The little boutiques around Galata include a lot of great vintage shops — you just have to go there and walk around. In Kurucesme, there is a fantastic home design store called Nicol (above; Kurucesme Caddesi 65; 011-90-212-265-4000;nicol.com.tr.), where I just got some amazing handmade vases by a South African artist. As for the famous Grand Bazaar, you need to spend the day there and preferably go on a Monday morning, the only really empty time. Courtesy of Nicol
In the summer, the place to go is Anjelique (above; Salhane Sokak 5; 011-90-212-327-2844; anjelique.com.tr), a nightclub right on the Bosporus. It’s a hip crowd with great D.J.’s playing house music. I like to eat sushi at Zuma next door, have a taste of clubbing at Anjelique, then go home. In the winter the bar at Ulus 29, on a hilltop overlooking the Bosporus, is fantastically cozy (Yol Sokak 1; 011-90-212-358-2929; group-29.com). Ali Bekman/courtesy of Autoban
Simone Falcetta
The designer Umit Benan Sahin, 31, has caught the attention of the fashion world with his namesake men’s-wear collection and his designs for the venerable Italian brand Trussardi. He works in Milan, but he replenishes his creative energy in his hometown of Istanbul. Here, he describes a few of his favorite spots in the city by the Bosporus.
