East Helsinki (Finnish: Itä-Helsinki, Swedish: Östra Helsingfors) is an area in Helsinki, Finland, usually thought to comprise the city's eastern and south-eastern major districts (Finnish: suurpiiri, Swedish: stordistrikt), including the districts of Vartiokylä, Myllypuro, Mellunkylä, Vuosaari, Herttoniemi, Laajasalo and Kulosaari.
[1] East Helsinki has had problems with unemployment and poverty, and immigrants and refugees are somewhat concentrated in the area's subsidised housing and city-owned apartments.
The most important road connection to the city central from East Helsinki with car or bus runs along Itäväylä.
Approximately one out of every ten people in East Helsinki receives social welfare payments from the Finnish state.
Some of them, especially Asa, employ very political themes in their music, focusing on the problems of the Finnish capital's eastern suburbs.
It is used as a common device in Finnish films and TV series to signify that the events are set in East Helsinki.
Kontu is known for its remarkable run between 1981 and 1986 when, under the management of Antti Muurinen, the club climbed from the 5th tier of Finnish football to the qualifying playoff for the Mestaruussarja in just six seasons.
[17] Rugby Union clubs Warriors RC and Helsinki RUFC play in Myllypuro sports park.