This was my first trip to Istanbul, and I was lucky to pick a flat that was both very safe and comfortable and offered great access to all parts of the city.
The flat is a very clean, cozy one bedroom at the top floor of a building about 2 minutes from Taksim square. Being in the top floor, I didn't need to deal with noises from above which always annoy me. It's pretty quiet considering it is at the center of the city. There's no lift, so you have to climb the stairs to the top; it's the 4th/5th floor. I didn't mind it since I come from a very sedentary lifestyle, so I needed that extra calories burnt :)
My fiance and I stayed at the flat for 15 days and we found in there everything we needed. There was literally nothing missing, and yes we cooked several times. The kitchen is fully equipped, and if anything was needed our host Berna offered to provide it though we never got to that point.
The flat is very clean; I loved the shower and its pressure, better than what I have at home. The bed was very comfortable, and we hung out a lot on the very comfy couch in the living room. You also have access to two terraces that offer nice view of the neighborhood.
The place is about 2 minutes walking distance to the Taksim square, a bit of an uphill though but I didn't mind it at all.
A great thing about the place is that you have access to EVERYTHING within less than a minute of walking: supermarkets, fruit shops, professional laundry services if you need, butcher shop, coffee shop, restaurants, etc. We didn't even need to walk to Taksim square to get stuff if we needed something in the unit. Just want down and fetched it from one of the stores by the apartment.
All public transportations are within a few minutes of walking distance from the flat. We could walk 3-5 minutes to get to the bus, metro station, tramway, the tour buses, etc. which allowed us to explore all parts of Istanbul, Asia and Europe. Staying at Berna's flat you won't need taxi.
Last but not least, Berna our host: she is a great host. She left us water and chocolates in the flat when we got there. She was available all the time for any questions or help, whether about the flat or the city. We communicated through text, and she'd respond within less than a minute.
Overall, during our 15 day stay there was absolutely no issues we encountered with the flat or the host. We both absolutely loved it and had a great time.
I highly recommend this place to any person, or couple who's visiting Istanbul, especially if it is your first time.
Thank you Berna!