apartment hunting

here's a glorious view of just one of the istanbul cityscapes taken from across the Golden Horn (with a view of the Galata Tower and Karakoy neighborhood. this was taken last March!

we've been trying to figure out which neighborhoods to look in for an apartment. samet's work is in zeytinburnu (which is halfway to the airport), so it's away from the main city centers. istanbul is split up as a "European Side" and an "Asian Side", since it straddles two continents, that's literally what it means. but there's also a slight change in the atmospheres of each side. i kind of like to think if it is Manhattan and Brooklyn. the European Side is where all the tourists and siteseerers are, where everyone shuffles to work in, the Asian side a little bit more quiet, and small shops and mostly people returning from work.

we'll be living in the European Side, only because it's closer to work (public transportation consists of buses, metros, tramways, ferries, taxis and you can end up taking any combination...most likely at least 2...of these to get to where you are going). neighborhoods we haven't decided on yet...more about that later.

i can't do too much while i am here except troll the internet for apartments. istanbul has a craig's list! although i don't think the turkish have grasped onto what craig's list is yet as there is a derth of information on the site. nonetheless, there are a few apartment posting, including this dream 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom (look at the potential!) renovated flat right off a main street (though too expensive for us...$1400USD/month).

unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, searching for an apartment in istanbul is much like searching for an apartment in New York. they have brokers, slum landlords, deposits, all about location location location...rent prices can almost end up being the same as what you pay here. though i am determined to find a diamond in the rough!