Dear Fellow Traveler, If you want to feel like a rooted denizen of Istanbul during your time here, rather than a flash-in-the-pan tourist, then a stay at the Turquoise House is your golden ticket. Indeed, any of the stylishly-restored Ottoman mansions managed by Ozkan (which include the Tangerine House and Saffron House) make stellar, outrageously affordable choices for the thoughtful traveler in Constantinople. Not only is the space gorgeous, with each design detail simultaneously soothing your modern soul and awakening your imagination to the glories of the Turkish empire, but once your kind, no-nonsense host Ozkan lays out the local highlights and fills your notebook with generous, custom sightseeing and culinary tips (-- we even asked for wedding venue recommendations, and were touched by the creativity and sincerity he brought to his advice! --), you'll be ready to enjoy this city of dreams with truer eyes and a deeper heart. Not to mention a happier stomach. The house is nestled high in the cobble-stoned hills overlooking the northern shore of the Golden Horn, so staying here here means there's no need to cross water when you want to venture out to the city's most important historical sites. You can take metro, taxi, or bus to Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palce, the Grand Bazaar, and the Blue Mosque, all clustered together on the Horn's eastern tip. Feeling adventurous? Take the 40-minute walk from your living room to the Hippodrome. The mesmerizing diversity of contemporary Istanbul awaits. However, by far the best part of our stay was being introduced to the colorful, fast-changing local neighborhood of Fener-Balat. Once home to the Ottoman capital's Greek, Armenian, and Jewish communities, Fener-Balat is now emerging as the fashionable incubator of the city's coolest cafes and boutique hotels. Yet the overall vibe is humble. "Room service" (a quick consult with the ever-amenable Ozkan) gets you authentic, delicious food at authentic local rates. And in the morning, when you're on your way down the hill to pick up fresh bread from any of the 7 excellent bakeries on the main street, don't be surprised if instead of tourists, you see troupes of local high-school girls posing for selfies in front of the neighborhood's famed jewel-like houses. After a century of one-note nationalism, this hybrid community is a beacon of revival in Turks' own understanding of their diverse historical identity. Wherever you choose to explore, this is key: when you return to your lodgings after a long day out, you'll be coming back to your own sparkling clean, divinely decorated, three-story *HOME*. Yes, all three stories of it, with a kitchen to heat up leftover soup in for a midnight snack, a cozy salon to enjoy a glass of bubbly in with new friends, two bathrooms to accommodate a larger group doing the morning hustle to hit the town, plus a rooftop perch with a tender view of the water, the perfect spot to sip your morning coffee, post Instagram photos and, to the nostalgic tune of seagulls cruising...