I arrived at Jack's house soaking wet from the rain, and he was very welcoming. Jack's a great guy and will have a lot of recommendations for you. The bed is very comfortable, and the place is really quiet, so you'll sleep well. Really centrally located, in a neighborhood that is really worth exploring all on its own, close to the airport bus stop. If it's raining, take a cab from Taksim and it should not cost you more than 10TL and will be worth it. Otherwise, you can walk it, as its downhill and easy to find. A word about the magic shower. The pipes work, you just have to let the hot water run. Or you have to wake up Jack, that seemed to be the only thing that worked for me. ;) What else...don't let the carpet sellers wear you down, have fresh pomgranate juice from the street sellers every day, figure out how to pronounce thank you in Turkish and enjoy Istanbul! Also, the cat's insane. And wonderful. But mostly insane.