This beautifully furnished and well-maintained apartment is modern, clean, and comfortable, and has many windows that let in natural light. The bathroom and kitchen are spacious, well-appointed and functional with nice fixtures.

The owners were hospitable, gracious and always attentive. Can and Ugur speak perfect English which was so helpful. Prior to renting the apartment, I would email Can with questions, and he would immediately respond and provide information.

I had requested a coffee maker and there was one waiting for me when we arrived. Ugur had kindly stocked the frig with some basic food items for us (which was much appreciated because we arrived at night), and he was just a phone call away to help us order bottles of drinking water which were delivered at the door within 30 minutes. He also oriented me to the neighborhood so I knew where to purchase groceries, etc. Because we stayed a month and I wanted to cook, Ugur and Can accommodated my specific requests for some additional kitchen utensils and other items to make our stay more comfortable. The TV, internet and washing machine worked very well.

Located in a very good, quiet neighborhood barely a block from the upscale shopping street on the Asian side of Istanbul, restaurants, stores, and coffee shops abound. It's only a few minutes walk to the grocery store, pharmacy, produce shops, and bakery. The apartment is just a few blocks from the sea where there is a wide walking/bike trail to take long sea side walks. There are fewer tourists on the Asian side and it is quieter— and a nice place to stay away from the bustle and intensity of the European side with its crowds and thousands of tourists.

It’s very easy to cross over to the European side. You can conveniently catch a mini-bus or taxi to the Kadikoy ferry pier or walk (or cab/minibus) in the other direction (or about a 10-15 minute walk) to the Bostanci ferry pier. The area around the pier is lively with fish restaurants and an interesting neighborhood, Kadikoy is also a wonderful busy area with fresh food markets, restaurants, and good shopping.

I’m glad that some traditional touches still remain in spite of how modern the neighborhood is: the produce truck that parked on the street each day so you could walk outside and buy beautiful fruit and vegetables, the man who walked the street most days selling simit (the traditional Turkish bread rings) off of a tray, and the man cleaning fresh artichokes and peeling large pumpkins selling them out of the back of his station wagon. This is part of what makes Istanbul so endlessly fascinating.

After long days exploring Istanbul, it was a pleasure to return to the apartment and relax — it felt like home. Thank you, Can and Ugur, for being such caring hosts.