Siuntio, Finland

Nuuksio is a very nice national park close to Helsinki. Nuuksio is highland and there are a lot of small lakes and some (easy to reach) hiking routes. Definitely worth visiting during the summer time. You can get there from Helsinki even using public transportation!

User attached a link to luontoon.fi

If you want to have a taste of wildlife but don't want to leave the Helsinki area then try out Nuuksio. It's not really wild but still it's a quite nice national park close to Helsinki.

This is the south most tip of Porkkala Peninsula. The area was rented to Russians after WWII. The narrow rocky peninsula with some fascinating paths offers a breathtaking view to archipelago. By far the best at sunset! Accessible by bus from Helsinki.

User attached a link to kirkkonummi.fi

Kasvihuone ilmiö - Crazy shopping

Experiencestore as this firm calls it self, is true. There’s everything from furniture to smallest decoration, but things are not like in all others stores. Kasvihuoneilmö is more than just a store it’s somethin you can’t describe to someone, you just must see it your self.

Kannunkulma (known as "Kannu") is the most popular nightclub-restaurant nearby Espoon Keskus.

Its quite small, nice and cozy place with inexpensive prices.

Karaoke @ Tuesdays & Sundays, striptease on Wednesdays.

Every weekend young people from all over Espoo are coming to paaaartyyy! So be there ;)

And for smokers: this one of the few nightclubs left that allows you to have your cigarette wherever you wish - instead of leaving your seats and drinks by going outside.

Ringside is quite an easy course, you have plenty of room to slice on most of the holes with just a few outs. Most of the holes remind me of an airport landing strip. If you like to hit hard with a driver (and who wouldn't?), this is your course. The clubhouse is also good, it's situated on a hill with 9th and 18th hole ending there and you can see them well from the sauna balcony. Burgers are good. Not the most beautiful or intriguing course but it does the job.

User attached a link to golfpiste.com

Very nice summer restaurant close to Helsinki with lovely atmosphere. They have a good private peer for boats, or you can get there with a public ferry.
Open only on summers.
In the same island (south side) there's also a public grilling site etc.
RECOMMEND!

User attached a link to gulavillan.fi

Avoid lunch at Boom. There are lot's of fast food restaurants at Iso Omena that beat eating at Boom by miles. Or visit the nearby pakistani restaurant Peshawar that has excellent pakistani buffet table every day.

If there is anything good to be said about
this restaurant, it's the fact that it has set
the lowest point on the scale of my dining experiences.
Dull, unappealing food in equally unappealing settings,
unless you're into the eighties cruise boats type of furnishings,
wall-to-wall carpet with undefined stains on it etc.
Rather go and grab a burger, at least that's "honest" food.

One of the best football fields in southern Finland can be found here!

Kurk is pretty close to Helsinki and the green fee is not that bad, check out the rates from the link below. You can also buy tickets (pelilippu) from the web quite cheap. The course has its share of forest, water and hills and is a joy to play. If you're a regular and know the course, occasional blind shot over the trees on a dogleg can get you into good position for an eagle.. if you get it right.

User attached a link to kurkgolf.fi

Part of Nuuksio natural park, Luukki offers several small lakes and some tens of kilometres well kept trails and tracks in varied forest nature. An excellent place to take outdoor exercises all year round, about 30 minutes by bus from Helsinki.

Kivenlahti Rock is a summer starter! It is conveniently located within easy reach from the capital area and as such makes it easy to try out if one is up to yet another festival summer. ;-) This festival is not huge nor full of international top artists - instead it has a village-like friendly atmosphere (although the after-party clubs may not be the best places to after the gigs).

User attached a link to kivenlahtirock.com

One of the best places near Helsinki to play tennis, badminton, squash and go to the gym.

Cafe Mellsten is the meeting point for everyone nearby in Haukilahti, it's a great place to start your day during weekends. Relax in the sun on the terrace and enjoy home made cinnamon buns while looking at the sea and listening to waves hitting the shore. A cup of coffee or beer depending on your activities last night top the enjoyment.

Bodom has a nice beach but the best thing to do is to ride around it with a motorcycle. The roads are narrow and very curvy making it one of the most popular evening ride routes in Espoo.

You'd better have an excellent reason coming here. Like being so drunk that you can't think clearly.

On a clear day, Restaurant Haikaranpesä on top of a water tower offers really nice views over the sea (and Espoo too). Lunch buffet is plentiful but somewhat expensive.

Serena is the place to visit if one like water parks. Best in capital area.

Porkkalanniemi is amazing place, a must see! A really nice beach.

Don't forget to pack sausages and mustard (makkaraa ja sinappia)! You are supposed to burn your sausage outside but eat it while it's still cold inside.
There's no other sausage like Finnish makkara!

There's a good flea market called Manna kirppis. Free bread available.

Suvisaaristo is nowadays so fully built that it is difficult to find any hiking trails anymore. I know of only one. It's one of my favorite hikes during spring and fall when the coastal nature changes from dead winter to lively summer or vice versa.

It's a very cool park with lots of tall trees. A good place for a picnic, jogging or just wandering around the forest which is somewhat in natural state.

I found the Lush boutique in England and now they have opened shops in Espoo and Helsinki too. They've got really nice soaps and bath balls that dissolves and fizzes in water leaving hearts etc. in your bath water! It's sweet!

Come here late on a summer night when the screaming kids have gone home. In June you may spot a duck family. You also may want to bring some mosquito spray or at least long sleeves.

opening hours:
until 3.5.09: sa,su 10-17
> 4.5.09: sa, su, 10-20

Espoo - the city of Nokia HQ and home of one of the nicest National Parks just 30mins from downtown Helsinki called Nuuksio

You can also practice crosscountry.skiing there if we have snow in southern part of Finland

Interesting and beautiful golf course and if you have not plenty of time take 9-hole Hill-course.Also they have a good restaurant.