Experience in Istanbul, Turkey by Nilay

What is it like to live in Istanbul? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Istanbul has many faces and many colours... It is the city of dichotomies; you can see the rich and the poor, the Western and the Oriental, the old and the young, the beauty and the beast on the same street. Because of its history, the city evolved in a way that it is very diverse; there are different ethnicities living in Istanbul. On the other hand, it became a very hip city in the last 10 years, so you can see the clash of traditionalism/conservatism and modernism/liberalism. Therefore, living in Istanbul is surprising. One can never predict what the day brings, and this makes the city very exciting, lively and charming.

I would recommend people to come to Istanbul and live in Istanbul. It is not difficult to build a balanced life in Istanbul where you can both have peace and quiet with good social life. The trick is thinking outside of the box. Erasmus students and expats always live in very central areas that are packed, noisy and unsafe. One can easily live in peaceful and safe neighbourhoods and pay so much less compared to central areas. The public transportation takes you anywhere, especially the metro line is the best if you would like to avoid the traffic, so you can still reach the very central towns through metro line and buses.

The city is divided by the Bosporus strait. The European side is called that way because it is technically in the European continent. Here, you can find the old town from the Ottoman era, the central entertainment town Taksim and it's hip sister towns Cihangir and Galata, the relatively posh towns for shopping and dining such as Nişantaşı, and beautiful Bosporus towns such as Bebek, Ortaköy, Sarıyer, Yeniköy. Every town has a different feeling. On the Anatolian or Asian side, you can find more peace and quiet. The popular town Kadıköy has so much to offer, from art to shopping to eating, live music, book stores. The very modern uptown Bağdat Caddesi surprises the travelers with its big clean streets, quality cafes and restaurants and with very 'European-like' locals. One can commute between the European and the Asian side with ferry which is a ritual on its own. You should by a 'simit' (Turkish bagels) and a glass of tea, sit outdoors on the ferry, feed the seagulls, stare at the beautiful houses by the seaside and feel the sea breeze on your face.

What is the student lifestyle like in Istanbul?

I have been working in ESN club for four years and based on my experience, I can say that all the Erasmus students enjoy the student life in Istanbul. Erasmus clubs at universities of Istanbul are very ambitious and active so they offer many events and gatherings for international students. In Istanbul one can create their social life by joining the events of clubs, going to exhibitions or even going to a local cafe regularly. Turkish people are friendly and eager to help so students can basically have a life they want. If they choose to stick to their university and the ESN club of the university that's the easy and the safe option and perhaps a good start in the beginning. But later they can expand to less typical Erasmus student areas by basically exploring the city on their own.

As far as I experienced, international students prefer to stick to each other and that makes them a little isolated from the Turkish students. This is unfortunately minimising the cultural dialogue. Turkish students are mostly shy speaking English and the international students live in their "Erasmus bubble". However I have seen many exception to the rule, as long as the international students want to be involved in the local life they can do it by learning the language. Practicing Turkish opens many doors. It is an ice breaker and shows good intentions and locals really like it when foreigners try to speak Turkish.

How much does it cost to live in Istanbul?

Living costs in Istanbul depends on the person's lifestyle. For a furnished room in a shared flat in a relatively decent neighbourhood one should pay around 400-500 liras (approx) 250 euros per month. Most likely one can find cheaper options. The monthly transportation can cost a lot so one should get a student monthly pass (Öğrenci Akbil) which is 70 liras (30 euros). Eating out is not very expensive, one can have a decent lunch for around 6 euros, but of course eating out every day is never good for the budget. Instead students can shop from their local supermarkets. Vegetables and fruits are way cheaper compared to European standards. Meat and diary products can be more expensive. Students can follow the weekly local food markets for organic and quality local products, these markets are cheaper than supermarkets. All in all, one can have a decent life combined with some going out/drinking for 500 euros per month including rent in Istanbul.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Istanbul? Is there any advice you can give?

It is not difficult to find an accommodation in Istanbul but it is difficult to find a place which is worth the money. Renting rooms to international students became the new market in Istanbul, people raise the prices and try to trick the international students. Therefore, I recommend people to find places through their friends and acquaintances or at least people they know. Facebook groups is another way. The students must ask for help from their ESN clubs of their university, classmates etc. It is always safer. Craigslist can be tricky, one should never send any money to anyone before seeing the flat and meeting the person. Also, it is always safer to have a contract even an informal one.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Istanbul is a paradise for food. One can find dozens of different options for eating. There are so many cafes and restaurants of different kind including international cuisines. For instance Chinese and Japanese cuisines became popular recently. Street food is also safe to eat, boiled corns, grilled chestnuts, simit (bagels), rice and chickpeas/beans mixed are common street food. Döer kebab is also popular. Toasts are a cheap option and very popular by the students.

