Peter's house was a central feature of our Istanbul experience, and he was responsive by text to all our needs. We actually booked the house twice, and Peter was very easy to deal with.

The interior has the feel of a London townhouse with a nice kitchen and a mini-library complete with all the guides to Istanbul and Turkey one could want, including historical ones. The interior is three floors so there was a lot of privacy. The third floor master suite is dominated by a really nice bathroom.

The ikea feel of the interior was quite comforting considering how Ottomanesque the neighborhood is. This little corner of Fener/Balat in the shadow of the gothic Rum Lisesi is accessible only by means of steep cobblestone streets. Fresh bread and other groceries are readily available from a number of small stores. Street vendors, calls to prayer, renovation projects, and a Hitchcockian flock of seagulls make the soundscape as interesting as the streetscape. Conservative mores prevail, especially uphill around the Yavuz Selim mosque and the bustling Wednesday market area full of students of the Ismail Aga mosque. The downhill trek to Vodina street is a more laid back and slightly touristic walk, pleasant and free of Istanbul's crowds. There is a nice park uphill adjacent to Yavuz Selim.