Helsinki, Finland: Our hotel here is built into an old waterfront warehouse, what they would call a "godown" in Asia. They built the warehouse to last, lots of brick and cast concrete.
With the containerization of nearly all ocean freight, the need for such warehouses is just about gone. The conversion into the Scandic Grand Marina Hotel is quite successful, few compromises were required.
We are about one block from the harbor, three blocks from the open-air market square, and two blocks from a trolley stop. The neighborhood is quiet and feels safe. The location's downside ... a cold sea breeze much of the time.
Speaking of trolleys, some I've seen here are multisegmented. The segments are short because the tracks feature relatively sharp turns, requiring flexibility. The open-air market must operate only in summer, winters here are long and cold.
