Cihangir, 500 meters (570 yards) south of Taksim Square down Sıraselviler Caddesi (map), is among Istanbul's most interesting neighborhoods for young, creative, upwardly-mobile Istanbullus, and foreigners in-the-know.
Not many short-term visitors or tourists here because it's some distance from the main tourist sites. But if you want to live like Istanbullus do, in a real neighborhood quite friendly to foreigners, with nice cafés, good restaurants, and most of Istanbul's antique shops, Cihangir (JEE-hahn-GEER) may be for you.
Cihangir has only a few hotels, but an ever-increasing number of short-term rental apartments/flats to let. My favorite is this one, a fine pied-a-terre on Faikpaşa Caddesi. More...
The modern 3-star, 41-room Hotel Villa Zurich is the only hotel right at the center of Cihangir, only a few steps from the best cafés, restaurants and shops. More...
The 20-room House Hotel Galatasaray is in a historic Beyoğlu apartment building right in the thick of the antique shops district on Bostanbaşı Caddesi. More...
Lots of historic buildings in this district have been renovated as short-term apartments/flats, including the 8-suite City Apart Istanbul and the 5-suite Mysuites Istanbul, and the 15-suite On Suites Istanbul. More...
Hotel Villa Zurich: right in the heart of Cihangir, Beyoğlu, Istanbul.
Closer to İstiklal Caddesi, the 21-room Misafir Suites 8is a dignified old Beyoğlu building beautifully renovated, substantial enough to keep out the noise of a busy, crowded district, and perfectly located for explorations of İstiklal Caddesi, Taksim and Cihangir (map). However, it's almost impossible to get to by car. Go to Taksim Square by airport transfer, taxi or Metro/Funicular, then walk down İstiklal Caddesi to the 4th street on the left (Sadri Alışık Sokak, at İstiklalCaddesi No. 101), then up this street a few short blocks to Gazeteci Erol Dernek Sokak on the right. Misafir Suites 8 is the big building right on this corner (map).
—by Tom Brosnahan
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