As you descend the stairs, look up for a fun view of dozens of fishing rods twitching along the railing of the bridge. As you walk down here, watch your head—sometimes an amateur fisherman carelessly lets his weight swing under. And keep an eye out for the flicker of a little silvery fish, thrashing through the air as he's reeled in by a happy predator.
Walk along the bridge (toward the Old Town), enjoying this "restaurant row." Notice the passages leading to the other side of the bridge, which is lined with more restaurants. As you walk, aggressive waiters—like their fishermen cousins on the upper level—will try to lure you into their restaurants. Don't be shy—look around, get into a conversation, and compare prices. You may end up here tonight for a fish dinner (or better yet, on the other side of the bridge, where you can watch the sun set over the Golden Horn). Even if you don't want a full meal, you could get a sandwich from a take-away joint or have a drink at a cafe. The last restaurant, with dozens of simple brown tables, sells barbecued fish sandwiches to go—handy to eat as you walk (you'll smell the outdoor barbecue before you see it). You can also buy a drink from the food stands or kiosks near the ferry ports.

Commuter Ferry Ports

This embankment bustles with thousands of commuters heading to and from work (during morning and evening rush hours) and shopping chores (especially Saturdays). Peek into the pedestrian underpass beneath the bridge for a taste of the shoulder-to-shoulder commute that many locals endure.
This area is also a hub for intercontinental traffic. Public ferries carry millions of commuters each day between the European and Asian districts of Istanbul. Until the first bridge over the Bosphorus was built in the early 1970s, boats were the only way to cross from Europe to Asia. Locals still prefer the ferries, which are a convenient and cheap  way to avoid the gridlock on the bridges.
The first small building you pass (marked İDO) is a port for commuter seabuses. Just beyond it is the dock for private tour boats (notice the Bosphorus Tours sign). These boats take you as far as the second bridge on the Bosphorus and back again in an hour and a half. Ignore the posted schedule-boats leave when they fill up, so just hop on board whenever you're ready. While we prefer taking a public ferry for our Bosphorus cruise , these tour boats—which don't go as far up the strait, and don't make any stops—are a faster option if you just want a taste of the strait and are pressed for time.
The next terminal is for the Bosphorus lines (Boğaz İskelesi)— where you catch a public ferry for a cruise up the Bosphorus .
The next dock is Kadıköy İskelesi (ees-keh-leh-see; port), with boats heading to Asian Istanbul's commercial hub, the busy Kadıköy district.
The following terminal is Üsküdar İskelesi, heading to Üsküdar, an important commercial district on the Asian side .
The last dock is for the car ferry to Harem—not a place with sultans' wives, but the major commercial harbor in Asian Istanbul (near Üsküdar). Harem is a handy shortcut to the Asian side—and it's definitely the cheapest intercontinental crossing for cars. (s3)