Elvan is an excellent host. She speaks English proficiently and knows my needs for sightseeing quite well. She treats me like a good friend, giving me lots of suggestion and sharing with me a lot of turkish culture, which I appreciate a lot. She also invited me to taste her home-made pie and coffee. Those made my days in Istanbul quite unique.
It takes 10-15 miniutes walking to Taksim square, where you can use publich transportations.