Istanbul is now our favorite city in the world, right up there with San Francisco and Paris. We spent a month in Fatih's wonderful studio apartment, and we were blown away by the food, the people, the views, the culture, the mosques, the day trips, all that Istanbul is.

Fatih is a fantastic host, with great attention to detail, and extremely responsive (like, minutes) to any question or inquiry. The studio was clean, cute, well-stocked and in an amazing location. And the internet was excellent - reliable and fast (7mb down, 1mb up), which is crucial since I work on the road full-time.

The Galata neighborhood is great - we were living among locals, but just five minutes walking from all sorts of great places, including the Galata Tower area, Istaklal Street, the Mevlevi (whirling dervish) museum and ceremonial gathering on Sundays, and so much more. Within ten minutes walking, we must have had 100 restaurant choices ranging from $2 döner and affordable mezes joints to really elegant contemporary cuisine.

To get around, we'd usually walk ten minutes down the hill to Karaköy, and then hop on a ferry or take the tram into Sultanahmet or just walk and get some exercise. Then we'd make our way back and use our transportation card to take the cheap funicular up the hill (about $1 each), which drops off just a block above the apartment.

The location, being in a city like any city, is a little noisy at times. Vendors walk down the street with push carts full of vegetables and announce themselves with booming voices. Kids play in the empty lot next door. A couple local convenience shops are open til midnight. The city-wide Call to Prayer echoes through the streets. Cars can drive through. Generally, night-time is very quiet, but not always. So if you're sensitive, bring a pair of earplugs, and appreciate the great location and excellent flat.

I have no hesitation recommending Fatih's place and we'd definitely hope to stay here again. We consider a return to Istanbul a matter of when, not if. Thanks, Fatih! Teşekkür ederiz!