Table of Contents
The Main Living Centers of Istanbul: Kadikoy
Kadikoy is one of the main living centers of Istanbul, not only in the residential aspect but also in the commercial and social aspects too. It would not be an exaggeration to define Kadikoy as the center of the European lifestyle in Anatolia.
Related Article: Central Business District in Istanbul.
Kadikoy For Transportation
Taking place in the heart of the Marmara Sea, Kadikoy is a hub for all sorts of transportation services, both private and public. Direct connection to E-5 or D-100 highways enables direct access to every section of the city of Istanbul, as well as inter-urban transportation.
Major piers connect the district to Europe, not only from the center of the town but also from Bostanci, which is the edge of the district. Above-ground public transportation is provided by not only traditional busses, but also private mini-busses, taxi-busses, railroads, and Metrobuses, which is the one-of-a-kind public transport method for Istanbul. An underground metro line connects the towns of the district from one to another, as well as to other districts such as; Maltepe and Kartal. Metro lines in the pipeline are also connecting Kadikoy to almost all districts in the Anatolian side of Istanbul.
This feature of Istanbul as a hub for transportation has made it a point of attraction for inhabitancy for the white-collar people living in Istanbul, and especially university students. Therefore, a social environment has also developed to satisfy the needs of these people. Over the years, Kadikoy has been a haven of pubs and restaurants within its center of the district, as well as hobby shops and various other retail shops.
Kadikoy: Connecting People
Kadikoy has a unique nature of creating a habitat of connecting a variety of people under one district, sharing a lifestyle with many different budgets. An apartment in the center of the district may cost ₺2,000/month, but another apartment in Bagdat Street, which is also the second most high-end street shopping retail center, may cost 5 or 10 times more of this amount, but sharing more or less the same modern and secular philosophy of life.
Taking advantage of its location next to the beautiful Marmara Sea, the people of Kadikoy have revived another form of socialization: picnics! People go out with their portable chairs and pick up their own food and beverages all the way from Moda, which is close to the district’s center, to Bostanci, the district’s end, but especially in Caddebostan, where there is a supermarket right beside the coast, and enjoy the sunny days of Kadikoy. Thanks to the understanding of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, many toilets are at the service of the public in this district as well with high-end hygiene standards. Since Kadikoy is one of the main living centers of Istanbul, the municipality of Istanbul takes care of this district quite well.
Ignoring the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kadikoy has developed a social environment for all tastes. Blues bars, rock bars, nightclubs, and pubs are combining night to day and theatres, not only governmental, but private theatres are serving people with classical and modern productions. The closing of “Rexx Cinema Hall” due to pandemic conditions will remain as a bleeding scar in the hearts of all Kadikoy lovers.
Kadikoy As a District of Sailors
Hosting the vast majority of boats in Istanbul in its docks along the Marmara Sea has attracted the sailing industry, and therefore, sailors to Kadikoy. A variety of boats from 5 meters to 50 meters are anchored all around Kadikoy, which has been followed by high-end restaurants and such leisure units. Kadikoy also has a unique natural wind structure which made it the host of the city’s most enhanced sailor’s club.
Kadikoy: a District Giving Respect to Bicycle Riders
Kadikoy hosts more than half of Istanbul’s bicycle roads parallel to the Marmara Sea. Benefiting from its low activities state as well, the district is probably the most bicycle-friendly district of Istanbul. This feature of the district has also attracted bicycle shops and repair shops to itself, therefore a bicycle rider can find his or her needs at a walking distance to his or her home, with some exceptions only.
Kadikoy: a Part of the Central Business District of Istanbul
Traditionally, the private sector has always grown in the European side of Istanbul, most probably because the historical semi-island, Beyoglu, and villas of Levent are located there. On the other hand, Istanbul has two hearts beating, and it was inevitable for the private sector to develop a central business district in the Anatolian side as well, which could be nowhere else than Kadikoy, because of its accessibility.
The central neighborhoods of Kadikoy have been developed well in advance, and therefore have no space for major office buildings. On the other hand, regions of Kadikoy facing the E-5 or D-100 highways such as; Goztepe and Kozyatagi have been recognized as the central business district in the Anatolian side of Istanbul, and are still hosting the major office buildings. Because those regions also hold residential habitancy, it is safe to say that those are mix-use areas. Kadikoy’s habitancy has developed around the residents’ life and business has reached the district afterward, because of its easy accessibility.
As well as buildings transformed from residential use to offices, modern office buildings have begun to rise through Kadikoy’s sky since the mid-’90s. Kozyatagi has been the prime center for these developments with an international major fast-moving consumer goods company’s headquarters moved into the district along with a major hypermarket opening just beside it, the first time in Turkey. These investments and corporate decisions have attracted the private sector’s attention to the district.
Actually, Kozyatagi has been a summer resort of the wealthy class of Istanbul in history. But as the city has risen to a population of 16 million over the years, it was an inevitable measure to transform this neighborhood into public housing. With demand from white-collar people for housing in Kozyatagi, and therefore Kadikoy, and its proximity to E-5 or D-100 highway and industrial regions such as; Gebze and Izmit, the private sector did not miss the chance to develop high-end office buildings.
Living in Istanbul can be a headache because of the many complaints to be made. Lastly, it’s good to mention that Kadikoy is one of the main living centers of Istanbul. Nevertheless, Kadikoy always promises a room to breathe for all who feel suffocated from the city’s chaos. Too bored with the city? Come on and have a nice breath at the coast of Kadikoy.
