Erol was a wonderful and kind host and guided us through for smooth check-in. We arrived early and he allowed us to check-in early and extended the hours during checkout.
The place was very clean ( especially the bathrooms and linens) and well-equipped with basic necessities eg. washing machine since coin operated laundry service was difficult to find in Turkey. It is located about 2 minutes walking distance to the Istikal Street, Taksim square ( 5min) etc.
Easy access to the Metro train system and the funicular train. There is also a nostalgic tram that you can take from Taksim square to the Tunel stop and from there you can walk down to Galata tower and surrounding area.
Istiklal Street is lined with lots of shopping areas, and eateries which are opened well late into midnight.
There are a mix of both affordable eateries and more luxurious ones.
It is especially popular for Turkish delicacies and pubs( if you wish to go).
But on the negative side, the place was noisy at night as there are pubs around the area and Erol did warn us about that. But we did manage to sleep through it somehow.
Just a note for travelers that the apartment is a walk-up apartment with cobblestone pavement leading up to it,so if you have very heavy luggage (suitcases) you may want to consider splitting your luggage into smaller bags or bring backpacks.
With pubs nearby you can expect commotion but police is ever present and we did not feel unsafe.
Istiklal Street is extremely crowded so we were careful with our wallets and phones as we walked the street.
Overall it was a great stay for my family ( we were a troop of 7 adults and a child) .I would definitely return to this apartment if I make another trip to Istanbul!