman starts his day by making a cup of coffee in the temporary kitchen built in one corner of the living room. The new kitchen renovation project started this spring has made slow and steady progress whenever there has been spare time for it.

After his morning routine, Vikman opens his computer and starts his working day.

– A working schedule is something I want to hold on to even while I’m teleworking. At the latest, I’ll usually start working at around nine and finish up at five. I also make sure to have my lunch breaks. We like to order food from nearby restaurants. It’s a nice break from work, he says.

Two years ago, Vikman and his spouse bought the wooden house built in the late 1800s and located in Sorvakko, Uusikaupunki. A seashore cabin was our first idea, but we couldn’t resist the charm of the old house.

– I was raised in an old house in Kalanti, and our Helsinki home is also over one hundred years old. As someone who spent his childhood in an old house, it is only natural for me to have been drawn to such a historical milieu.

The house in Sorvakko is the couple’s leisure home where they aim to spend as much of their time as possible. For them, the exceptional past year has meant extended weekends in Uusikaupunki, and even whole weeks from time to time. Although their daily and working lives revolve around Helsinki, teleworking enables them to also spend longer periods of time in the peace and quiet of the coastal town.

– We try to manage our spare time so that we can be here as much as we possibly can. Even though we’re also working from here, we want our leisure time here to be special. Performing mundane chores and activities has its own place back in Helsinki, mentions Vikman.

 

 

Luckily, the whole world can be easily accessed from the safety of the leisure home parlor’s white sofa. Vikman was no stranger to telework before the pandemic either, since it is commonplace at the Swedish furniture import company which he works for. Vikman says that sales managing is easy to do remotely, even though his job description has changed somewhat during the past year.

– Normally I would meet up with design architects and retailers or pay a quick visit to a customer. Naturally, all those types of things are on hold for now, which makes the job slightly more challenging in some ways. On the other hand, teleworking is very efficient when it comes to handling many other things.

 

 

The laid-back Uusikaupunki life rhythm suits the couple very well. Vikman has good things to say especially about the atmosphere and diverse services.

– There’s a sort of refreshing village community feel to Uusikaupunki. Everything is conveniently close, people and services alike. On the beach, which is within walking distance, there is a good selection of restaurants and, for example, an excellent fishmonger’s. And it’s always a plus being close to the sea, he praises.

Town development gets its share of praise from Vikman as well

 

– For instance, there are a lot of sports activity opportunities, with an ever growing selection of them. I like the fact that the development work also considers different age groups.

Doors to the couple’s Uusikaupunki home are always open for visitors as well, and many of their family members and friends do visit them throughout the year. In the summer, the couple sets their table full of delicious local foods on the veranda or in the garden, and in the winter it is convenient to enjoy the atmosphere of the gorgeous house with a larger group. The kitchen renovation will also be finished with the help of as many helping hands as they can muster.

Marko Vikman feels that right now there is a perfect balance between city life and “Ukilife”. He wishes for that balance to be maintained also when life turns back to normal.

– It just feels so natural being here in Uusikaupunki. Even though we’re not necessarily living our ordinary daily life here, it’s possible to handle everyday matters smoothly here too. I’m in a lucky position to have a job which enables me to plan my days by myself, so that we can spend a lot of our time here. If I could have one wish come true, it would be for the railroad project to come along. Passenger rail transport would be significant for many commuters.