This space is centrally located in the Beyoglu district, about a 5-minute walk from the nearest metro station and the funicular-like train that takes you to the waterfront. There are coffee shops, bookstores, doner-places, restaurants, and shopping all around you! Basically, if you need it, you'll find it on Istiklal! We started our mornings with coffee and mint lemonades... it was amazing! But of course, the real draw for us was the life right outside the entrance of Muge's place! There are so many people walking back and forth on the street that it's really a lovely way to be introduced to the hustle and bustle of Istanbul. (There's also a police station about a block away, if you care about things like that.) As far as the place goes, it's unlike any place you've probably ever stayed in: it's a combination of new and old, modern and sleek, warm and futuristic. There are so many little details that remind you that this was put together by a designer with a feel for combining what we want in a place (bathrooms, A/C, comfy couches, a place to hang out in, privacy) while at the same time retaining the old-world charm of a 100+ year old building. Yes, there are creaky floors... but that's to be expected with a building this old! As far as noise is concerned, none of us found it unbearable. (We're from NYC after all...) However, we were not there during the weekend, so I'm unsure what it would be like over the weekend. There are no "clubs" nearby so I can't believe it would be too crazy... (There are a ton of late-night, rooftop bar/clubs in Istanbul. But not here...) My only criticism (and this is small) are the small bathrooms in two of the bedrooms. I know we all like having bathrooms, but if you're in there with another person, you really need to be intimate in order to handle that kind of closeness! Luckily all of us are! And we made sure to give the other privacy when using the bathrooms. I can't stress this enough, the place was amazing. And, depending on the size of our group, we'll definitely be there again! Oh yeah, another con. Because Istikal is such a major street, you can't take a cab from the front door. (A cab can drop you off... but you cannot catch cabs there.) So if you need to cab it everywhere (which I would not suggest in Istanbul!) this is not the place for you!