Residence Istanbul

Welcome to Residence Istanbul — a slow, independent guide to one of the world’s most layered cities.

This is not a platform for reservations, rankings, or travel deals. It’s a place for those who want to understand Istanbul not as a destination, but as a living, breathing organism.

A city to inhabit, to observe, to feel in its contradictions: where ancient mosques share a skyline with glass towers, and fishermen cast their lines beside the commuter ferry.

We don’t sell rooms. We don’t chase trends. We don’t pretend to be neutral. We write about Istanbul the way it deserves to be written: with nuance, with affection, and with a healthy dose of skepticism — because love without clear eyes is just tourism.

🧭 What You’ll Find Here

Neighborhoods, not listings

Each district is treated as a character — with its own rhythm, contradictions, and charm. From the faded grandeur of Moda’s seaside apartments to the chaotic poetry of Tarlabaşı’s steep, narrow streets, we explore places not to rate them, but to reveal them.

Local life, unfiltered

How people move, eat, argue, rest. The unhurried morning on the ferry, the clink of tea glasses, the unspoken etiquette of the weekly bazaar. We capture the city’s habits and atmospheres — those fleeting, everyday moments no guidebook thinks to mention.

Cultural selections, not calendars

We highlight exhibitions, concerts, forgotten cinemas, and underground venues. Not because they’re trending, but because they matter to the city’s pulse. Istanbul’s cultural life is vast, messy, and often invisible — we try to make it legible without flattening it.

Practical resources, minus the jargon

For those who want to linger beyond a weekend — or even settle in. Visa pathways explained clearly, housing insights from the ground, transport hacks that make the city smaller, language tips that open doors. No affiliate links. No sponsored gloss. Just clarity.

📌 Why This Site Exists

Because Istanbul is constantly misrepresented — reduced to a skyline, a bazaar, a postcard cliché. Because most platforms are designed to sell, not to tell. Because the city deserves better.

Residence Istanbul was born out of frustration — and a desire to create something slower, more thoughtful, more truthful. A place for curiosity to stretch its legs.

We believe cities are ecosystems, not commodities. We believe writing should respect complexity. We believe in Istanbul — in all its noise, its silences, its stubborn beauty.