We came from Australia looking for an authentic Turkish (local) experience. As we were planning to stay in Eda's beautiful house for 6 weeks, we selected it very carefully, taking into consideration the property itself and the neighbourhood. They both did not fail our expectations and we sure left with very special memories!
On the one hand, Cengelkoy is a lovely, warm and safe area that allowed us to experience the everyday local life (there were hardly any tourists in the area) and provided a great opportunity for us to practise the little Turkish we acquired before coming to Turkey.
In general, throughout our 7 week stay in Istanbul, we felt a lot safer in the Asian (Anatolian) side than in the European one!
Eda's house is around 8-9 minutes on foot to the main street where you have all the shops, restaurants, cafes etc and around 13 minutes on foot to the Cengelkoy ferry terminal (also located amidst the crowded restaurant/cafe area). In the area you have almost everything you need including bakeries and little cheese shops.
On the other hand, Eda's house itself was beautiful! It comprised three main floors with one bedroom on the second floor and another on the third floor.
There were three special features about this house which we particularly enjoyed. Naturally, Eda's beautiful lush garden, which had an outdoor seating area and a swing, was a highly enjoyable aspect of the house. Not to mention the marvelous cats of Istanbul that were regular visitors to the garden and the chicken and roosters which really added another authentic, local flavour to our stay! The second feature was the 'reading corner' on the second floor which was a nice option to relax and unwind. The third was the terrace on the roof which gave a splendid view of the Bosporus both at night and in daylight. The terrace didn't seem to be prepared for guests' use but this can (and should) be easily addressed to enhance one's experience.
I also wish to mention that our experience was even more enhanced by the house carer whom we had an agreement with to come on a weekly basis to look after cleaning matters as well as cook some home-made Turkish food (an extra fee-based service)! She was an incredibly lovely and helpful lady! Despite the language barrier, we were able to communicate successfully and learn from each other's experiences. It is very special having a Turkish person cook local food for you even on a sporadic basis - an option worth considering for future guests.
As for the 'cons', I believe they are minor and can be easily addressed for the most part.
The area: Cengelkoy is on the north of Uskudar, the main hub on the Asian side, around 15-20 minutes away from it by car or transport. There are only buses, dolmus and a limited number of ferries in Cengelkoy. The ferries that depart the Cengelkoy terminal are, naturally, not as frequent as the ones that depart the Uskudar terminal. In addition, they mostly go to the northern part of the Bosporus, which is a beautiful and a relatively quiet area of Istanbul; however, away from the main parts which tourists usually aim at (Eminonu, Besiktas etc). Hence, it would be essential to bear in mind the extra 15-20 minutes or so that one has to expend to go to Uskudar by bus, dolmus or taxi. Additionally, unlike Uskudar, Cengelkoy does not have a long 'sahil' where one can walk along the coast of the Bosporus on a pavement. There is a splendid view of the Bosporus and of the first bridge which you can enjoy when you sit at one of the numerous cafes and restaurants of Cengelkoy. But you cannot have a long straight walk along the Bosporus within the main area of Cengelkoy itself unfortunately.
* Nonetheless, I have to point out a great 15 minute walk from Cengelkoy to Kuzguncuk via the leafy elegant street of Beylerbeyi which has small boutique hotels, restaurants and the Beylerbeyi sarayı/palace - definitely worth a try for visitors of the area.
The house: The staircase may be somewhat challenging to people with mobility issues or the elderly. A handrail would be useful where it is lacking. An air-conditioner would be essential in summer especially in the master bedroom on the third floor. A fan would be good in the second bedroom on the second floor. Some rubbish bins in the bedrooms would be handy. A safe box may be necessary for some guests. A change of the position of the television in the living room on the first floor to enable the guests to watch TV comfortably. Some maintenance to the terrace on the roof would be great as it is an important asset to this house!
Before concluding I have to acknowledge Eda's great responsiveness to all queries, at any time, even whilst being away or overseas! She is a lovely and compassionate person and made a clear effort to interact with our needs and any issues we experienced during our stay in Istanbul. This was highly appreciated by us! We wish Eda all the best and have no hesitation in recommending her beautiful property and lovely neighbourhood! Çok teşekkür ederiz :)