[aj-4]

no, if bohemianism and cheap beer are your priorities I don't imagine it would be.

as far as a place to raise a family, be a part of a community, general quality of life, it fits.

if it was always summer there, i'd be there no question.

[Mediterraneo10]

You mention cheap beer, but you can actually get that in Finland. Lapin Kulta or Karhu, available from supermarkets because they are under whatever alcohol limit, are very cheap. On any weekend night you can see people young and old in city streets getting drunk on this (or on something brought over from Estonia). I was actually shocked the first time I saw all this public drunkenness; it did not live up to Finland's reputation for order. No, I meant good beer for degustation purposes being available and at an affordable price.

That Finland is a good place to raise a family has its dark side. Every time I go back to Finland I am annoyed by children being allowed in places they wouldn't be tolerated in other countries. The fancy new Helsinki central library gives adult patrons no barriers against all the noise from the children's section.

But as for "being part of a community", there is a big problem with loneliness in Finland. There are few opportunities to truly connect with other people after uni or the army. Religious observance is extremely low in Finland now, but apparently nothing ever replaced the parish church as a hub to actually interact with your local community. Few people living in blocks know their neighbours, and many feel that it would be a faux pas to even speak to those neighbours.