Great apartment for a good price.

Had no problem contacting the host - he was always kind and replied promptly to our messages . Got the keys to the apartment from a nice girl on the first day and just left the keys inside on our last. The host was kind enough to let us leave our luggage in the apartment after check-out time for free. We were also given maps of the city and directions on arrival.

The apartment looked exactly like the photos. Moreover, both beds were already made for us. There's fully stocked kitchenette and bathroom with fridge, hairdryer, iron board, washer, and dishwasher. Also, there are enough plates and glasses of different kinds. The terrace is nice with table and chairs - very relaxing after a day of walking. The air conditioner is above the door so it's cooler in the main room than in the bedroom. By the way, be prepared to carry your bags to the top floor on a spiral staircase - there's no elevator in the building.

The neighborhood is mainly nice. There are several small shops in 3 minutes walk radius - pastry shop, fruit and vegetable shops and grocery shop. So basically we didn't have to go far to buy food. On the other hand, if you decide to walk from Taksim to the apartment by Tarlabasi boulevard and not Istiklal street, there are a lot of construction, so it's better to go on the left side of the boulevard. Be prepared to walk for 15-25 minutes from the apartment to Taksim, or you can take a bus (it's 3 or 4 stations, a bus stop is 5 minutes stroll) or a taxi (taxi drivers stop and ask whether you need assistance every 2-3 minutes :) ). So it's easy to get to different Istanbul attractions via public transportation, which includes ferries.

People are nice and welcoming even if they don't know English you can just point to whatever you want to order. There are also several small restaurants with local food nearby. My friend says she heard drums and imam at night but it didn't bother me.

All in all, it is a nice apartment located in a quiet street with good neighbors. And it's close to public transport which can take you to all places of interest in Istanbul.

NB. Beware of the door - you have to pull it when turning the key otherwise it won't open. And it's the same for all the doors.