We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Istanbul and Birol made us feel very welcome in his lovely apartment, even leaving a birthday gift for my husband. We visited with our two adult sons and found the apartment to be in an ideal location for our needs. It is in a cool arty district with great local bars and restaurants on the doorstep. Once we found a direct route it is about a 20 minute walk over the bridge to the old town. We didn't need to use any local transport apart from taxis to and from airport. The apartment itself is spacious, spotlessly clean and well furnished with a good sized shower. The only word of caution is that it is on a street full of restaurants and cafes so can be noisy until the early hours and starts again at about seven a.m. (especially on weekends). Thank you Birol.