An amazing location. It seems intimidating at first - especially if you arrive at night - but it really is only 5 minutes walk to Tarlabasi Boulevard, 10 to Istiklal, 20 to the Metro at Sishane or Taksim. It may not be ideal if you only have a couple of days and want to see the historic sights, but, if you have more time and aren't put off by the disrepair of some of the local buildings, you will fall in love with the immediate area. Especially the tented Sunday market that takes over the street. Everyone I met was exceptionally kind and forgiving of my lack of Turkish. And don't just aim straight for Istiklal. Take a left out of the apartment and enjoy Serdar Omerpasa Cadessi - with two new art galleries at the end (one still under construction).