Timing today has been way off. We could be getting over jet lag. Our afternoon siesta extended to 10:30. We went out for dinner at 11pm. In the US most restaurants close at 10, not so in Beyoglu. Barkers were still hawking tables, walking minstrels were playing the crowd, and the clubs were in full swing with music blaring in the near distance. After dinner we walked the main drag with hundreds (thousands?) of others. Some of the shops had eager customers. We saw groups of people carrying bags of clothing they had just purchased. The roasted chestnut and corn vendors were doing a brisk business. Sweets shops were the busiest selling baklava by the spatula full. Ellen did not have a jacket which forced us to head home. There are so many side streets here, it is impossible to explore them all.
Many of the side-street restaurants cater to specific countries. Russian seemed to predominate. Some of the street hawkers were more aggressive than others; I would not chose to eat at a place that needed that level of “advertisement”. We looked for an open air restaurant catering to local folks and found such a place that was less busy this late and had groups of clearly Turkish friends.
We ate at Lipsos, one of a hundred restaurants in the alleys of Beyoglu. We had a tame unhurried Turkish meal of roasted eggplant in tzaziki; spinach with olive oil and mint; and meat balls with rice, roasted tomato and fries. It was quite good though the flavor was subdued.
The difference between life in this part of Istanbul and life in Trastevere is striking. There is a joy in the artful blending of flavors and nuanced living. Beyoglu is less about enjoying life and more about living, perhaps surviving. It is the energy of the crowds, unlimited shopping with deep discounts if you barter, and very low cost of living that draws people to Istanbul. That is my take on the metropolis today. It could change tomorrow.
Most buildings are four stories high. More than a few of them are burned out hulks. The cement exterior standing with the interior gutted with no hope of renovation. The owner clearly either had no insurance or used it elsewhere. In any case there are a number of abandoned skeletons standing shoulder-to-shoulder with well lit and well maintained buildings and hotels. Beyoglu is a Hodge podgy of pride of ownership and slum level housing (seen from the outside). I imagine the apartment buildings are similarly mixed between families who maintain and upgrade their quality of life and those who struggle to simply stay alive.
I’ll not yet judge Istanbul based on one day’s exploration. It is a fun city, bustling, and inexpensive. Still the rank contrasts you see wherever you go are hard to see past.
R