The place was exactly as described, and it was perfect for our stay in Beyoglu! It's ideally situated about 2 mins walking to Istiklal St, yet on a quiet, charming small street that has a couple very convenient market. The area it's in felt super hip, with small shops, cafes, and designer stores that I might find in my native San Francisco.

Istiklal and Galata areas provide enough to see, within walking distance from this studio, to fill at least a few days of your trip in Istanbul. Though Sultanahmet offers many can't-miss attractions, I felt pretty savvy staying in this part of town and discovering some (not so) hidden gems. Don't miss the antique shops on Cucurkuma Caddessi, the lively restaurants on Fransiz Sok, and all the bars and street life on the streets north of Istiklal (Sofyali Sok treated us right). All this is 10 mins or less, walking, from the studio. Also, the funicular (2nd oldest subway in the world) is very close to this place and extremely convenient.

Fatih was incredibly helpful. We took him up on his offer of a driver from the airport (taxi's a little cheaper, but Fatih's driver needs no directions - a blessing in the tangled streets of Istanbul). When we arrived he had a map of the area and very detailed suggestions of what to do/eat/see in the city. He even sent us an email later that evening with a number of restaurant recommendations. You must ask Fatih for his restaurant recs: he led us to an excellent Anatolian restaurant that had manti to die for.

When our trip was coming to an end, Faith emailed and asked if we'd like him to arrange for a trustworthy taxi to take us to the airport for a set, very reasonable price. Fatih needed no prodding from us; he always anticipated our needs.