Bagdat Avenue, Bostanci, and Caddebostan
Local life in Istanbul
Let’s get back to local life a little bit! As Istanbulians, we don’t spend every minute around the tourist attractions, of course. And, we also like to chill, walk, and enjoy the fresh Marmara Sea air with the Prince’s Islands view. The statement above is not about Bagdat (Baghdad) Avenue. Since these regions have a connection with this street, we can’t think about a post with this fantastic avenue. Basically, Bagdat Street is very long and one-way traffic and also parallel to the Marmara sea.
The Anatolian side of Istanbul is more exposed to local life. And, the coast is connected and pretty long. We will stop at Maltepe since you will lose the connection with the city if you go beyond it. And, we are not a fan of Kartal and Pendik since we also find them a little bit chaotic.
Even the topic covers both Bostanci and Caddebostan themselves, it is also not bad to spend time at Maltepe especially around Kucukyali and Idealtepe coasts. The coast and green area serves you a great condition to chill, walk, run, and bike. But, what we don’t like is families’ brazier culture in Maltepe in the summertime which makes weather not fresh because of charcoal.
Good to know info
Bostanci, Suadiye, and Caddebostan districts are all neighbors. They all own a portion of Bagdat Avenue. These districts all have coasts, but we will not use Suadiye a lot in this post. However, don’t be surprised if someone says something about the Suadiye coast. In summary, all these are almost inseparable.
Bostanci and Caddebostan coasts
Let’s get back to business. Bostanci & Caddebostan coasts are also connected with Kadikoy and Moda and this means that you can also consider a connected trip and feel the youth deeply if you are looking for this.
The list below can be expanded, but what you can do:
- If you don’t have a bike, you can rent one of them from Isbike stations and start biking. It is getting harder to find a good bicycle and using a common one is a little bit risky due to the current environment we have, but this is an option. If you have a bike, you can feel more flexible.
- You can rent a scooter (e.g. Marti)- a Turkish version of Bird. Again, the same thoughts like bicycles…
- If you have portable chairs, you can sit here and smell the fresh air. If you don’t have any, it is also good to sit on the grass. We generally have our breakfasts with a simit (Turkish bagel or ring-shaped bread covered with sesame seeds)-cheese combination or a simple sandwich. We sometimes enlarge it and enjoy a typical Turkish breakfast.
- You can walk or run.
- You can sit at Beltur cafes on the coast. Not specifically designed for a meal, but you can drink delicious Turkish tea or Turkish coffee here. And, we really like almond cookies 🙂
You may see a lot of people swim in the summertime, but this is not a good idea. Unfortunately, the sea is not clean enough. But in the old times, it was common to swim here.
Bagdat Avenue
OK, what about Bagdat Street? This street is very long and the shops start right after Bostanci pier. It is simply a great area for shopping. There are famous brands here and you can almost find whatever you prefer.
History of Bagdat Avenue
Nowadays, the avenue is still very popular on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. It still reflects the luxurious face of Turkey and Istanbul. Around the avenue, the rents are still very high and costly.
Going back to the Ottoman period, the road had been named Bagdat after the recapture of Baghdad located in Iraq during the Sultan IV Murad in 1638 [1]. And then, you know the city expanded and then the avenue was covered by asphalt during the Turkish Republic and the residences have been built.
Bagdat Avenue is the castle of Fenerbahce fans which is one of the most popular clubs of sports in Turkey. The fans always celebrate big achievements on this avenue. So, you may want to be far away from the avenue during these big events 🙂 If you want to feel this crazy atmosphere, you are more than welcome!
Where to eat around Bagdat Avenue?
Moreover, the street has also famous restaurants. Here is the list where we mostly eat.
- Midpoint: This is on the main street. Even it is a chain, and it is super clean. It serves good meals including pizza, pasta, meat, fish (salmon), and more.
- Verdura: It was Vapiano, but replaced its name with Verdura. We were happier with the old one, however, still think that this is good enough. This is an Italian restaurant, but remember this is self-service. It may be hard to handle due to being crowded, but this is still a good option.
- Kizilkayalar: The restaurant that is impossible to see without a queue at the entrance. Kizilkayalar could be one of the best restaurants making a steamed burger. If you like it, don’t miss to visit Kizilkayalar.
As the cafes, we mostly prefer these ones below.
- Mado: This is another chain and serving good desserts and delicious Turkish coffee.
- Godiva: You know Godiva is a chocolate brand and they have a good cafe on the avenue.
- Divan Patisserie Erenkoy: Divan is a big chain and dedicated to serving the best service. We like their Turkish coffee and Turkish tea.
- Pelit: Pelit is a famous brand and its quality is always good.
Except for these ones, we can say that there are tens of good restaurants and cafes especially on the small streets around the avenue. It is always good to explore.
Where to drink around Bagdat Avenue?
We will not recommend a specific pub or a tavern (meyhane in Turkish), but Caddebostan pub street is a good street and lively throughout the year which is close to Migros.
Where to shop around Bagdat Avenue?
Depends on what you are looking for… You know, this avenue is famous for shopping.
If you are looking for a good clothing brand, H&M, Zara, Marks&Spencer, Boyner, Mango, Beymen, Vakko, Louis Vitton and Chanel have big stores. But, this list a huge one, so it is almost impossible to write every single good store.
There are good jewelry and make-up stores on the street. They are both large and small. The street is a favorite of Turkish young ladies about to be married and have good wedding stores. Pronovias and Vakko Wedding could be one of the best here.
If we want to talk about glassware, Pasabahce has a good store here and you know there are good designs.
And, the street does not forget kids. There is a Toyz Shop on the avenue selling good products.
More Info
Weather
You can find out the general Istanbul weather trend throughout the year in this post. The idea is the same. The timing during visiting the coast is important. We are sure that you don’t want to spend a heavy rain just beside the coast without any cover.
Caddebostan vs Moda
Yes, here is one of the comparisons that we are struggling to answer like Dolmabahce Palace vs. Topkapi Palace. Even we like them both, but our opinion is that Moda is one step ahead due to being closer to Kadikoy. They are also very similar; restaurants, cafes are cool. You can find many good ones in both. Caddebostan is close to top Bagdat Street shops and for shopping, choosing Caddebostan makes more sense if you must choose one.
Bookstores
There are good bookstores on the Bagdat Street. D&R, Penguen, Gergedan, Nezih and Remzi are the shops we like.
How to go?
Using public transportation was not really feasible before. But, especially after the Marmaray extension on the Anatolian side, you can easily come here. Even if you are on the European side (e.g. Taksim), you can focus on moving to Marmaray. Suadiye station is the one you can target.
Other than this, of course going there by taxi is an option.
Conclusion
It was fun to write something about where we usually spend a good time. The coasts are very good for walking, running and biking. Moreover, you can sit on the grass and enjoy your coffee, tea, and breakfast.
Bagdat Street is one of the best shopping spots in Istanbul. There are popular brands in the street and you can find whatever you want.
In summary, you will not regret visiting these districts if you are looking more about local life.
References
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