A small non-profit social space opened in our old apartment on Süda on Feb. 14. It was a bit of a strange place to live full-time, but it has been transformed into a hub of activity and it doesn't seem overcrowded even with 10 people in there.
We attended the grand opening yesterday. A violinist played reels. (I tried to accompany her on rhythm guitar.) There was a rowing machine race, various arts and crafts.
As of now, it's far from established, but I am pleased -- this was the best solution as far as finding a tenant.
The idea is that if you are in Tallinn with your kids, you can drop by and give them something to do, perhaps have a cup of coffee while getting some work done on your laptop or even run an errand in the neighbourhood.
It all works on the "suggested donation" principle. They have licensed staff and are legit, but the organizers, MTÜ Pererahvas, are taking pains to keep it distinct from a paid commercial service (such as Ema Lapse Keskus) for the time being, because it is in the centre -- they don't want total strangers loitering, and mainly they don't want people to expect that if they pay x kroons they will get x amount of service. It's not a daycare centre, but a social space.
8 comments:
Interesting idea. I thought you already had some renters in there that asked for a discount recently. Did they move on?
Yep, guy lost his job and they probably moved in with some other people in a more outlying location.
Interesting, yes. Gives rise to a lot of questions. Does anyone actually live there (spend the night)? Are there any zoning regs for such a 'social space' in a residential bldg.? This might come up in regards to noise--how social (noisy) are they going to be? Do the organizers have other day jobs or do they just rely on donations? Is this sort of setup a common one in Tallinn? Curious Gracie ; )
It's really not set up for sleeping in, any more than an office is. Usual sublet rules apply.
Kids can generate some noise, but there is a kindergarten next door with kids usually playing outside. With other daytime city noise, and no amplified music being played, probably not too noticeable.
I am sure they will have to put in their own money, as with any project. My wife thought they would need a critical mass of about 200 families to be successful. It's not out of the question that they might get state funding. It's a good project, and I might even volunteer in some way, but their financial health is ultimately something they are responsible for, as tenants.
There is an NGO in Tallinn called Uus Maailm (New World) that is similar to this one. Cooperative of like-minded people, neighbourhood revitalization. Yes, NGOs are fairly strong in Estonia I think -- anyone know better?
Does your liability exposure increase insurance with the changed purpose and increased traffic flow?
Estonia is not a very litigious society.
Spilled juice stains on the wood floor come out of the security deposit; the rest is pretty much all limestone and wrought iron.
I didn't mean damages, those would be fixable hopefully. Liability coverage for accidents/injuries occuring on premises...here considered very important, but then this is a very litigious society, as you say.
I've never understood that.
Falling icicles are a very real concern here too, and a valid legal issue, as are icy walks.
But our old apartment, knock on wood? Fairly indestructible, child-proof, etc.
If a mother leaves a baby unattended for a second, it would be hard to say the landlord is responsible for anything if everything is reasonably safe.
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