Zehara (Su)'s place is a great opportunity to see an everyday slice of Istanbullu life while remaining within walking or quick tram distance of all the major sites. The view across the golden horn from the roof is incredible at all hours.
The apartment doesn't make the best first impression, especially if you arrive at night, it's a little abandoned in the neighborhood, but once you're inside, the clean and comfortable surroundings more than make up for it. During the day, the street is abuzz with more hardware shops than you can imagine. Just up the hill is the delightful neighborhood of Beygolu and the galata tower.
We never met Su but she was delightfully quick to communicate with and very flexible. I'd stay here again.