Taksim: Bright Lights, Big City!
When mentioning Istanbul, Taksim Square must come to mind. It is the heartbeat of the city that feeds it with life and activity round the clock. Taksim is the most popular venue in Istanbul, always buzzing with people, bars, restaurants, clubs, taverns, delis- you name it!
A place where anything goes is an understatement-- Taksim is most happening spot in Istanbul and it never gets a wink of sleep.
During day time, it is the meeting point of camera-clutching tourists setting their sightseeing agenda of the day and posing by the Republic Monument in the center of the square.
Common scenes by the day include the typical tourist crowd feeding Istanbul’s overfriendly pigeons and the seasonal shopaholics rushing to Istiklal stores to bag a bargain.
True to its name, meaning distribution in Arabic, it used to be the center of water lines coming from north of Istanbul and distributed to other parts of the city.
Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue)
Strictly-pedestrian, Istiklal is one of the longest avenues in Istanbul, dedicated solely to pedestrians and city wanderers. Flanked by luxury boutiques, cafes, consulates, restaurants, galleries, cinemas and banks, residential apartments- walking down Istkilal Avenue is a feast to the senses and, by far, the best way to take in the sights and sounds of Istanbul. Don’t miss the charming cobblestone alleyways branched off the avenue to your left and right, offering hole-the-wall type of bars and cozy, little cafés. Night owls descend upon this party playground every night to discover what the night has in store for them-- always a surprise.
Beware of the local vultures paying heed to any disoriented tourist. A night out in Taksim often has its fair share of scams and cons! While you can’t resist the energy and electricity filling every corner of Taksim, you often grow tired of stumbling over a pile of people as you are trying to make your way down Istkilal Avenue. With your thoughts turning to a quieter place to amble peacefully, you can’t think of anywhere but Bebek.
Bebek: Your Rehab Retreat
There is only one place not so far from Taksim, where you can meander at a leisurely pace and marvel at the beautiful scenery surrounding you without pardoning your way through.
Consider Bebek your rehab retreat from Taksim nightlife, before you itch for another wild night and relapse into an irreversible addiction.
Bebek is Istanbul’s most beautiful neighborhoods, belonging to the administration of the Beşiktaş district. Magnificently lying on the European shores of the Bosphorus, Bebek offers uninterrupted views of the Bosphrous, the sheltered bay and beyond.
Nothing beats a ball of Kumpir on a sunny day on Bosphorous coast of Bebek. Neighboring Ortaköy is popular for its scrumptious Kumpir, Turkish waffles, creps and other sweets.
Sakip Sabanci Museum is another major attraction in Bebek well worth a visit. Sakip Sabanci Museum is a private fine arts museum, dedicated to calligraphic art, religious and state documents, as well as paintings of the Ottoman era.
The museum was founded by Sakıp Sabancı, and was opened in June 2002. The museum also hosts local and international temporary exhibitions and, hosts cultural events on the weekends.
Florya: Desperate Housewives Town
If there was a Turkish version of the American TV-series Desperate Housewives, Florya would definitely be its set location. An upscale suburb located on the west side of the city, a 10 minute- drive from the airport and one-train stop away from Yeşilköy. Florya is home to the rich and well-heeled families of Istanbul. It was once an exclusive, high-society enclave, now Florya attracts the country’s neveaue-rich who want to experience living on the wealthier side of town.
The sight of Porsche barely elicits a yawn in Florya these days; residents have grown accustomed to seeing teenage kids rolling in their 200,000 TL Jeep.
Florya is not your average Istanbul neighborhood; it is quite, spotless clean and all forms of existence end at 8pm. There are two important landmarks in Florya that have outside residents take the long trip and endure the city’s notorious traffic. These two landmarks happen to be Galatasary training ground and Beyti Restaurant.
Galatasary Training Ground
The Florya Metin Oktay Sports Complex is Galatasary’s training ground and academy base, named after the legendary goal scorer Metin Oktay. It is a multi-purpose, state-of-the-art sports complex, featuring an area of 110, 224 m and is also used as the battleground for other sports including basketball and volleyball.
Beyti Restaurant
With signs posted almost everywhere in Florya, I still get asked for directions to this increasingly popular restaurant which enjoys a faithful following from outside diners. Beyti is one of the oldest culinary establishments in the area, founded in 1945 in Küçükçekmece and has been situated since 1983 in Florya. It is not so hard to understand why the restaurant is the city’s hottest dinner table; Beyti is an esteemed member of the prestigious international gastronomic organization: Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs.
The main dining room- which can accommodate up to 500 seats- offers traditional Turkish cuisine and various kebabs grilled over oak charcoal. Consisting of eleven dining rooms of various sizes plus a terrace, the building was designed in a modern architectural style by Osman Yılmaz Şanlı, offering a fusion of modern and Ottoman ambience. There are three floors: ground floor, first floor, and a partial second floor. Brick walls, wood facing, and the glass add a strong modern vibe to the atmosphere of place. The concrete structural elements dominate the façades of the building.
Yeşilköy: The Grass is Greener on the Other Side
The green village was merely a village and a sea resort. Yeşilköy is home to the authentic elite of the city and a cosmopolitan community of Greeks, Armenians and Levantines (Italian and French people of Istanbul) that have been diminishing during last decade. In an effort to localize the name of each community, Yeşilköy (Green village in Turkish) was given this name by the writer Halit Ziya Uşakligil who used to live here.
Wooden Art Nouveau houses, reminiscent of San Francisco architecture, dominate the skyline of Yesilkoy. The green village still retains the cosmopolitan character of its past, evident in the legacy of the Italian Catholic Church and cemetery, Armenian and Greek churches – all dedicated to St. Stephen.
To get a glimpse of Greece in Istanbul, take a walk along the line of Greek seafood restaurants, featuring a wide variety of fish restaurants with Greek music being played in the background to add to the authenticity of your Greek experience in Turkey.
Now that you absorbed the heady whiff of fresh grilled fish, you must have worked an appetite some sizzling sea food. Say no more. Yüksel Balık is an amazing fish restaurant that serves their daily fresh-from-sea catch.
Yeşilköy has a pleasant Marina boulevard where the city’s punk skaters come to strut their stuff and practice some new moves.
Bakırköy: Caught in the Middle
Bakırköy is the municipality district of Yesilkoy, Florya and other near-by neighborhoods, inhabited by a middle class population. It has an important commercial district, including a number of luxury shopping malls as Carousel and Capacity. Bakırköy is the perfect quick shopping fix for Florya and Yeşilköy residents who would rather spare the long drive to a distant shopping mall. Bakırköy has a fair range of cinemas, bars and cafés.
