In this issue

After living two years in Caferağa, almost one year in Çiftehavuzlar, and several months in Bostancı, I like to believe that I have lived in Kadıköy long enough to call myself a local. Even though it’s been almost three years since I moved back to the European side to be closer to work, Kadıköy is often where my mind goes when thinking of the best times I spent in this city.

Those memories often feature a mixture of people coming together in the right places at the right time, making one feel part of a big community. This is the aim of our Ultimate Guide—to look at Kadıköy through the eyes of locals, whose experiences go beyond the usual where-to-go-and-what-to-do lists, including moments of joy, as well as the daily frustrations. Because you can’t understand the mind of a local if you never missed the ferry home by one minute, or waited hours for a yellow dolmuş on a Fenerbahçe match night.

Despite undergoing constant changes, just like any other part of the city, I like to think that Kadıköy is one of several hearts of Istanbul that reflect its old spirit. However, when you ask third or fourth generation locals how they remember the place, they will always say “eskisi gibi değil…”

The Guide Istanbul Magazine Description:

The Guide Istanbul, founded in November 1991 and published bimonthly by Apa Uniprint, is an essential guide to the city, offering candid recommendations and expert advice on restaurants and cafés, nightlife, the arts and entertainment scene, as well as design, fashion, touristic sites, and undiscovered places. We are a publication based on the principles of unwavering honesty and an insistence upon quality. Our goal is to simplify choices and make life easier for travelers as well as locals by providing information on select venues and events. All of our writers are locally based and offer insider advice on what to see and do in the city.

The official website of The Guide Istanbul magazine, theguideistanbul.com is a sharp, sophisticated, and trustworthy filter for the city’s happenings, and offers comprehensive listings of restaurants, bars, hotels, and more. The locally sourced information is written and edited by experienced writers who are in the know and dedicated to offering their wisdom impartially. We value quality over quantity and we are selective when it comes to our recommendations: we scour all the corners of Istanbul with a critical eye and recommend only what we rate positively amongst ourselves. The first of its kind, theguideistanbul.com aims to enrich your Istanbul experience and share its wealth of information to bring you the true essence of Istanbul and those gems that might otherwise get overlooked.