Selim Bilgen
Prep H 1518
Article 2
Travel Guide for Dorm Students

If you are not from Izmir and planning to come to ACI you are going to be a dorm student. In this Article I am going to tell you everything you should know about Izmir. Izmir is called “Aegean’s Pearl” and it is the most live-able city in Turkey. İzmir is a modern, developed, and a busy city set around a huge bay and surrounded by mountains and hills. Izmir has an culture of Mediterranean Europe than traditional Turkey. If you are coming from a cold city you may be surprised with the weather, in summers the weather is dry and sunny unless there is an air condition in your room you will become sticky because of the sweat. But in winters temperature can drop down to freezing point in mostly windy and rainy winters.
There are not many touristic attractions but since you are not a tourist there are many places you can go. People in Izmir love to walk, you can explore the city by walking. Kordon is one of the most crowded location in Izmir, you can sit in the grasses or you can go to cafe’s in Kordon. Another place is called “Gul Sokak” Gul Sokak is my favorite place. There are many restaurants for many tastes and budgets. You can go to Bostanli or Karsiyaka with the ferry. There are many cafe’s in Bostanli too. I don’t like the shopping malls but if you like them there are many of them. Konak Pier and Agora are the ones which are near to ACI, newest is called “Mavibahce” and it is in Mavisehir where you can go by ferry. In hot weekend days you can go to Cesme and enjoy the water in there. There are a lot of beach clubs and restaurants in Cesme.
Izmir is a safe city for its size, however it does have some dangerous areas. Populated suburbs are generally safe during the day. In the night some streets which don’t have street lamps might be dangerous. If it is possible don’t go to Kadifekale, where is the most dangerous place in Izmir. After a year in Izmir you will understand why it is called the most live-able city in Turkey.