First time in Istanbul, and we loved the location. Literally right around the corner from Galata Tower (1 minute walk) and Istikal St. for shopping and people watching. Fantastic location. Unit is a walk up 3 flights of stairs so do keep that in mind, but not a problem for us. Everyone was comfortable and the look of the unit really matched the feel of the neighborhood, very authentic. But modern enough that we were comfortable.
To give an idea of how great the host was, we were scheduled to arrive around 1 AM and arrived closer to 2 AM. Host met us at the apartment to make sure we got in OK since the building is locked at the street after hours. And not one complaint. REALLY appreciated that level of service.