The International Schools Review Forum

Anyone been to Istanbul ?

Is the lifestyle there nice ?
What is the cost of living like ?
I have read nothing but good things about this place.....

It's great! Wonderful city, tons to do and easy access to various
places for travel. It's nice to get away from sometimes, but the city itself is
not too overwhelming. Cost of living is not as high as the rest of Europe, but it is getting more expensive. If you don't eat out all the time and the school has a good benefits package (I.e. Covers your entire rent, etc.) you can save.

Once you move to paradise, it can no longer be your paradise. Like anywhere, it depends on what you make of it. Istanbul is truly one of the greatest cities in the world. Location, climate, history, food, people, travel opportunities, and cost of living, are just some of the highlights. I would move to Turkey in a heart beat. The only problem is that it's really hard to find a good school to work at. Roberts College seems to be the top choice. Koc sounds doable, but not great.

Let us know if you are entertaining a job offer.

Based on my research and speaking with a number of people who have lived in Istanbul recently, I made a decision to accept a job offer there. While the package is not the best around, the staff seemed quite easy to get along with and the PD as well as the offer of housing and a few other perks led me to a final decision. I think Roberts College is extremely difficult to get into. They have limitations on any social science teachers (of which I am one) - must be a native speaker of Turkish. What school are you considering?

Good to know that Istanbul is a nice place to live at.

You can email me at:

oasistribe@gmail.com

and
I can tell you more about the school.

Does anyone know if Istanbul has very cold winters ?

Also, what is a good salary ?
My housing and flights and medical would be covered as well.

Winters are generally mild, they feel more like late fall in the USA. It almost never freezes, being so close to the coast insulates them from extreme temperature conditions.

The good salary question is a trick question. Istanbul is a deceptively expensive city, and none of the school offer a truly great salary.

[quote="missy"]Does anyone know if Istanbul has very cold winters ?
.[/quote]

I guess this is all going to depend on what you call cold.
I went there on holiday in October and found it pretty cool. They do get snow in winter so I guess that's cold.

Fall is pleasant and can last well into December. It's your typical Mediterranean winter..doesn't usually dip below zero, but it's damp so often feels colder than it really is. You will use your heating from December into March and it's expensive. It does snow, but usually winter consists of a lot of rain, so bring good wet weather gear as well as at least one warmer coat.

Again, depending how you spend you can save, but Istanbul is such a fun city to go out in you'll find it quite easy to spend! Although schools usually pay housing, utilities will probably be on you. Travel within Turkey is very affordable, but I'd say Istanbul is the most expensive place in the country, so you'll be spending most of your money day to day. If you have no debts or
mortgages back home you will be just fine.