Alright, so you made up your mind and you're
coming to Istanbul. Hey, whether it's for a short term stay or
a long term stay regardless of the purpose of your visit, you have to know about the
neighborhood. And in this video I attempt to cover the best
neighborhoods to live, work and have fun. In this video, I am going to focus only on
the central Istanbul to keep the video as short as possible with a lot of information and also make it
relatable to more and more people. Now. I am going to give you a general overview
of these areas. If you wish to know more details about these
areas, you have to go to description box below where I'm going to provide links for each
and every single area so you can read further. And now that we get that out of the way, let's
start. The areas that we're going to focus on this
video are Fatih, Beyoglu, Sisli and Besiktas in European side, Kadikoy and Uskudar in the
Asian side. It is also referred as a historic peninsula. That is right over there. This is where the Hagia Sophia is, the Topkapi
Palace, the Grand Bazaar, the Blue Mosque. This is the most touristy neighborhood in
the entire city, but I have to divide Fatih into two sections. The first section is what I would refer to
as the touristy end of Fatih. The historic peninsula. It's a place where you would go to get lost
in the narrow streets and also, you know, get a taste of authentic Istanbul but it's
not a place to live. Again, for definitely a good place to stay
because there's a wide range of boutique to luxury hotels. The real life in Fatih starts a couple street
away from the historic peninsula. It's a rather conservative, affordable low
to middle class neighborhood of Istanbul. It's definitely not a place where you can
find a lot of bars and it's not a place for the nightlife. But it is very international though. There is an active expat community. These people are generally from the Middle
Eastern background, so much so that when you exit the famous Fatih mosque, you're going
to come across an area called the little Syria where you're gonna find. Lead along the authentic Middle Eastern cuisine
even the signs over there are Arabic. So if that is what you're looking for maybe
Fatih can make you feel home. You can rent a two bedroom, hundred meter
squares of an apartment in Fatih, right around 300 to $400 per month. That neighborhood again, as foresty as the
historic peninsula. This is where the Taksim Square, the Istiklal
Street, the Galata tower is. And it's a very trendy up market of a place
with an existing expat community and the expats are generally living in Beyoglu area are of European descent. You consider though is that when we're referring
to Beyoglu, we are basically talking about at large neighborhoods. Now the Bosphorus side of the Istiklal street
is where the trendy neighborhoods of Beyoglu are. Cihangir, Galata, Firuza and Tophane. In these areas, prices are a little bit hyped
up. Because most homes have seaviews and they're,
you know, beautifully really nice renovated and you can get yourself a two bedroom apartment
there within the range of 650 to $750. But that area my friends is definitely not
driver friendly. If you're driving, that is a no go. The other side of a Istiklal Street is where
the ghetto starts. This is where we refer as the Dolapdere, Tarlabasi,
and Kasimpasa neighborhoods. If you want to go to that place 10 years ago,
you would be afraid to walk on the streets. It wasn't safe at all. But today it is being renovated and new projects
are coming along and it is being discovered more and more by foreigners. Plus it can provide you affordable stay. But again, there is no comparison between
the two sides of the Istiklal street. But again, this is not unique to Beyoglu,
this is basically Istanbul for you guys. I mean, in this city, street by street, a
lot can change and Beyoglu definitely is a prime example for that matter. Sisli is a really nice all around neighborhood
where everything is reasonably priced, but we're talking about the center of Sisli which
is a traditional neighborhood where middle class Turks live, but it also hosts a good
number of foreigners too. And traditionally the area has been inhabited
by Greeks and Armenians and Christians, and even today, there is an existing Armenian
community in Sisli center. But you can get yourself a typical two bedroom,
100 meters square of an apartment in Sisli center for between 350 to 450. But don't be fooled by its average looks. Sisli can be very well expensive and very
well trendy. I mean, for example, take a look at the Nisantasi
neighborhood. That is the fashion district of Istanbul. That is where the luxury brands are, the trendy
cafes, the very nice restaurants ran away to the old buildings. One thing special about the Nisantasi neighborhood
is that you can be whoever you want to be there. You can dress the way you want to be and you
will be appreciated because it has a very inclusive, very open minded culture about it. So if you're thinking about renting a two
bedroom apartment in Nisantasi, take the price in Sisli, put a couple hundred dollars on
top of it. 700 maybe 750. It can even go up to 800 even $1,000. But that is again for a good apartment in
Nisantasi. I'm not talking about those very old basement
floor type of places. One thing you need to consider about Nisantasi
is that it is definitely not driver friendly. It is always always congested. Finding a parking space is a big headache
and everything there is very very pricey and it is questionable if it is worth it. But where is worth it though, is bomonti. Here is why when you take a look at Bomonti
you are going to see our hotel five stars hotel style residents. It is very organized. It is driver friendly. It is very atmospheric. There are so many trendy cafes in microbreweries
at every corner. It is a center of entertainment. And location wise, it is located perfectly,
because you can literally walk to Nisantasi, Taksim, Sisli and you can be wherever you
want to be. And why do I like Bomonti is because everything
is worth it. Look, I'm not saying Bomonti is a cheap place. Bomonti is definitely is on the high end of
the spectrum, but every penny you pay is worth it because you're getting quality housing,
you're getting quality restaurants, there is an, you know, active international community. People are very open minded. They're trendy, the entire area is very much
organized. So in my opinion it is worth it. Besiktas is one of the biggest municipalities
in Istanbul. And it's not the Besiktas center that we're talking about. It includes places like Levent, Bebek, Ortakoy,
Arnavutkoy, and many more amazing and cool places. But let's talk about Besiktas Center. Besiktas center is where people go to have fun. That's where the young people are. That's where young people go out to enjoy
