Cihangir, Istanbul, Türkiye

Several years ago, when the discussion of actually having a home in Türkiye began, the first neighborhood on my list to explore was Cihangir. (Note: In Turkish, “C” is pronounced like the English “J.”) I wanted a place where I wouldn’t stand out, where English was spoken a little more, and it was close to the ancient part of the city, where I could explore without having to travel a long way.

My husband and several friends told me that I really needed to walk the neighborhood first, before deciding that Cihangir had to be the place. It is good advice when looking for real estate, something I’ve recommended before in several posts. We took a half-day and explored the neighborhood on foot, eating lunch at the exact center, then walked down to the ferry and headed home.

Here we are two years later, and I still have no idea, other than the steep slopes and the excessive amount of tourists, why that neighborhood was rejected. So last week, I took a break from editing and decided I wanted to find out. Don’t get me wrong. I love my current neighborhood and would never think of moving. I was just curious, though, as to why they rushed me through that day.

In looking at the map for the closest ferry route, it dawned on me that I needed to begin at the top of the city and work my way downhill. I’d already done the opposite in Kuzguncuk. The top of Istanbul, and its main square, is Taksim Meydanı (Taksim Square). When my husband found out I was goofing off that day, he was worried. There had been several arrests of opposition members, and he expected protests across the city, especially at Taksim.

As you can see from the video, it was a typical day in the neighborhood. I learned later that the protests were massive, but they were also happening at other places across the city.

So I go on, downhill, to find the start of Cihangir. The neighborhood initially looked like this. I expected a bit of flamboyance given the reputation of this neighborhood, and this person fit what I was expecting.

Quiet on a Tuesday, there was little foot or auto traffic, just a typical neighborhood.

Then this part began. I turned left when I should have turned right. Taking this entire flight of steep stairs, I realized two blocks later that I’d gone the wrong way and had to climb the same type of hill (without stairs) to head toward the center. On that street, I was focused on climbing (and breathing) and took no photos. On that entire street of about six blocks, every store on one side of the street was under construction—every single store for blocks. It was strange.

The graffiti increased as the street leveled out, but in this city, that isn’t unusual, even in the nicer areas.

Arriving finally at the center of Cihangir, I understood. This area was not for me. I could not take photos as I felt every eye on me as I walked down the sidewalk. The area was party city in ultra-hangover mode, and the smell was identical to Key West on any Sunday morning after a raucous Saturday night. Garbage was everywhere, and I longed for a pressure washer to give it all a good once-over.

All the clothing stores were labeled as “vintage” or used another marketing term for second-hand. The standard Istanbul cat sat outside the pet store, waiting for dinner. I kept walking.

Olive trees grow well in pots here. Especially this one kept company with a cigarette tray.

I passed a beautiful yellow building with white trim and shutters. Two ladies passed me and then stopped to admire the crumbling structure as well. They told me it used to be an Italian hospital, but it had since been used for several purposes. To my real estate eye, it was a developer’s dream and nightmare combined, even though it would make a spectacular hotel. Here’s a link if you’re interested in reading. You may need to click your translation button.

There are other historical items scattered along, such as this fountain built during the time of Sultan Mahmud I.

And, of course, more stairs. (Hey, this is only ONE set. I went down six of them to get to my ferry.)

Then, honestly, to my surprise, I walked by an apartment building in a private park that my husband and I had seriously discussed. It was located near the hospital and situated in a group of buildings surrounding a small, beautiful park. The pathway beside runs along the edge of the hill through the trees, providing a shortcut to the new Katabaş ferry pier.

But it only took me one second to turn around and remember why this apartment in the park was discarded.

The cruise ships. As you can see from the photo below, I’m not very far from the boat. No, it doesn’t block the view of this particular apartment, but it does provide another annoying feature: the loudspeaker system on the ship. I could hear everything clearly and loudly. I could not imagine living with this every day.

My friends and family were correct. I get annoyed with many things in my living space. Cruise ships and party nights would have made me lose my mind.

So why would someone choose to live here? Well, it is a terrific place if you’re young, an expat, and want to meet friends. If you love art, this is the central part of the art district. You are only blocks from the largest shopping street in the city, Istiklal Caddesi (the one with the red trolley). There are numerous bars and restaurants, and people from all over the world reside here.

And if I were 25 again—I’d live here too.