Wonderful neighborhood in Istanbul

Guest: Philly_traveler (Philadelphia, Pa)
Date of Stay: 10/20/11 Review Submitted: 10/27/11

This apartment is on a slightly gritty street in Istanbul, but all other surrounding streets are fine. It's furnishings are very modest but comfortable. It was very clean. The views from the living room and terrace are great - they are the highlight of the space. If you stay during the school year, and want to sleep late, bring a white noise device as the school bell of nearby school goes off at intervals during the day. If cigarette smoke bothers you, stay elsewhere as others in the apartment building smoke. This isn't the owner's fault...and it is Turkey. This apartment is convenient to shops and restaurants in a wonderful neighborhood and is a quick trip down the hill to the tram to Sulanhamnet, etc. If you are a family or a group of friends and want to stay in a nice neighborhood at a decent price, I'd recommend this. I would not recommend it if you were looking for something more upscale.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with young children, families with teenagers.

A+++ view. Live among locals in great neighborhood

Guest: earl z.
Date of Stay: 08/13/11 Review Submitted: 08/19/11

We loved staying in Cihangir neighborhood and the apartment has great amenities including a washer + gas stove. You wouldn't really need the kitchen as the neighborhood is FILLED with great little bars, cafe, and restaurants. The view from the balcony is to die for --- I have been up on the top of 360 restaurant/bar and the view is nothing compare to what Cihangir 2 has to offer. The tram stop which would take you across the Galata bridge is only a short (but steep!!) walk away. Although, the bathroom needs some renovation and therefore I'm rating the place at 4 stars. Would definitely stay at Cihangir 2 again. Thanks Elif for being there to welcome us and to both Elif and Robin to accommodate all of our requests.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

Outstanding location

Guest: Meg (Washington, DC)
Date of Stay: 05/27/11 Review Submitted: 06/18/11

We rented this apartment for a week and I can't say enough good things about it. Having two bedrooms with an option of a third gave us plenty of space, we loved having a small kitchen for our morning tea, and the view! The view was amazing, there was something magical about standing on the balcony at sunset hearing the call to prayer taken up by mosques around the city. The location was fabulous, a short walk to Taksim Square and all that Istiklal Street has to offer, and a nice stroll to a tram station that can whisk you quickly to Sultanahmet. The walk to and across the Galata Bridge was easy as well. I highly recommend a stay here, the neighhborhood is safe and very quiet, and has a number of cafes nearby, and having the option of an airport pickup really helped us out (you can also arrange the return trip). However, the area is very hilly and has some steep streets and long stairs, just keep that in mind if you have trouble walking or climbing steps.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.

email from last week's guests

Guest: Frederic Ridou (-)
Date of Stay: 04/23/11 Review Submitted: 04/29/11

Hi all, we are back in France, happy with our stay in Cihangir2. The whole family really enjoyed the place, Cihangir district and the view! It was the first travel abroad for the 4 litlle girl cousins, and I think they will remember it their whole lives. thank you for your organization, we have already started recommending the place to our French friends and relatives take care and best regards, Frédéric Ridou

Recommended for:

Two San Franciscans

Guest: A Lover of Istanbul (San Francisco, CA, USA)
Date of Stay: 10/30/10 Review Submitted: 12/08/10

When I first read the "Caveat Emptor" review submitted by Francesca I thought it was a mistake. She must have meant some other apartment. We have been here for 7 weeks and have found everything to be as described by the owner. Lots of clean towels and sheets and a clean and tidy bathroom and kitchen. The apartment is in a quiet, safe neighborhood within a 5-7 minute walk of first class restaurants and cafes. The view from the living area is even more fabulous than the pictures and the view from both bedrooms is of a rather charming narrow street paroled by healthy looking cats with a few of those wooden gingerbread houses unique to Istanbul. Of course there are stairs and hills to climb! Any guidebook will tell you that Istanbul is built on 7 hills and if you're told that the apartment is on the first floor and has a fabulous view a little thought should lead you to the conclusion that it must be on a hill. If you don't like climbing stairs a 1 minute walk to the end of the street will lead you to another street without stairs. Without hesitation we would stay here again!

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Caveat Emptor

Guest: francesca (Italy)
Date of Stay: 10/11/10 Review Submitted: 10/27/10

When we arrived, the cleaning woman was still there - at 8:30 PM and Elif, the manager was later than that...hair in the dingy and poorly surfaced bathtub and sink.....light bulbs over the bathroom sink were missing from the rusting fixtures...broken tiles...nothing was tidy or clean.....kitchen had hanging cords, filthy toaster and a fan whose blades were covered with dust Dirty sponges left in sink. Upon opening one cupboard in the kitchen.....a storage area of sorts.....stuffed with old, dusty stuff. When the bathroom door (which didn't close properly) fell on my husband, I knew it was time to move on.....apt. was newly renovated?? A coat of paint is not a renovation - which it sorely needs., from head to toe,,.hanging cords everywhere. Closets were flimsy and a couple of old and bent wire hangers were provided. Owner (in Bali) decided to cease all communication with me after I began to complain. Yes, lovely view to Bosphorus from living area only. In Cihangir, but not the nice part of it, requiring many, many stairs to get up to the main area of Cihangir. Apt. is in a building without other occupants and looks just terrible from the outside...inside stairwell is dangerous to navigate, particularly just outside the door of the apt., and slippery when wet. On the bright side? Apt. is large and living area has a view to the Bosphorus. Internet worked. Incorrect street address was provided, which proved a problem when I finally ordered the taxi - to get out of there!

