I have tried quite a few apartments in Istanbul. That was the best one. I kinda value it is an apartment the owner lives in and not just property they have invested on through AirBnB. This feels more personal to me and I like that element; it gets you a bit closer to local culture.

The apartment is nicely decorated, tastefully furnished, and has a bit of interesting touches all around like records and plenty of books in English I'd be tempted to read if staying indoors was my thing. Sila has been graded a Super-host by previous guests and for a good reason. One thing, she's great at recommending places. Checking-in and out also worked smoothly for me.

Being a usual in Istanbul I'd recommend both the apartment and Galata as the area to stay in.