I highly recommend Emmanuel's house. The house and guest bedroom are charming, in old Ottoman style. The house is perfectly located near to great restaurants, street cafes, grocery, and buses direct to Taksim and beyond. It is just a 5 minutes walk to scenic Ortakoy Mosque and the sparkling Bosphorus.
The room was very clean, with a dark wooded ceiling and lovely flowers in the window box gardens. The room is on the ground floor, looking out to the street and beyond to a children's park.
I had a private bathroom that was also kept very clean. The shower water oscillated from hot to cold throughout my showers on its own, which was a bit troubling. But Emmanuel said he intends to fix that problem soon.
Emmanuel and his wife are very friendly and made me feel most welcome and at home. Emmanuel was always available for any help, and I was most grateful when he took me to the free Turkish class for foreigners just a few blocks from his home. I hope to continue with that class during my next trip to Istanbul. Emmanuel also provided me with a large standing fan when I mentioned that I felt hot in the room (my stay was during June). They also have a sweet cat named Kiz who loves to play.
I would certainly choose to stay at Emmanuel's place on my next trip to Istanbul !