I think everyone who comes to Istanbul has to experience tha Rakı-Balık (raki drink/fish) tradition by a Bosporus restaurant. (For example in Karaköy there are many nice restaurants for that). You should ask the waiter which fish is on the season and get the fresh fish, choose couple of cold dishes (meze), order fried muscles, fries, kalamari and a big bowl of salad. You have to drink Rakı slowly, while enjoying your food and conversation with your friends. When combined with good company, Bosporus view and classical Turkish music Rakı-Balık dinner is a very special experience.

What places would you recommend visiting in Istanbul?

The touristic places can be found on many guides, so I am not going to talk about these. Rather I will recommend you to take a little boat to the town called Kanlıca, eat yoghurt with powder sugar there and enjoy a glass of tea in the wooden cafe by the harbour. Then you can go to the Prince's islands; my favourite ones are Burgaz and Heybeliada. Rent a bike, see the islands by bike, swim there in the summer time, have barbecue, see the historical houses on the islands.

Is it good to eat out in Istanbul? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Town 1: Bebek
This little village-like posh town by the Bosporus is a perfect place to have a walk, and give a coffee break especially if the weather is good. If you are in Bebek, there are some Bebek-classics to do!
1.Visit to Bebek Badem Ezmecisi (Bebek Marzipan House)
Owned by a half Greek, half Turkish Istanbul lady, this shop produces the best marzipan in Turkey, and the marzipan is hand-made! A box of mixed marzipan (almond and pistachio) makes a great gift from Istanbul! But if you pass by the shop, you should get a 10 grams-mix pack (4 almond, 4 pistachio) and enjoy the great taste while having a cup of coffee! Where to have a coffee? Follow the next tip!

2.Starbucks or Café Nero

Starbucks’ quality is open to debate, but I assure you that it might be the best Starbucks you have ever been. It is on the opposite street of the marzipan house. Its garden is by the sea; actually you can come to this Starbucks with a boat because they have a tiny port in their garden. I often sit by their port, put my feet in the sea, drink some coffee and eat marzipan. Then I take a walk, towards the Bebek Park because of high calories! Or you can go to Café Nero which is next to McDonalds. They have a smaller garden but still you can sit by the sea. Normally it is less crowded than Starbucks.

3.Kırıntı or Midpoint for a lunch/dinner

I don’t normally eat in Bebek but if I have to, I prefer Kırıntı or Midpoint. They are next to each other. Kırıntı is good with burgers and steaks, Midpoint is good at pastas and chicken food. Both have good cocktails and the portions are designed for really hungry folks! Unfortunately they are not by the sea… So I would rather go to the next Bosporus towns to eat. Below I will tell more about them!

Town 2: Arnavutköy

It takes 15 minutes to walk from Bebek to Arnavutköy. Arnavutköy is the place for fishermen and sea food lovers. It is an old village, so you can see the great examples of Armenian and Greek architecture on the old houses. However fish restaurants are extremely expensive in Arnavutköy. I recommend you to do an Arnavutköy classic; going to Ali Baba Köftecisi, it is a meatball place and it is very yummy! http://www.koftecialibaba.net/ My favourite childhood restaurant! Or the other alternative would be the following:

1.Bodrum Mantı:

It is a mantı house. What is mantı? Turkish ravioli. It is definitely a specialty and Bodrum manti is the best place to try it out. The classic one is the boiled version but I prefer the fried version. This place open the whole night, so if you go there at night you will see happy drunk folks eating manti. http://www.bodrummanti.com.tr/

Town 3: Ortaköy
From Arnavutköy to Ortaköy it takes around 30 minutes of walk by the nice seaside! In Ortaköy you can choose the following; can have a European style pub night, can have Turkish style snacking (gözleme which are dough wraps with yummy fillings, waffes that you will love so much, my Belgian friends admit waffles in Ortaköy is the best and kumpir which is baked potatoe with filling but you can choose so many fillings there are more than 15 types) you can watch football matches in the pubs and buy handcraft presents by the local sellers on weekends. Ortaköy Mosque is a must see, and you can take the Bosporus tour ferry which costs 10 liras, it is a tour for one hour, the ferries leave from the port next to the mosque. For chic lunch, dinners or cocktails there are two good options:

