The Square is spacious and it has access to water, which makes it a nice place, although not all the architecture around it is exactly pretty. The hall itself is a fascinating old brick building, and inside it has this ‘old times’ atmosphere. The hall smells like fish – like many market halls do – but it is clean.
As the neighborhood is still in the middle of gentrification process the clientele is very diverse. It is used more by Helsinkians than by tourists, and the shopkeepers know their regular customers. The Finnish clientele ranges from students and artists living nearby, to people who want special items, to Tarja Halonen, the President of Finland. And yes, the neighborhood is proud of this place, that’s for sure!