Berk's place is the perfect option for a family or group of friends. 5 of us stayed comfortably in this apartment (1 couple, and 3 singles; a perfect match for the beds). The apartment is on the bottom level of a building on a quiet street about 100 meters from a very lively walking street (Istiklal). Staying at this place puts you right in the middle of an energetic part of town, yet you are located on a small side street which offers a quiet escape when you need it. From the apartment you can walk 2 minutes to endless shopping, dining and nightlife. You could also walk 5 minutes in the other direction along beautiful side streets to reach Galata tower. Access to metro and Tram are also just a 2 minute walk!

The apartment has 3 bedrooms with a total of 4 comfortable beds. If you need a 5th bed, the sofa is a pull out bed. There are 2 toilets and 1 shower. Bathrooms were clean and shower seemed to have endless hot water and great water pressure.

Towels, bedding, and some toiletries were included. Berk took care of the small stuff (toilet paper, dish soap, laundry detergent) so we didn't have to.

We never actually met Berk but one of his employees was there to greet us at the agreed time. In fact Berk offered to hold our luggage at a different apartment because we arrived too early to check-in but still wanted to explore the area and grab some breakfast. There were also a couple other special requests we made which Berk graciously accommodated.

If and when I return to Istanbul I will be heading back to this place.

One thing to note is the STEEP hills you will be walking to get around this part of town. So if this is an issue you may want to stay elsewhere.
But enjoying any part of Istanbul is going to be a workout. It is a HUGE city, which is best explored on foot.