For Tuncel Toprak, the owner of the Witt Istanbul hotel, location was never an afterthought. He fell in love with the bohemian residential neighborhood of Cihangir because it was close in proximity to tourist hotspots like Taksim Square and the Old City, yet in other ways it was a world apart.

“I got the feeling that people were saying hi to each other. And I said, ‘Okay, this is nice,’ says Toprak. “When you go to the cafes, they are always full. You see people working on scripts, actors discussing new projects. It’s very vibrant; even if it’s 11pm, you can see the neighborhood’s alive. But it’s not alive with people you don’t know, who come from somewhere else. If you’re here for three days, you will see the same faces.”

Because of his love for Cihangir, Toprak makes it a priority to introduce guests to the area and recommend the places he frequents himself.