Garen was very welcoming, he gave me some tips on where to go and what to see in Istanbul, he also had some fruits and chocolate in the fridge for us.
As far as the location, it was within a walking distance to Taksim and Istiklal st.
The flat was very clean, the bedrooms are small but still ok,, the bathroom was clean but had a smell of moisture in there which went away after leaving the window open for couple days.
Great choice if you don't mind climbing 3 staircases.