Our stay at Fahrettin's place was very positive. The apartment is not fancy, but it was clean and the beds were comfortable. Fahrettin doesn't speak English, but he was able to communicate all the important things about the apartment to us. It is in an interesting non-touristy part of Istanbul. We enjoyed seeing the neighbourhood, and it is only about 10 minutes to the Galata Tower area, and the funicular that takes you down to Galata Bridge.