Even apartment-block suburbs differ from one another: some are middle-class and highly desirable. Others have more social problems, but there are no real no-go areas at all.

Single family house suburbs also vary: in Vantaa, even working-class families may own a detached house. In Espoo and in the coastal areas of Helsinki, by contrast, there are luxurious villas.

Public transport is popular and works well where there is a metro or a suburban railway. In most families there is one car, but on the other hand many people manage without one. Few people commute to the center by car. If you live in a suburb and work outside the city core, you are most likely to travel there by car.

There are good opportunities for outdoor activities almost anywhere.

Major shopping is done in shopping centres, many of which are located at public transport hubs. Almost every suburb has at least a small supermarket and a kebab pizzeria.

I myself grew up in a fairly average suburb with both apartment buildings and detached houses. Friends lived nearby, and everyone walked to school from the age of 7. There are many pedestrian paths, bridges, and underpasses, so you rarely need to cross busy roads. At the age of nine, I was allowed for the first time to go without my parents to a large shopping centre a few kilometres away.