• For a great sunset view of the city, go up the Galata Tower. The viewing "deck" is incredibly narrow and forces you to get a little friendly with fellow tourists, but it's absolutely worth it.

• There are free galleries up and down Istiklal Street. While caught in the rain last year waiting for my host Doğan to fetch me, I definitely got to take advantage of the galleries. During the summer of 2005, 3 different galleries displayed an amazing retrospective of sculptor Ihlan Koman's work. Other galleries featured fantastic modern art: photography, video and other media. Highly recommended.

• If you aren't too stuffed—we often were—do take advantage of the nightlife. My favorite place last year (introduced to me by Doğan) was Gizli Bahçe, or Secret Garden. Great music—mostly old school rap—comfy living-room like atmosphere and an open, friendly environment. Gizli Bahçe is located on Nevizade Street across from Imroz. Another fun place for dancing is Bar Bahçe, a tiny gay club. You could look at it as an interesting exploration of homosexuality in Turkish culture, or just get sweaty dancing. Last summer the staff were dressing up in costumes every night; this year I didn't go but Kip and Patrick reported the staff did not costume up this time. Other good bars in the area are Smyrna and Melek.

• If you are coming to Istanbul more for its urban delights than history and culture (come on, admit it) I recommend Time Out Istanbul above other guidebooks. This book focuses on fantastic bars, clubs and restaurants frequented by locals and is very clear with practicalities such as directions and opening hours of various sights, and info on daytrips for the long-term traveler. Photos are much more plentiful and journalistic in Time Out's format than other guidebooks. And even though not every place can be reviewed in detail, you can glean many ideas by reading the callout boxes.

Getting Around

Neighborhoods are self-contained and easily walkable—Beyoğlu, Ortaköy, Sultanahmet and Eminönü are best explored by foot. Waterfront Eminönü is by the Galata Bridge so many transport options are available—cheaper taxis to the "new city", ferries to the Asian side and up the Bosphorus, and a major bus depot.

A slow but pleasant way to transfer between Beyoğlu and Eminönü is to walk across the Galata Bridge from Eminönü to Karaköy. Next take the Tünel, a one-stop train and the second-oldest subway in the world. It ends at the bottom of Istiklal street.

Getting to Beyoğlu from the Eminönü /Sirkeci side is quickest by taxi and about 6YTL. From Sultanahmet you can also take the metro to Eminönü first to save a couple lira. The metro stop in Sultanahmet is right on Divanyolu, very near the Blue Mosque, Yerebatan Sarayi and Hagia Sophia. If you will be in Istanbul a few days you may want to buy an "akbil" pass for transportation.

The metro does not cross between the "new city" and the "old city." The bus does, but have patience—many bus drivers do not speak English. Last year I had it easy because I usually traveled between Taksim Square, a major bus depot, and Eminönü. The routes might not always be so clear.

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