This was the perfect base camp for our first four nights in Turkey. The apartment was modern and cozy, newly renovated, with conveniences that made it feel like a home: a well-stocked kitchen, a washer and dryer, and good wireless Internet. The view was as stunning as promised. The location was better than I realized: two blocks from the very center of modern Istanbul nightlife. The apartment is on a busy street, but the inside it was extremely quiet. The only thing we could hear were the muzzein's call and the nocturnal frolicking of the pigeons roosting outside the windows. What I loved about the location was that it felt like a real neighborhood, lively and a bit messy, where people went about their lives--not a tourist enclave. Yet the Old City was easy to access, as were the Istanbul Modern and the cafes of Cihangir. The street felt safe, too, with a police station next door. It is true, as others have noted, that this is a five-story walk-up. But the stairs didn't bother me; they just contributed to my day's exercise. Finally, Damir (whom we only met on the last day) was graceful, smart, and kindhearted. I was glad to be renting from such a good guy.