as the area for is a very vibrant nightlife. As far as the house again is concerned, I'd say that it's a little pricey. Here again, looking at 550 to 750 range for
a two bedroom apartment. But when you combine the feel of the area,
the location, and the things that it offers that money kind of makes sense. But the only downside of Besiktas center could
be poor housing. Because let's face it, it is a slightly old
neighborhood and the homes and the apartments there aren't structurally perfect. So if you're looking for a luxurious place
in Besiktas that comes with a premium. Now Levent. Levent is one of the financial centers in
Istanbul. That's where the high rises are. That's where the mega shopping malls are. You know, it's a great place to work as most
of the headquarters of the major banks and major corporations in Turkey are located in
Levent. But here is what you need to know about Levent. Now what makes that area is Buyukdere Avenue. And just like the both sides of the Istiklal
street you take Buyukdere Avenue one side of it is very peaceful, very calm, full of
greenery. That's where the villas are. That's where sort of like the famous and rich
people of Turkey live. You know, if you go further down to the Etiler
area, that's where you can find some of the mansions with Bosphorus views. And that area stays on the expensive end of
the spectrum, but again, come back to Buyukdere Avenue and go to the other side, and that's
where you're going to find a lesser organized, more densely populated, lesser green area
of a neighborhood. Now here's the thing, if you are working in
Levent and if you want to find affordable housing, you have to go to the other side
of the Buyukdere Avenue, but again, I wouldn't really really recommend that area especially
if you're driving because it is crazily congested. But if you're okay with how it is and how
it looks, it comes with a low price tag that might make you happy. Now Ortakoy. Now, this is where when you Google Istanbul,
one of the first images that comes up is that image of the Ortakoy mosque and the Bosphorus
Bridge itself. And as you can tell it is a very touristy
area, the Center of Ortakoy is that's where you can find a lot of hand crafts and stuff
that people sell for tourists and it's a great area to enjoy, sit and drink with the beautiful view. But there is also neighborhood side of Ortakoy
and what is special about that place is that it has a very, very strong international community. If you're a foreigner and you're looking for
a place with an existing expat community, Ortakoy might be a place though. The good thing about is although some apartments,
well actually most of them, great. In fact some of the best views of Istanbul. The downside is those apartments are a little
pricey but for what you get as the actual product, the actual house in my opinion is
not worth it because most apartments there are, you know, old and not really properly
refurbish and restorate. Our last neighborhood in the European side
is called Bebek. And this is one word: luxury. It is the most classiest. It is one of if not the most beautiful places
in the entire city. It's like a sea resort in the heart of a Metropole,
located right on the Bosphorus. Now Bebek is where you can find very, very
trendy cafes, expensive restaurants, and expensive hotels, luxury hotels, and if you're going
to rent a two bedroom apartment in Bebek you have to look upwards of $1,000. If you have the budget for that, that is definitely
a great place to live in Istanbul. All right now that we got the European side
down, let's talk about the Asian side. This is where you should live. Basically you, you visit the European side,
you enjoying the European side and you live in the Asian side. Because it is calmer, it is safer, it is more
affordable. And the first area that we're going to talk
about in the Asian side is Uskudar. Uskudar is a rather affordable, rather conservative
place, very safe, very calm, family oriented, but there is a lot to do for young people
at the same time, but what it isn't is that Uskudar is not a place for a vibrant nightlife. Although you can find some very, very nice
cafes and restaurants by the Bosphorus, shisha bars and places like that is not where you
would go to drink and get wasted. What is special about Uskudar is that it's
a great alternative for the European neighborhoods, neighborhoods such as Besiktas and Beyoglu. It is right across and it enjoys a way better
view as you can see the beautiful sun setting over there, and the historic peninsula. You can get yourself a very nice two bedroom
apartment even with a partial seaview starting from 350 to 400- $450. And that is to me is a great deal. I have a lot of friends who are living in
this side, Uskudar, and they just can't get enough of this place. But Uskudar is a very large area. I mean, it doesn't only have those, you know,
humble Asian neighborhoods that are affordable. It also has very upmarket very trendy places. I mean, take a look at Cengelkoy and some,
you know, mansions by the Bosphorus the prices of them are huge, but in my opinion it is
definitely worth it. If you're gonna get yourself a Bosphorus view
place definitely look at the Asian side. Now let's talk about Kadıkoy. Kadıkoy is this very large municipality in
Istanbul. Located right over there behind this port. See that is the place where you can find yourself
very nice cafe's very atmospheric bars. That is really the place for nightlife.There
is so much happening in Kadıkoy. It is definitely a place for young people
and families alike young couples and young professionals especially. Now compared to its European counterparts
such as Besiktas and Beyoglu, it is far more affordable. And here is one important thing. Recently the young generation who were enjoying
who are having fun in the European side are going towards Kadıkoy because places like
Taksim and Istiklal streets have been traumatized by mass tourism that the prices are so hyped
up, that they are finding themselves home in this side of the Bosphorus. If you're looking for an affordable, very
international, very vibrant place with a lot of open minded people, Kadıkoy might be the
place for that. But again, Kadıkoy is a very very large municipality. It has places like Fikirtepe, Moda, Goztepe,
Kalamis. It can very well be very increasingly expensive
and it can be modestly priced. So it is all going to depend on what you are
looking for. But to give you a rough idea you can rent
yourself a two bedroom apartment in Kadıkoy between 370 to $470 per month and in my opinion
that is totally worth it. Now if you liked this video, please give us
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