Student blogs

Welcome to the next part of the KI housing series! I’m going to tell you a little more about Strix, which is a popular housing option for many KI and other university students in Solna. I have info on how to get housing, the rooms, reach important places, the location, amenities, things close by, and the atmosphere.

Before we get started, remember to check out Mireia’s youtube video about housing in Stockholm. And it’s a good idea to check out Lauren’s blog comparing different KI housing options as well!

How to get housing in Strix?

To get housing in Strix, you can apply through KI Housing or through SSSB.

• Through KI housing: Getting housing is faster, you don’t have to be part of the SSSB queue, there are furnished rooms and your neighbours are other KI students BUT! it might be more expensive and you can only stay until a maximum of one year.

You can apply for accommodation in Strix through KI housing.

• Through SSSB: Your neighbours can be students from anywhere, it’s cheaper, and there are more options in rooms BUT you need quite a few queue points, and the rooms may not be furnished.

The Rooms

• Corridor Rooms: This consists of a bedroom with an attached bathroom. The kitchen is shared with other tenants on the floor (approximately 12-14 other people).

The positive part of this setup is that you can always find company if you want it, and there is a really nice feeling of community. The room can be very cozy and nice, and having your own bathroom is always a plus.

The negative of this for me was that so many people sharing the kitchen makes it harder to be clean and tidy all the time. It works out okay if people establish ground rules and make good cleaning schedules, but it can be a bother if one is picky about such things.

• Studio apartments
• Family Apartments

REMEMBER! KI housing only offers corridor rooms! To get the other rooms you must have enough points in SSSB and apply through it!

Getting to important places

The KI Solna Campus is very close to Strix, and is about 3 km away.

• Walk for ~30 minutes
• Bus from the bus stop Armégatan (which is less than 5 minutes away) to Karolinska Institutet Biomedicum or Karolinska Sjukhuset Eugeniavägen (~15 min)
• Bike for ~15 minutes. the KI campus is on a hill and can be rather spread out, so don’t forget to give yourself some elbow room.

To get to KI Flemingsberg, you need a but more time

• Metro and pendeltåg: Västra Skogen metro station to T-Centralen, and Pendeltåg (commuter train) to Huddinge (~45 minutes door to door)
• You can also go to KI Solna and take the KI commuter bus

To get to the town center (Odenplan or T-Centralen)

• Metro to T-centralen
• Bus to Odenplan

Maps and more

The area that Strix is located in is called Huvudsta, which is a locality in Solna. You can quickly spot it because a lot of it is enclosed in a little loop, so keep an eye out for that if you’re trying to assess how far away things are on maps.

The area is very central is very convenient. Within a 5 km radius you have the KI Solna Campus, the Mall of Scandinavia, Friends Arena (lots of concerts and shows ), two commuter train stations (Solna Station and Odenplan), and so on.

Amenities

• Laundry: It’s free! You only need to book it in advance. Beware, the weekends are busy, so make sure you book well in time.

• Storage areas: There are designated rooms for strollers and bikes, so that you don’t have to keep them in your room or home. Plus, it’s better to keep bikes inside if you’re away for a longer time, especially in the winter. Prevent those frozen locks!

• Parking space: Is available and a plenty for both cars and bikes. However, remember that parking space for cars can be quite pricey in Stockholm, while parking and riding bikes is free! (The credits for the lovely images below go to my corridor mate Douglas)

• Elevators: appropriate size for strollers, bikes, and wheelchairs. There are 2 elevators in the building. Contact KI housing if you have questions about accessibility.

• Mailboxes: For small packages and envelopes. If you receive a large package you may have to pick it up elsewhere, like the nearby ICA

Close to home.. <3

• ICA, Coop, and an Asian Shop: Great for daily necessities and groceries.
• Presbyrån: Get familiar with its little yellow sign because that’s where you can buy your monthly bus cards and phone sims and other things.
• Solna Centrum: easily reachable with the metro, and has other shopping options!
• Italian, Asian, and Japanese restaurants: In case you’re in the mood to get take out 🙂
• And more!

Community and Social Life

The whole building: There are Facebook groups for the whole building which people use them to share information, ask questions, give away things when moving out, and so on. I think the social life is greatly dependent on the tenants and the people living at Strix, and taking initiative to organize something can go a long way!

In my corridor: The atmosphere of my corridor was really fun and welcoming. We were all from different parts of the world so it made for super interesting conversation. We had a group chat to communicate and plan things (like the dinner in the picture below!

Final Note

I hope you enjoyed this post and got something useful out of it! Let me know if you have any more questions, I’d be happy to help. I lived in Strix for almost two whole semesters and its location and features made it really easy for me to adjust to university life.

If you want more in-depth blogs about housing, take a look at previous blogs by KI’s digital ambassadors!

Cheers,

Inika