Overall, I had a great long stay here and would definitely consider staying in this apartment again. This is an older, light-filled studio apartment about a five-minute walk from İstiklal Caddesi (Istiklal Street). Even though I only communicated with Ogul through WhatsApp, he was quick to respond, and very hospitable, even arranging a shuttle from the airport for me.
THE GOOD:
-Five-minute walk from İstiklal Caddesi and about 13 minutes from Taksim Square.
-Clean, no frills apartment and comfortable bed. Good for 1-2 people.
-The wifi worked great, I had no problems.
-The A/C unit worked really well.
-There are some small mini groceries (Şok and CarreFour SA Mini) within walking distance, and also a restaurant on the nearby corner.
THE FLAGS:
-The building the unit is in is located on a small, one-way street and it was hard for taxi drivers to find and also leave from. If getting a taxi (and I recommend using BiTaksi and installing it before coming to Turkey), I would just walk to the corner block for less of a hassle.
-Because the building is on a small street, you can hear the neighbors and their kids, sometimes even at night.
-Overall, I felt pretty safe here and had no worries walking home at night. The building is on a street with families and a couple of small businesses. I would not venture further south late at night (walking away from İstiklal) unless you know exactly where you're going. My friend said not to make sure my cell phone was visible at night and I followed his advice.
-There is a washer that works great, but the dryer in the unit did not work as well. I used a drying rack.