I’m so glad I decided to stay with Sandrine! Cihangir is a calm, residential neighborhood where you can feel like a local and still access all the touristic sights easily by public transit (10min walk to Taksim and 30 min tram ride to Sultanhamet). The apartment itself was very spacious and beautiful with lots of plants, art and of course, the adorable Chucky. The room itself is also very cozy and mostly quiet but I do recommend earplugs as you may hear some occasional street noise from down below.
Sandrine was a super caring host from start to finish - she cooked me eggs/bread on my first morning when I was super tired from jet lag, pointed me to all the authentic spots for eats and sights, and helped me grab a taxi to my next stop.