Owner response: 99.9% of our guests are stellar people who I am happy to know. This woman had a plan from the moment she arrived to get what she could and leave without paying. I should have known something was "off" by her 40 plus emails to me before she arrived, each of which I personally replied to with long friendly emails even sending her a personalized list of my favorite restaurants and things to do in Istanbul. I also introduced her to two good friend of mine who she then went out to dinner with before complaining to me about the apartment - and then she and her husband ran off without paying. She was horrifically abusive, swearing and screaming insults at my staff, and writing threatening letters to me which included death threats. She is right that my manager was not there when she arrived. We had a plumbing emergency in another flat so my manager asked one of our cleaning staff to go to the flat to meet the guests. When my manager who is pregnant arrived 20 min late, the guest began screaming obscenities at her. I, who was in Indonesia teaching a workshop at the time, responded immediately to the guest when I received her email that I would look into it and then skyped my manager who told me about the guests rudeness to her. Two days later I learned that she had left after staying 2 nights without paying, and I cut off all communication. It's a shame people like this are allowed to leave reviews on VRBO, and although I'd rather waste energy on people like her, I feel it is my duty to warn other VRBO homeowners about this her. Her name is Francesca, and she is an American living in Italy.. Luckily nearly everyone of our guests are wonderful, and the one bad seed comes along very rarely if ever.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers.

great apartment

Guest: JPS (Auckland)
Date of Stay: 10/02/10 Review Submitted: 10/23/10

we had a week in Istanbul staying at Cihangir 2 in October 2010. The apartment worked well for a family of 4 including one teenager. Well equipped, clean and tidy, with lots of local information provided. Good location for access to various tourist destination.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, families with teenagers.

Stairs & Hills

Guest: LosAngeles (los angeles)
Date of Stay: 08/31/10 Review Submitted: 09/15/10

This apartment's most outstanding feature was definitely the view. A good decluttering and freshening up would improve the balcony along with something more comfy than white plastic chairs, but the old couch was super for lounging, and the views were stunning. Likewise the indoor furniture was not the most comfy and could use a spruce up, but the beds were perfect. Very comfortable with plenty of pillows. Loved all the nice towels, toilet paper, and drinking water that was provided! The W/C is teeny tiny, but the bathroom w/ shower and sink was just fine. On all future trips to Istanbul I will stay in Cihangir. The neighborhood is infinitely charming with loads of great restaurants. There are even places that deliver which we took advantage of a couple of nights. I would say that if out of shape me could make it up the 103 outside stairs a couple times per day (down the street and necessary to get to the good stuff) anyone can. Unless you have knee or joint problems. The hills are super steep climbing up to the apartment, but taking the tram to Kabatas, the funicular to Taxsim Square, then walking slightly downhill is a WAY better option. Cabs aren't so much of an option around this area as none of the cab drivers want to take you anywhere unless you are going a good distance. Hoofing it is pretty much the only way to go. The downhill walk to the tram is pretty steep. Without a good sense of balance you might take a tumble. Still despite the steepness/stairs/funky furniture I still give this apartment 4 stars. For the price of this apartment, a little welcome basket with some local fruits, bit of cheese, and perhaps a bottle of wine would be a really nice touch.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car.

Amazing views, great location

Guest: Beate (San Francisco)
Date of Stay: 06/16/10 Review Submitted: 07/15/10

We stayed at this apartment with our family of 4 for a week in June of 2010 and had a very good experience. The place was just about perfect for us. The views from the living/dining area and the balcony are stunning, spanning 180 degrees, from looking across the busy Bosporus to Asia, the Princes Islands and Marmara Sea, across the Golden Horn to the old town with all the famous sights all the way to the Galata Tower to the right. Day or night, with this view, you don't have to go out to enjoy Istanbul. But we did, of course, and really liked the location. The modern tram is 5 to 10 minutes walking down the hill, very easy to use, runs every few minutes and takes you to Sultanahmet in minutes. Or you could also walk to the old town, it takes about a half hour. At night, we stayed in our neighborhood or walked to the Istiklal or the different areas of Beyoglu, or just down the hill to the bean bag tea gardens in Tophane and played Backgammon, like the locals. There are many restaurants and cafes, several stores and a Carrefour supermarket a short way up the hill. The apartment itself is spacious, comfortable and well equipped, but not luxurious. Having a washing machine and wireless internet were important to us, and both worked well. To clarify: the bathroom is a split bath, with the toilet and small sink in a separate room, so not really 1.25 bath - but the split bath certainly helps when having several people. Ceiling fans and AC kept the place comfortable on hot days. Communication with the owner and her assistant were always prompt and easy. Since the apartment is located on a hill and you need to walk steep small streets or stairs to get anywhere, it is only suitable for people who have no problem walking. Other than that, I would definitely recommend this place to others and would happily return myself.

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Excellent location, beautiful views

Guest: skatc (Parksville, BC, Canada)
Date of Stay: 04/29/10 Review Submitted: 06/06/10

Four of us stayed here for a week after staying at "Chihangir 1" by the same owner. This apartment was also decorated with antique furniture and homey touches, although we thought it wasn't quite as nice. The couch on the deck was great, we spent most mornings there watching the cruise ships dock and listening to the kids play in the school beneath us. The location was our favorite part; away from tourists but still very central. Within twenty minutes walk to the tram to the old city, to Taksim shopping district and metro, and some of my favorite cafes and restaurants in the city. If we moved to Istanbul, Chihangir is the area we would live in. Our correspondance with the owner was flaky at best, but we were greeted by the very friendly and helpful Elif who brightened up our stay.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with teenagers.