1. The House Café

This is a Turkish chain, their menu is great! They have great cocktails as well. The decoration is very nice and the service is high quality. You must definitely try out their homemade chestnut cheesecake.

http://www.thehousecafe.com/


2. Anjelique

It is an expensive restaurant but if you enjoy authentic Asian food you must definitely give it a try. They also have a floor where they serve Italian food but I find it a bit over rated. Asian food is the first floor right by the sea. The starters are very good. At night the place turns to a bar.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/turkey/istanbul/entertainment-nightlife/music/angelique

Town 4: Akaretler
This is a newly renovated area. It is in Besiktas district. There are good restaurants and bars. But I will only recommend one place and it is called Vogue. You should go there for their Sunday brunch, reservation needed. It is on the top floor of a skyscraper where you see all Istanbul. It is the best brunch you will get, and it is only around 20 euros. All you can eat and drink, the customers are celebrities, football players and businessmen. I recommend you to go there around 10 AM and you can be there until 4 PM, you can read, drink and eat all you want, enjoy the cigar section and just have a chilled Sunday. If you are lucky and the weather is good the terrace would be open.
http://www.voguerestaurant.com/

Town 5: Nisantasi
When you take the hill from Akaretler, here comes Nisantasi. Or you can go there by taking the subway from Taksim and one station later you get off at Osmanbey and you will end up in Nisantasi. It can be considered the Upper East Side Manhattan of Istanbul. It is good for shopping, coffee break, book and music stores and going to a cinema. Nisantasi City’s is the mall that you can do all these. If you want to chill and watch a match I recommend All Sports Café. Their salads and pastas are good and the chocolate sufle! They have a cute and relaxing garden where you can read international magazines and newspapers. http://www.allsportscafe.com/

Town 6: Taksim

Ara Cafe has great pastas and icecream. It is by the French High School Galatasaray, there is a nice place to sit outside. They also have good brunch there.

Zencefil has a good vegetarian menu it is in the beginning of Taksim. Their lemon and pumpkin desserts are the best!

If you go down to the seaside from Taksim which is called Karaköy, that’s the place to drink raki (uzo) and seasonal fish. Akin Balik is the best place for a typical Turkish raki & balik evening with Turkish music: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g293974-d2674757-r141550605-Akin_Fish-Istanbul.html
For Turkish-Greek seafood and to watch football matches you can go to Cicek Pasaji or Nevizade.

Is the nightlife good in Istanbul? Where is good to go?

The nightlife is very lively in Istanbul. There are many places to go based on what you want, what your budget is etc. Taksim is the main area where you can switch between different places. However, Taksim is very complicated because there are so many things to do there and it has many cool areas such as Cihangir where intellectuals hang out and live you can find art galleries and second hand stores here. Then there is Galata, there is the historical Galata Tower http://www.galatatower.net/ and the best Jazz club called Nardis Jazz Club, the entrance is around 15 euros but it is worth it. You can check their programme online: http://nardisjazz.com/
I think the best night which guarantees a great atmosphere, drinks and Bosporus view is 360, it is in Taksim. It is called 360 because you have 360 degrees of the great view. http://www.360istanbul.com/

What advice would you give future students heading to Istanbul?

Be open-minded! Even for the locals of Istanbul, the city can be very surprising and unpredictable. The city is changing every day, evolving in the fastest speed. It is better to keep a relaxed attitude, because for instance you can be stuck on the traffic for an hour, the street you walk every day can suddenly be shut down for construction, you might be squeezed between dozens of people on a bus, a restaurant keeper might try to charge you more money... Just be relaxed but keep an eye on things an people. Know how to say "No" It is a culture where you have to express yourself openly. If you do not want something or do not want to communicate with someone say "No" and be strict. Try to go beyond the typical tourist things, try to go to towns that are not touristic. Try to talk to the locals, be open to new tastes. Be on the safe side, Istanbul is not more dangerous than any other place but you have to be careful at nights, especially if you are drunk. Lock your door at home, do not sleep with your window open.

There are many free events happening in Istanbul. Try to get involved in the social life by following arts and cultural events.