First mentioned in 1374, Kalamaja is probably as old as Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). itself. The original Kalamaja was probably some temporary seasonal camping site with some housing for fishermen, hence the name Kalamaja. “Kala” means fish in Estonian, and “maja” meant overnight camping site in old Estonian, with a meaning later changed to "house." Kalamaja, since the very beginning, has been an Estonian working-class neighborhood.
During the mediaeval and early modern times, Kalamaja remained a small suburb with private housing and gardens between Suur-Patarei, Valgevase, and Soo Streets. It changed in the late 19th century as new enterprises like Volta and Krull factories were established on its outskirts.
In the era before public transportations, workers had to live nearby, so plenty of new housing was necessary. Instead of private housing, however, it had to be composed of apartment buildings with what would now be considered modest living standards. That is how the milieu of Kalamaja as we know it was born.
During the Soviet times, Kalamaja shared the faith with Kopli, Pelgulinn, and other wooden suburbs. It became a place for troubled ones. The cemetery was turned into a park, as it was in Kopli, and its coastline was closed to the public due to ports and border zone restrictions.
The 1990s were the ultimate low point for Kalamaja. Contemporary Kalamaja is the complete opposite of what and how it used to be. By the early-to-mid 2000s, the desire for brand-new everything went slowly out of fashion among the Estonians. Instead, renovating the original heritage became the trend.
It was the bohemian avant garde that discovered the perks of Kalamaja's cheap rent and close proximity to the downtown. It coincided with the first era of Telliskivi, when it was mostly known for its half-underground hipster parties and first restaurant, "F-Hoone." This kind of slow gentrification was the driving force that changed the public image of northern Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). .
Nowadays, Kalamaja has its own strong identity. It's a heaven for the bohemian-minded middle class. Kids! Kids are everywhere! Living in Kalamaja means knowing your neighbors, belonging to a community, and sharing its values. It takes only ten to twelve minutes to walk from one end to another, and all necessary services are provided among its limits or on its borders.
As you walk down the streets, you’ll notice small businesses like shops, bakeries, and cafeterias are all around Kalamaja. People here value the locality and everything that is tagged as "eco" or "green," The community fastens its ties, either arguing online about correct parking, or organizing The Kalamaja Days, one of the most popular and oldest community-held urban festivals in Tallinn Tallinn, the largest city and capital of Estonia (population 440 000). .
Kalamaja sets its trends and standards indeed. Neighboring Pelgulinn was first to follow the lead. Kalamaja pulled the Balti Jaama market out from its eternal 1990s. High demand for living in Kalamaja made owners of Nobelessner think about turning the factory territory into the living and culture district that it has become.
To offer more people a chance to live in Kalamaja, new housing developments, sometimes called Nu-Kalamaja, popped out like mushrooms after rain by the Noole and Kalaranna Streets, and in Volta factory territory. Kalamaja grows on expense of its internal land reserves, and, nope, you can’t build a box-shaped antill here. Everything must fit in, since milieu makes Kalamaja, and nobody wants to lose it.