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Besiktas, Istanbul

Besiktas
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NYT: Newly Chic in Istanbul

The New York Times' latest article on Istanbul focuses on the up and coming Besiktas neighborhood. Highlights include the W Hotel Istanbul, the Four Seasons Bosphorus Hotel, 1897 Konyali restaurant in Istanbul, Marc Jacobs and Jimmy Choo boutiques, and Kaymakci Pando restaurant in Istanbul.

Newly Chic in Istanbul
By GISELA WILLIAMS

THE old Istanbul neighborhood of Besiktas, which runs along the European side of the Bosphorus, has long betrayed a blue-collar state of mind. Its bustling markets, schools and ferry stations have been home to fishermen, off-duty cabdrivers, teenage students and Besiktas soccer fans.

But suddenly the area, pockets of it at least, are going seriously cosmopolitan, with names like Marc Jacobs, Jimmy Choo and Jean-Georges Vongerichten now near cramped vegetable stands and rickety tobacco shops.

At the heart of this metamorphosis is the historic Akaretler Row Houses, a two-block cluster of landmark town houses built by a 19th-century sultan to house his workers. As recently as a decade ago, it was a sinking eyesore. But in 2005, Serdar Bilgili, a developer and former Besiktas soccer club president, bought the complex and transformed it into one of Istanbul’s trendiest areas, with upscale apartments, international boutiques and elegant cafes.

At its center is a shiny new W Hotel (Suleyman Seba Caddesi 22; 90-212-381-2121; www.whotels.com/istanbul), the chain’s first in Europe. The lobby, with its mirrored surfaces, billowing curtains and colored lighting, could serve as the fictional set of “Real World Istanbul.” On the third floor is an outpost of Mr. Vongerichten’s Spice Market.

Continued on nytimes.com

Luxury Hammams in Istanbul

NYT on Luxury Hammams in Istanbul

HIGH-END hotels are proliferating in Istanbul, and with them come ever more upscale spa services in the guise of traditional hammams, a welcome addition for anyone who has ever felt trepidation about entering a Turkish bath.

After all, hammams are places of steamy intrigue, full of shadowy movement and unreliable light, where an assembly line of large, damp attendants wearing only bikini underwear vigorously uses well-worn kese cloths to scrub dead skin off strangers. It is an intriguing scene to be sure, but one with a certain “eeew” factor.

Even so, a Turkish bath is an unforgettable experience and that’s why tourists in the Old City line up to pay anywhere from the equivalents of $35 to $65 to pour themselves into a musty beauty called Cagaloglu (Yerebatan Caddesi 34, Cagaloglu; 90-212-522-2424; www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr), or to squeeze into the smaller but charming Cemberlitas (Vezirhan Caddesi 8, Cemberlitas; 90-212-522-7974; www.cemberlitashamami.com.tr), just steps from the Grand Bazaar.

While relatively inexpensive, their popularity brings other costs. In these tourist hammams, service can feel rushed, the massage perfunctory and the facility so crowded that it can be difficult to carve out enough space to lie down on the central navel stone. But it’s worth asking: At several times the cost, are luxury hammams worth the price?

Continued on nytimes.com

Best Shopping in Istanbul

Color Bazaar
Originally uploaded by svenwerk

Istanbul is notable for its grand markets, colorful bazaars and its increasingly trendy boutiques. Here are a few of my top picks for the best shopping in Istanbul:

Best Market in Istanbul:
Grand Bazaar in Istanbul

Best Food Shop in Istanbul:
Laleli Olive Oil Shop

Best Clothing Boutique in Istanbul:
Ece Sukan Vintage Shop

Recent articles:

Besiktas, Istanbul
Luxury Hammams in Istanbul
Best Shopping in Istanbul
Ece Sukan Vintage Shop in Istanbul
Laleli Olive Oil Shop in Istanbul
Grand Bazaar in Istanbul
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