Istanbul is not a city you visit. Istanbul is a city you brace for. It is enormous. It is loud. It is the collision of two continents and about seventeen different eras, all happening on the same street at the same time.
One month wasn’t enough. It rarely is for Istanbul.
Finding a long-stay apartment in Cihangir, Beyoğlu
We stayed in Cihangir, the bohemian residential neighborhood of Beyoğlu that’s home to artists, expats, and about a thousand cats. Steep hills lead down toward the Bosphorus, which means the walk home was cardio. Our produce sellers drove right to our door, saving us a trip to the store at the bottom. We only wish we’d gotten a basket and a rope to fully enjoy the benefits of not having to leave the apartment for groceries.
The apartment also taught us that Su Kabi means the dryer water tank is full. We didn’t even know that a dryer could have a water tank that needed emptying. Turkish appliances have secrets.
Living in Cihangir, Istanbul
Coffee everywhere. The call to prayer beautiful throughout the day, something we came to look forward to. We attended a Whirling Dervish ceremony, which was an honor to attend and warmed our hearts with the sense of community.
Also: we bought 2 more rugs than we needed. They eventually found their home in LA. It just took a few years to get them there.
A typical day in Istanbul
Coffee. Delicious Turkish coffee. A walk down to the water. Dinner at a meyhane with mezze and raki. The view from Leb-i Derya was the perfect backdrop for drinking wine while enjoying dinner. And we learned to never order Mezze for 2. It really feeds 6 people.
Lance visited a hammam. That was a first. Turned out that for women, a hammam is a place to socialize and relax with friends. For men, it means the surprise of getting freezing water poured on your junk. He had opinions afterwards.
Weekends were sights: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar (where we picked up the 2 extra rugs), the cisterns. Istanbul has a lifetime of these.
Istanbul: our verdict after one month of living there
Istanbul is a place that grows on you. Week one is overwhelming. Week four you start to feel a rhythm and realize you’re leaving too soon.
Next time we go longer. Two months minimum. Istanbul deserves that.
Istanbul long-stay stats
- Duration: One month, autumn
- Neighborhood: Cihangir, Beyoğlu
- Cost tier: Affordable
- Walkability: Excellent (uphill on the way home)
- Wifi: Fast in most apartments
- Cat-friendly: Yes (Istanbul’s street cats have their own reputation)
- Best for: Long stays, culture, food obsessives, rug collectors
- Would return: Yes, longer next time
Book the stay: Our Cihangir apartment on Airbnb →
