I stayed with Elvan only for a few days, but it was lovely. She was an excellent host, providing timely and detailed information (especially about how to get to the apartment building, which was mega helpful as I didn't have data in Turkey), offering her home graciously and being there for any small questions.
The neighbourhood is residential and close to Taksim and public transportation, with a lot of cute cats.
Fully recommend Elvan and her place for your next trip to Istanbul!