I was lucky to have locals with me to take me under their wings. This meant that I spent a lot more time in the “local” areas than I did the iconic areas of Istanbul, which was something that I completely fine with. I had just flown in from a different continent, so I was in need of some serious chill time. I’m pretty sure what I saw was more interesting than all that touristy white-noise anyway. So here’s where I spent most of my time:

Kadıköy & Moda

During my time in Istanbul, I was staying in a neighborhood called Kadıköy, on the Asian side (of the Bosporus). Kadıköy is a very young, trendy neighborhood in Istanbul. Within Kadıköy is a smaller, particularly happening area called Moda. If Kadıköy is Brooklyn, Moda is Williamsburg. Walking around the streets, I was feeling a little insecure. The Turks are cool! They are all so well dressed and put together. The men are trimmed, dark, and handsome. The women have an understated aura of exotic mystery about them. And here I was, with bags under my eyes, and a dirty mustache, wearing torn jeans and a dirty sweater. I felt a bit under-dressed, but I never felt as if I was being judged by anybody passing by. The Turks have a relaxed, unassuming air about them that made me feel both at ease, and uncool (by comparison) simultaneously. Here are some pictures from my walking around in Kadıköy:

Üsküdar

My friend that I was visiting had previously lived in a much more traditional neighborhood a bit farther down the Bosporus called Üsküdar. We took a stroll through that neighborhood later on, and the juxtaposition was strong. In this neighborhood women wore hijabs (the Muslim head covering) and men sported traditional Muslim chinstrap beards. The streets were still bustling with people, but it was a completely different vibe. I felt like more of an outsider, as I had in more extreme Islamic places like Bangladesh. However, in spite of this huge cultural gap, Istanbul is a beautiful European-feeling city, so this sense of being an outsider was a bit out of place. Even so, I walked through the streets, poked my head into mosques, and snapped a few pictures.

The European Side: Taksim & İstiklâl Caddesi

Across the Bosporus, on the European side, are some of Istanbul’s more famous areas. Indeed, almost all of Istanbul’s tourist attractions are over here, but I didn’t spend any extra time over here beyond what you read in the Tourist Guide. Most of Istanbul’s nightlife is also over here, in an area called Taksim. If that’s what you’re after, you’ll want to head to İstiklâl Caddesi, which is just the name of the street with all the clubs. Caddesi pretty much means “avenue” in Turkish, so take that into account when you’re struggling to plug this into Google Maps.