It belongs to the area of Suur-Tapiola together with Westend, Tapiola, Pohjois-Tapiola, Otaniemi, Niittykumpu, Mankkaa, and Haukilahti.

The Natura 2000 area in Laajalahti includes a 192-hectare shallow, spacious and grassy bay.

In western Laajalahti, near the golf field, is the culturally significant Muolaansuo swamp area, about two hectares in size.

This naturally preserved poor fen is a part of the large Turvesuo swamp in Mankkaa.

The swamp is unique in the entire capital area as it is home to culturally significant plants such as the deergrass.

The earliest sign of human habitation in the Laajalahti area are stone graves.

It was founded during the Swedish colonisation of Finland in the late 14th century at the earliest, on the lands of the Haapalahti Finnish villages.

A speciality of Laajalahti and Etelä-Laajalahti is that the streets in the area are named after former Finnish municipalities on the Karelian Isthmus.

[7] The Laajalahti area includes the Akseli Gallen-Kallela museum, the Villa Elfvik nature protection area, the Laajalahti nature path, the Anja Pankasalo park, the Elfvik granite mine, the Ruukinranta boat harbour and the Kivennavanpuisto artillery outpost.

The rhododendron park was built by the environmental group of Laajalahti ry led Espoo's fifth homeland patron Anja Pankasalo.

[8] There is a large granite cliff at the forest surrounding the Villa Elfvik building commissioned by Freiherr Emil Standertskjöld.

A large amount of this so-called "Breda red gold" has been planted into a vault in an unknown location in the forest.

The architecturally exceptional Villa Åkerblom is located at the sea shore in eastern Laajalahti.

[3]: 132 Famous inhabitants of Laajalahti have included artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela[9] and sculptor Ville Vallgren.

Current or former celebrities living in Laajalahti include author-illustrator Mauri Kunnas, musician Jore Marjoranta, pianist of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra Jouko Laivuori, Member of Parliament Jyrki Kasvi and newsreader Leena Kaskela.