Ali gave me the best Air bnb experience I've ever had. At check in I arrived later than I thought I would and Ali considerately waited for me and showed me around the neighborhood at night. The apartment itself has a spectacular view of the Bosphorus which looks way better in real life than the picture suggests. The entire western wall of the living room is a window looking onto the Bosphorus and Istanbul, so the apartment has such an amazing amount of natural light that that you don't have to turn on the lights until sunset. It was an absolute pleasure to wake up to a sunny panoramic view of the sea everyday and to eat breakfast while watching the ships pass by. The furniture is comfortable and tasteful, and the kitchen well equipped. At some point the oven stopped working and when I told Ali he immediately brought over a portable oven that did the job just as well. I also adored the neighborhood. Çiçekçi is a quiet, residential neighborhood that has supermarkets, a butcher, several cafes, bakeries, and other food stores very close to the apartment. It's about a 10 minute walk to the buses going to Kadıköy and Üsküdar, where one can take ferries or the metro to other parts of Istanbul. If you like you can also take a 40 minute walk down the Tibbiye Street to Kadıköy and pass by a beautiful 19th century medical school.
All in all I highly recommend staying in this apartment. I would particularly recommend this place for those who are looking for a long term place in Istanbul, for the neighborhood is quiet and Ali is a great reliable host. 5 stars!