Mar's place was wonderful, and she is a wonderful host. The place was very spacious (and we are a family of six), very clean and well located. The balcony was great, the kitchen had all the modern utensils, bathroom was large, bedroom as well... The apartment is located in a nice area which is alive and bustling, but away from the crazy Istanbul centre. There is a supermarket very, very close, exchange offices, bakeries, shops... the biggest shopping mall in Europe is less than a kilometer away. Everyday we used metro (it's only four stations to the area with all tourist attractions) and going places was relatively easy. (Metro takes you to the area close to the Grand Bazaar; from there it's a half an hour walk to Aya Sofia.) Mar even left dessert for us to great us after a long trip! We really highly recommend this apartment!