We had a wonderful stay in Fatma's apartment. Going by previous reviews, we chose to stay here for these reasons: a top floor (no upstairs neighbours), a quite flat and neighbourhood, and most importantly, real Istanbul, not in the tourist centre.
Small convenience stores are all-around within a block's walk for basics like eggs, bread, water (you have to buy drinking water) or packets of instant coffee. For larger shops you will walk a bit further, the Taksim square is only 20 minutes walk, and the main shopping area 10.
Strong water, hot and cold, well furnished with real old furniture, an authentic place where someone lived. The bed is rather short and squeaky; we put a mattress on the living room's floor which made a cosy bed for us.
Fast and clear communication throughout our booking, confirmation and arrival.
Thank you very much to Fatma's husband who waited for us and gave some tips on places nearby.
Tip 1. Pack warm pyjamas if you travel in winter; it's an old building, it gets chilly at night.
Tip 2. Make sure to download OFFLINE maps on an available mobile application if you want to navigate the area without using mobile data – Google Maps don't work offline.