Invest in Property | Istanbul Sisli | City Guide
LOCATION
Şişli is one of the few Istanbul districts that has no actual coast of its own. This is because it is neighboured by Beyoğlu to the south, Beşiktaş to the east, and Kağıthane to the north and west. All these districts have their own coastlines and it takes no more than 10 minutes to reach any one of these famous coasts. Better yet, due to the natural elevation of Şişli coupling with the generally tall buildings that it is known far, it has some of the best spots for views of Istanbul that we are accustomed to from postal cards. Since Şişli is quite literally in the middle of Istanbul it has easy access to anywhere in the city thanks to its many hubs. The Metrobus which goes from the Eastern end of the city to the Western one has its main hub in Şişli. There are numerous metro stations all around, and one of the city’s main roads that end up going into the Anatolian side via the bridge can be found dividing Şişli in two. Therefore, it only takes about an hour to reach both of the city’s airports and practically anywhere else that you may want to go in Istanbul.
NEIGHBOURHOOD DESCRIPTION
Şişli is a very well-established business centre in Istanbul. Since it was mostly greenery just a century ago its evolution could be planned properly beforehand, a luxury older districts of Istanbul cannot have, so its role as the leading financial heart of the city was decided upon decades ago. Its infrastructure and many skyscrapers were built up to the task. Majority of its actual housing areas can be found to the south of it whereas the northern parts (alongside the E-5) are mostly reserved for malls, offices, skyscrapers that are headquarters to many local and international companies, shops, and even some light industry. The district is also known for attracting especially Asian and Arabian expats, which is becoming more and more apparent every single day by the booming Korean, Chinese, Lebanese, Arabian etc. eateries that dot the landscape of Şişli these days. Ultimately, Şişli offers a mix of business-heavy culture with some budding multicultural living quarters spread around.
Şişli is a lesser known pearl of a neighbourhood in the middle of Istanbul. It was a latecomer to the Istanbul’s growing neighbourhoods, away from the majority of widely known main attractions which allowed Şişli to develop its own image in such a short time. Today Şişli is known as the financial and corporate centre of Istanbul and thousands of people from all over the city make the commute to Şişli every day to work in one of its numerous shiny skyscrapers or ever-growing shopping malls. Şişli was just a hunting ground for the rich about a century ago but today it has become central to almost all business efforts. Şişli is where the majority of business enterprises are located, old and new, and will only continue to contribute even more to Turkish economy in the coming years. In a way, it continues to be a hunting ground today; a hunting ground for valuable employers and employees of all sorts.
Even those that do not have house in Şişli often ends up “living” there. Thousands of people every day make the commute from their own houses all around Istanbul to one of the many workplaces in Şişli and spend most of their time here. Since it is a business centre, the actual population of the districts is significantly higher than the one you can find in the ledgers during the daytime. Thanks to the up and coming vibrant nightlife some parts of it offer, the night time population of the district is also on the rise. Actual denizens of the districts mostly live on the southern part of it as the northern part is dominated by offices of all sorts. In the south, the ones living closer to the centre or to Kağıthane are often middle-income families at the high end of the scale whereas those that call the southern tip of Şişli their home are often what some may consider the true elites of Istanbul society. You can find more about the local regions of Şişli further down in this guide. Overall, the people that live in Şişli are considered to have the best socio-economic ranking in the entire city, which should tell something about the quality of Şişli’s denizens.
Because why would anyone live anywhere else in Istanbul. Seriously, Şişli offers everything one can possible demand in their neighbourhood. From world-renowned companies offering their best jobs and services next door to extremely huge shopping malls and entertainment centres that can accommodate all your wishes, there is nothing missing in Şişli. No matter whether you want to live here, set up a shop here, open your own company, or work in a good one, Şişli has something in store for you.
Main Attraction Points & Neighbourhoods
There are many points of interests in Şişli but the ones that we have listed below are most advantageous for foreigners looking to buy a house in the district and should be your priority.
Teşvikiye is one of the quaintest districts you can find in not only Şişli but also Istanbul. You are not going to believe that you are living in the centre of Istanbul when you meet the denizens of Teşvikiye in all its artisanal cafes and exotic restaurants.
Harbiye is what connects Şişli with Beyoğlu’s most known district, Taksim Square. Here you can find many museums, including the Military Museum that gives the place its name, as well as numerous bookshops and a growing Chinese influence all around.
Nisantasi is what some consider as the epitome of Turkish modern elite lifestyle. It offers hip cafes, cool restaurants, unique markets, luxurious hotels, and all the other things a person of status can expect to see in an extremely rich area of the city.
Bomonti is the up and coming entertainment centre of Istanbul. It is named after the Bomonti factory there that produces beer and the nightlife game of the district is becoming more and more famous every single day.
Şişli offers some of the best housing opportunities in the entire Istanbul. There you can find high-end condos, luxurious flats, literal villas in the middle of the megalopolis, suites with a view of all Istanbul from their terraces. Alternatively, Şişli offers something for everyone with much cheaper flats to be had on its outer rim, as well as a lot of new condominium projects that aim to provide affordable high-quality housing near the centre of the town. If living in Şişli is not enough of a return for you, you should know that the real estate you buy here will also become very profitable extremely soon. Without even living in Şişli, this place can make you very happy. Real estate prices are higher than the average of Istanbul but the increase in the prices of the said houses is also higher, meaning better results in shorter times. In about 20 years’ time you should get your full initial investment in a house by simply renting it. An average 100 metre square house costs around 550.000 TL, but that is just for now since the district’s real estate market is simply skyrocketing in its value. Housing went up in price by 1.5% in the last month, 11% in the last 3 years and a whopping 65% in the last 5 years. This should show how fast can the value of a house in the region can increase, and that it is a continuous process. In fact, the area has not seen any loss in value in the last 10 years. Ultimately, if you intend to buy a house to live in Istanbul and wish to call it home from within your heart, Sisli is the place to go. Alternatively if you are interested in investing in Istanbul, Sisli is the go-to district as a safe bet that will get you a lot of money, in a short time, for sure.
