Kadikoy and Moda

Kadikoy is where many visitors realize that Istanbul is not just a museum city, and it is the easiest way to set foot in Asia. The neighborhood stands on the site of ancient Chalcedon, older than Byzantium itself, but today it is young, local and full of energy, with a population of students, artists and families and almost no tour groups. The ferry ride over from Eminonu, Karakoy or Besiktas takes about twenty minutes and delivers one of the best views in the city for the price of a transit fare. Step off the boat and walk straight into the carsi, the market streets around Guneslibahce Sokak, where stalls of glistening fish, olives, cheeses, spices, pickles in jewel colors and Turkish delight crowd the lanes, and where some of the best simple restaurants in the city serve regional Anatolian cooking to queues of locals. Beyond the market, the streets around Kadife Sokak, known as Bar Street, fill at night with bars and live music, while Bahariye Caddesi, marked by the famous bronze bull statue, is the pedestrian shopping street with an opera house and old cinemas. Then walk south into Moda, a residential district of Belle Epoque apartment blocks, antique shops, ice cream parlors and third-wave coffee, which ends in a green headland and seafront park. At sunset Moda's waterfront fills with families, couples and dog walkers, sitting on the rocks and in tea gardens to watch the sun drop behind the domes and minarets of the old city across the water.

How to do it: take a ferry from Eminonu or Karakoy to Kadikoy in the late afternoon, sit on the outside deck on the right-hand side for the view of the Topkapi point and the Maiden's Tower, and give yourself a couple of hours to graze through the market. Many stalls hand out samples; buy a bag of dried fruit or a jar of honey to take home. Then walk ten minutes south along the shore or through the streets to Moda for sunset, and come back to the market area for dinner in a meyhane, where the evening runs on meze, grilled fish and raki. Ferries run late, so getting back to the European side is easy.

What to eat: this is the best neighborhood in Istanbul for foodies on a budget. Look for fish sandwiches and midye dolma, mussels stuffed with spiced rice, from street vendors; for kokorec and Anatolian specialties in the market lokantas; for baklava and Turkish delight from long-established confectioners; and for strong Turkish coffee from the roasters whose aroma fills the market streets. The pickle shops pour cups of sour pickle juice, an acquired taste worth trying once. Many visitors join a guided food tour here, but wandering with an appetite works just as well.

Things to know: Kadikoy is lively until late, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, and the bar streets can be loud and crowded. Some restaurants in the market close in the evening, so lunch and late afternoon are best for the stalls. The neighborhood is relaxed and liberal, and dress codes are the same as on the European side. If you want to stay longer, Kadikoy has a growing number of small hotels, and it makes a good base for the Princes' Islands ferries, which leave from its pier, and for exploring Uskudar and the Maiden's Tower to the north.