We really enjoyed our 12-day stay with Mutlu. Practical things went smoothly and the apartment was as clean and comfortable as promised. It's also surprisngly quiet considering there is a big road nearby and the view over the Golden Horn is magnificient.
The neighbourhood is very pleasant. Towards Balat there are lots of restaurants and more trendy streets. Towards Sultanahmet there are more ordinary neighbourhoods. We also found a favourite breakfast spot just down street.
The tram connection towards the center wasn't complete yet, so we had to rely on busses to get to transport nodes like Taksim and Eminönü. Still, in the context of Istanbul's notorious traffic, the location is quite well connected. It's also at a walkable distance from Sultanahmet.
Unfortunately, we didn't have so many opportunities to spend time with the host, as we were busy with travel and he with work. But every encounter we had was very friendly. We would certainly to come for another stay.