Do not hesitate to book this apartment if it's available!

First: The host, Ceren, is very sweet and even had some much appreciated welcome refreshments for my arrival. Even though she doesn't speak English, she does her best and is super responsive. She was able to resolve a few minor issues that required attention within minutes or same day, respective to the situation. Unfortunately, an unforeseen circumstance cut my long stay shorter than planned and Ceren was very helpful in assisting me on short notice while she herself was traveling abroad.

Second: The unit itself is just like photos, except the new dryer has been installed in the kitchen (next to the fridge). Living room and bedroom furniture are all comfortable. The kitchen has ample cooking supplies, and cleaning supplies are also on hand. The bathroom is fairly spacious and water pressure is decent. Extra bath and bed linens are available. For digital nomads, I found the wifi to be excellent (between 26-41 mbps) for streaming shows/video calls on my laptop and phone and having multiple devices going at once didn't seem to slow anything down. I did not need the a/c during my stay, but it's brand new like everything else. I felt extra safe with the key-coded main entrance & locks on the apartment door and both bathroom & bedroom doors. Even though the unit is in the basement and is accessible by stairs, you can use the elevator to go down one level when carrying heavy items for more accessibility once you are in the main entrance hallway.

Third: The location is excellent for the charm of bustling Kadıköy & Moda! You are steps away from countless shops, groceries, cafes, restaurants, and nightlife. I chose this apartment and area because it was close to the Turkish Language Now school so I could take some private Turkish lessons and be in a more "local İstanbul'u" type neighborhood. If you've been seeing the pretty photos of this area, this place is near all of them and there are also affordable local culture and food tours available to soak it up even more! Getting around is also easy. The Historic Tram loop runs nearby and the Ferries and Metro are about 10 mins on foot away and the Maramay train is about 15 mins on foot, all to get you to other parts of the European & Asian sides. There are 2 parking lots on the block if you are planning on having a car and the two attendants on both sides of the street also seem to be present from around 8am to 10pm, almost like unofficial security guards for the building. As a solo female traveler, I felt perfectly safe in this neighborhood as many people of all ages are out and about and the area is well lit at night. And for animal lovers, there are some public dog and cat houses on the block in front of a small playground where locals feed and care for the strays that are all very adorable, docile, and friendly.