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Bright Sun
Fenerbahçe...
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Kadıköy, on
the Asian
shore of the Bosphorus just
south of
Haydarpaşa
(map), was known
in Byzantine times
as Chalcedon.
Today it's a bustling commercial and
transportation center, and Asian residential
district of the megalopolis of Istanbul.
Kadıköy is untouristy and very Turkish
middle class. It's well worth a half-day
visit, perhaps combined with a visit
to Üsküdar to
the north.
Şehir Hatları, TurYol, and Dentur Avrasya ferryboats cross the Bosphorus regularly
from Karaköy (Galata)
and Eminönü at
the mouth of the Golden
Horn to Kadıköy.
The voyage is among Istanbul's greatest
value-for-money pleasures: a 40-minute intercontinental
cruise for about TL4!
The M4 Metro line goes from the Kadıköy ferry docks southeast to Kartal (map), with a connection to the Marmaray at Ayrılık Çeşmesi. From the bus station right next to the ferry docks, Havataş
airport buses travel
to Sabiha
Gökçen
Airport, farther to the
east. More...
The Kadıköy market district (çarşı, CHAR-shuh), just inland from
the ferry docks, is a particularly
appealing one, with bright fruits and
vegetables, lots of fish, and a variety
of good restaurants with
sidewalk tables in fair weather. More...
A bit farther along Güneşlibahçe Sokak
and on sides streets is Kadıköy's meyhane
district, dozens of Turkish
tavernas serving good meals and any
alcoholic beverages you may want.
If you're up for a walk, continue
south along Moda Caddesi to the tea
gardens on a promontory at
Moda, with fine panoramic views across
the Sea
of Marmara to Old
Istanbul. An alternate walk
is along the seaside promenade that
begins at the Kadıköy ferry docks and winds along the shore south and east
for kilometers.
Farther south and east at Fenerbahçe ("Lighthouse Garden"—you'll see
the lighthouse) is a beautiful park
built and maintained by the Turkish
Touring & Automobile Association. Its
Romantika Restaurant is a fine place
for a light meal or beverage, with
indoor and outdoor dining areas, all
with sea views.
Inland, Bağdat Caddesi (Baghdad
Avenue) is Kadıköy's main commercial
street, lined with upscale boutiques,
stores, cafés, bars, restaurants and
businesses. Its traffic lanes are jammed
with BMWs, Range Rovers, Alfa Romeos
and other luxury automobiles, its sideways
thronged with the young (and not-so-young),
mostly beautiful, and well-dressed.
—by Tom Brosnahan
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