Iason and Sami's apartment is an ideal place to stay if you're looking for an experience outside the scripted tourist experiences. The neighborhood is ideally suited for those who want to feel what it's like to live as a local, yet it's fully walkable to main thoroughfares and public transportation for quick access to Istanbul's sights. The immediate neighborhood is a little rough around the edges, in the best way: few if any tourists, mostly locals. Men drinking tea or playing cards at a nearby tea shop; women chatting on stoops or calling down to their husbands on the street; children playing everywhere; neighborhood cats all over the place (you should try to adopt a few while you stay: we got to know our little friends well and fed and watered them frequently); local street vendors selling chicking + rice, fruit, etc. We got to know them a little too and enjoyed their friendliness. There are two grocery stores just outside the apartment, and two primary metro stops within 3/4 of a mile (15 min walk). Cabs are always available on the street just outside. Less than half a mile away is Istiklal, the pedestrian-only commercial thoroughfare. A huge array of inexpensive and high-quality cafes and restaurants is within a 10-20 minute walk. We ate a different one for brunch and dinner every day and never hit the bottom of the well. (Just do your web research and you'll find the very good ones.) Just across Istiklal is the vanguard of gentrifying Beyoglu: boutiques, design shops, galleries, and cafes. I'm glad we could experience those places, but I'm also glad we didn't stay there: it would have been a very different (more "bougie") experience of the city. The 4-floor walk-up is a little fatiguing for the first few days, especially after long days of walking through the city, but we quickly got used to it, even in the hot August temperatures. It's completely safe: lots of people and cars all the time, even late at night. Plenty of women (young and old) walking around solo at night. The apartment itself is very special: like a working museum/library of Istanbul and the region. The well-curated book collection is educational, just to look at the titles and peruse a few back covers/introductions. And the apartment decor conveys an atmosphere at once romantic and modern. It's a wonderful place to return to, and to read and relax in. It's not quiet, but you're high enough above the street to make the city noises comforting rather than disruptive. The view encompasses both the rabbit's warren of historic streets nearby and the modernizing skyline in the distance. Iason and Sami are the best hosts. Ask them for their .PDF guide to the city: it's a real education, especially if you're interested in including more off-the-beaten-path places and experiences in your trip, as well as history and current problems the city is facing. They are responsive (VERY responsive) and kind and generous with their time and...