Fear not fellow summer lovers! Yes, September approaches and all your expat teacher friends are bemoaning the end of their two-month-long vacations, but the Istanbul heat is anything but dissipating. With temperatures just below 30 C predicted to continue over the next two weeks, you’ve still got time to fit in a few more of those crazy, hazy summer day plans you were dreaming of back in January. Too hot to think? No sweat! (Well, probably there will be sweat). Our contributors here at Yabangee got together to share some of the best parts of an Istanbul summer. Happy last-minute summering!
- B.Y.O.B. Bosporus boat parties. That’s one unforgettable booze cruise
- A night on one of the Princes’ Islands, preferably at a friend’s summer house (i.e., mansion)
- Stargazing, over wine on a blanket outside the city or at brunch on the streets of Bebek
- Tracking down your favorite comfort food (Fish n’ chips? Mac n’ cheese? Green eggs n’ ham?)
- Camping, be that urban camping in Moda or amongst the trees at Burgazada
- Picnic in the park, or along the rocks at Kadıköy sahil
- Track down a rooftop rembetika performance in Fener/Balat
- Brushing up on your Turkish while meeting your manavcı’s kids
- Carry on the chanting and cheering from an outdoor concert to a bar for a football match
- Rubbing elbows with Istanbul elite over a nice cold one
- Getting to first-name basis with your neighborhood börekçi
- Volunteering at a conservation or community center
- Get political, show some pride: protest or parade
- Perfecting your bargain: No emlak fee for a little English-language help? Sold!
- Taking advantage of those sweet summer deals and escaping the city
