Shahrzad was a superb host, very responsive and helpful. The flat was nice and clean, with air conditioning in the shared living room. It is located in an authentically Turkish neighbourhood, which to me was its biggest plus. Definitely recommend!

You can catch a cab to go very close to Taksim right from the street, it costs less than 10 liras if you're willing to walk from Gezi park to Taksim (less than 5 minutes).