All around positive experience. The apartment was very clean, well-stocked with dishes, pans, clean towels and linens. For those unfamiliar with Istanbul, Moda is a wonderful neighborhood—very safe day and night and conveniently located (a 10 minute walk to the Kadikoy Ferry Boat terminal on the Asian side of the city where you can get to any tourist destination in the city). There is also a frequent historic tram that will get you within 3 blocks of the apartment in the same amount of time, allowing you to avoid the up-hill climb. The apartment is within a short walking distance (3 blocks) of multiple restaurants, coffee shops, bakery, pharmacy, corner grocers, etc. This is not a tourist neighborhood—you are right in the heart of Istanbul’s more liberal and artsy neighborhood where women covering their hair is rare. Americans and European women will feel right at home. Knowing a little Turkish is helpful, as the grocers and other retailers tend not to speak much, if any, English. It is perfect if you want an opportunity to practice your Turkish language skills. From this neighborhood you will want to rely on public transportation (ferries, buses, trams, metro), all of which can be accessed with an Istanbul Card. Incidentally, the card also gets you into most public bathrooms, which typically charge a T Lira. While the kiosk machines do provide instructions for purchasing the card and adding value in multiple languages, it is not an intuitive system, so plan some time to figure it out. If your Turkish language skills are poor and you do not have an adventurous spirit to take on these types of challenges, you may want to find a place in a neighborhood that caters to tourists. But otherwise, I wholeheartedly recommend Berrin’s place in Moda.