In the British travel guide Time Out, among the world's coolest list of 50 districts, Kadiköy is the 43rd. On this occasion, we prepared a guide for those who will visit Kadıköy.
Some refer to Kadıköy as a district, some as a neighborhood, some as a town… Now, it’s the “cool district” since it ranks 43rd among the 50 coolest districts of the world in Time Out travel guide. To determine the “cool districts”, the staff of the guide asked the Time Out editors and conducted a survey with 15 thousand participants. The list includes “the cool places where people can hang out like locals”.
People used to say “I’m going to İstanbul” while they were going to the Asian side in İstanbul as if the Asian side wasn’t a part of the city! It might have been different in the past but now Kadıköy is a totally different world in İstanbul.
Kadıköy deserves to be explored all over with its comic stores to bookstores, vegan cafés to cooperative markets, cinema halls to galleries, cultural centers, fruit-vegetable markets and its bazaar where you can’t just get enough. Kadıköy spirit deserves to be spread and set as an example to the other districts. It makes a difference and it’s nice to see the same examples in the other districts in İstanbul as well. As Time Out highlights “You’ll feel like a local”, so we prepared a guide to help you take your time, go with the flow and understand the vibe in Kadıköy. We don’t want you to feel rushed out to find “the best” place and moment to put on Instagram.
Nowadays, those who are in their 30s and who spend their high school years in İstanbul know well. Kadikoy was like a cultural center for those living far away from Beyoğlu. Now it's still like this and maybe much more. First of all, it is quite rich in terms of cinema. In addition to Rexx Movie Theater, Kadıköy Movie Theater, Moda Sahnesi Movie Theater, Yeldeğirmeni Sanat attracts attention with their off-season film screenings. Furthermore, Karikatür Evi (Comics House) inaugurated by Kadıköy Municipality, Barış Manço Cultural Center, and Caddebostan Cultural Center keep the cultural life alive through constant activities. Haldun Taner Museum House, Istanbul Toy Museum and Barış Manço House are also waiting their visitors.
You should also see KargART and Bant Mag; the exhibition places like Havuz, Tasarım Bakkalı (The Convenient Store of Designs) in Yeldeğirmeni –it’s one of the most unique exhibition places there, and Açık Alan. Süreyya Opera House offers classical music concerts, operas and ballets to the audience during most of the year. It offers art also to the young visitors.
Çiya Sofrası, a restaurant you can still find something interesting in its menu changing seasonly; Baylan Pastanesi, a pattiserie with its classical tastes; Beyaz Fırın, a café you can feel at home while having breakfast; Koço, a tavern you can find anything you like and street food stands are the main dining spots in Kadıköy. There are of course more delicious alternatives: Café Mu with its matcha tea and poğaça (baking powder biscuit stuffed with fillings) in Yeldeğirmeni, Mr. Dumpling Kadıköy with its vegan mantı (dumplings) and other various mantıs, Tonton Efendi with its homemade food, and Yer ve Bina where everybody can find something for themselves if you’re a large group.
One of the indispensable places for the residents and those who come to Kadıköy for shopping is for sure Kadıköy Bazaar. The greengrocers, herbalists, delicatessens and fishmongers make your shopping really delightful. There, you can enjoy yourself while buying all those delicious food by having small talks rather than waiting in a queue in a random grocery store. Actually, you know what? You should see the place on Tuesday. On Tuesdays, there is an open-air cooperative market. The İstanbul’s branch of Ovacık Natural Products brings the local costumers and local producers from Ovacık together. It’s in Merdivenköy Mahallesi, Ressam Salih Ermez Caddesi, Lütfiye Sokak. Kadıköy Cooperative is the leader of such a culture and you can find it in Caferağa Hacı Ahmet Bey Sokak. It brings the costumers and the products from all around Anatolia together.
Kadıköy has become more central for nightlife especially after Taksim’s recent transformation. The costumer crowd in Ayı Bar and Zeplin is the reflection of the long-lasting culture of Kadife Sokağı, aka “The Bar Street”. The constant concerts and the lasting bar culture make a district that never sleeps. You should take a look at the list of jazz concerts in The Badau in Yerdeğirmeni and the programme of Kadıköy Sahne before making any weekend plans.
