While it may seem that everyone is on vacation enjoying the spectacular sea and sights that Turkey has to offer down south and otherwise, there is still an active resident expat community in Istanbul that continues to gather to do good for the world and just have a great time meeting others.
Whether you want to get outdoors and enjoy nature or just relax in cozy spaces, there is something for every type of expat this month; so get out there, do good and have some fun!
Midsummer Quiz closes the month
The Irish Pub James Joyce has long been a favorite hangout among the expat community in Istanbul, with lots of space, live music and now a great gastropub menu spearheaded by a fellow expat, who also runs Trivia Nights in English. To close out the month of July, there will be a Midsummer Quiz on Wednesday, July 31 starting at 8 p.m., which is a great way to relax and laugh while meeting and challenging others.
Tidy Turkey's Moda Sundowner Cleanup
Tidy Turkey, Türkiye'yi Temizle in Turkish, is a community of environment-minded expats and local people that which holds cleanups in which people gather to pick up litter from places of significance in Istanbul and beyond. Started by Lucy Tooze, an Australian expat who also runs a blog of the same name in which each event is photographed and reviewed, Tidy Turkey meets regularly in locations such as the Princes Islands and Şile to hold cleanups and then celebrates their success with socializing.
For the Moda Sundowner Cleanup, participants will be meeting at the Kadıköy Şehir Hatları ferry terminal in Kadıköy at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug, 16, after which they will head to the Moda shore to clean the area together.
Thai master class and Malaysian dinner
There is a wonderful gourmet pop-up dinner series run by Kay, a Singaporean-Dutch former restaurateur and expat, by the name of Pop-Up Dinners Istanbul. For years now, Kay's popular dinners have brought together many members of the expat community and serves as a space for new people to meet. As a special treat, this month, Kay will be offering a special Thai master class, entitled "Same, same, but different" that will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 17, starting at 2 p.m. and running through dinner, that will decipher the difference between red and green curry pastes, which participants will be preparing and then utilizing to create half a dozen dishes.
Then on Friday, Aug. 23, Kay will be preparing a special meal showcasing Malaysian food, titled "KL Calling," that will begin at 8 p.m. Inspired by her recent trip to Kuala Lumpur, Kay will be preparing Malaysian classics, some of which she learned through taking cooking classes during her travels. The starters will include a curry and sweet potato noodle soup called mee rebus and a potato spiral curry puff. The main will be beef rendang and green bean sambal, accompanied by turmeric rice and a coconut and pineapple cake for dessert. Details for the dinner, which starts at 8 p.m. are on the Facebook event page and keep in mind the guest list fills up fast for Kay's events.
Yabangee potluck picnic at Maçka Park
Yabangee is a volunteer website and community geared toward the city's foreign residents and visitors. They also hold a number of entertaining events for members of the expat community to meet and mingle such as their potluck picnic that will take place on Sunday, Aug. 18 at Maçka Park. Starting at 5:30 p.m. and planned to run through until 9 p.m., participants are asked to bring a dish or snack to share among guests and blankets or Frisbees to enjoy the park. This popular picnic series drew out dozens last month and was a fun and refreshing way to meet others and enjoy nature. Check the Facebook event page for final details on the picnic spot.
InterNations Istanbul Summer Party
InterNations is the world's largest professional expat networking organization that has communities all over the world and is especially active in Istanbul. This member-based organization hosts regular get togethers at venues throughout the city as well as operates a number of interest and activity groups. On Wednesday, Aug. 28, InterNations will host their Istanbul Summer Party at none other than the chic Sortie in Kuruçeşme. This will not only be a unique opportunity to discover the InterNations organization if you are not yet a member and do so at a dance party at one of the trendiest nightclubs in the city. While InterNations always pays much heed to having the background music low enough so guests can chat and network, in this case the music will be getting louder after 11 p.m. as the event will transform into a dance party. Entrance is TL 70 for nonmembers and discounted for members and includes a welcome drink.
Istanbul&I Football Fundraiser in August
Istanbul&I is a volunteer youth organization geared toward helping the disadvantaged that has hundreds of members from around the world. In addition to hosting language, book and poetry clubs from their center in Karaköy, they also organize a number of educational seminars and fundraisers, such as this month's Istanbul&I Football Fundraiser. In this tournament, four teams will be facing off round-robin style at weekly matches that will be held every Sunday up until Aug. 18 at the Feriköy Halı Saha, starting at approximately 6 p.m. The winning team will receive custom-made commemorative jerseys, and all participants will be getting season tickets to Istanbulspor. Whether you want to kick the ball yourself or watch others, many of the players are members of the expat community; it is guaranteed to be a good time and a great way to get outdoors.
