All articles by Emily Nonko

Emily is a Brooklyn-based writer who has covered New York City real estate, architecture and design for Brownstoner, The Wall Street Journal, Dwell and other publications. You can follow her on Twitter @EmilyNonko.

August 24, 2016

Tribeca duplex with two enclosed loggias asks $22,500/month

By Emily Nonko

This Tribeca rental, from the 12-unit condo D'Arte House, boasts nothing but space: two floors, 6,300 square feet, a giant master bedroom with tons of closet space, and two enclosed loggias. The loggias—located off the master and the upstairs bedrooms—are the most unique feature of the apartment, offering faux outdoor space you can use in whatever type of weather. The whole pad is available furnished to a renter for $22,500 a month.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

August 23, 2016

The ‘Summer White House’ of the Hamptons could be yours for $14.2M

By Emily Nonko

It's no easy feat to make it to the White House, but the Hampton's alternative is available to anybody willing to stomach the cost of renting or buying it. 20 Union Street, a three-story Victorian mansion built in 1796, was considered the "Summer White House" for President Chester A. Arthur (he also owned a townhouse in Murray Hill). Since the former president vacationed there, it has been throughly renovated into a modern, luxurious Hamptons pad. The six-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom home is up for both sale and rent, asking $14.2 million or $480,000 per year. (The price to rent between Memorial and Labor Day is $390,000.)
Take the presidential tour

August 23, 2016

$2.3M railroad apartment on the Bowery boasts a 35-foot-long terrace

By Emily Nonko

This one-bedroom condo at 354 Bowery in Noho has mastered the art of combining indoor and outdoor space. A long exposed brick wall not only anchors the apartment but leads to a 35-foot-long private terrace in the back of the unit. The result is a striking living space that gives the railroad apartment a good look.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

August 19, 2016

Cute and cozy studio asks under $400K in Prospect Heights

By Emily Nonko

We know that in a lot of places around the country--even just upstate--$395,000 can buy you a pretty nice house. But here in NYC, we get excited when a studio in a nice neighborhood is asking that price. A charming but modest co-op at 361 Sterling Place in Prospect Heights has hit the market for that very number and will likely be snatched up soon.
Take a look at the very cute space

Distinctive Homes

August 18, 2016

Stay in this demure off-grid cabin in the middle of the Catskills

By Emily Nonko

This Catskills cabin is "glamping" at its finest—you're not quite roughing it, but you're still sleeping in the middle of the wilderness. The property, located on 20 acres that also holds a farm house, woods, meadow and two small ponds, is available for $120/night through Airbnb. The owners built this cabin to be totally off-grid: it's powered by solar lights, there's a composting toilet and a rain-water sink. It's a perfect escape for New Yorkers who'd like to unplug and unwind in the middle of nowhere.
Check out the property

August 17, 2016

Connecticut Lighthouse up for Auction Could Be Transformed Into a Home

By Emily Nonko

There are just a select few opportunities to live in a lighthouse outside of New York City—$1.5 million could get you a red lighthouse upstate; $425,000 buys a lighthouse and tugboat in West Haven, CT. It's not everyday these properties come around, but the government is currently auctioning off six of its lighthouses and one, the Penfield Reefer Lighthouse, is located just 60 miles away from Midtown Manhattan.
It was built in the 1870s

August 15, 2016

$700K Greenwich Village Studio Fits Maximum Storage Into 500 Square Feet

By Emily Nonko

This studio loft at 23 Waverly Place in Greenwich Village may only be 500 square feet, but it's been designed for maximum storage potential. (This may be one of the few studios out there that boasts both a spacious kitchen and walk-in closet.) An architect has also modernized the prewar apartment, transforming it into a more modern and sleek space. Post renovation, it's now on the market for $699,000.
Take a look

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August 12, 2016

Two-Bedroom Pad With Retro Kitchen Asks $1.8M Off Gramercy Park

By Emily Nonko

This two-bedroom apartment comes from the co-op building Gramercy Arms at 102 East 22nd Street. The building boasts a great location, midway between Gramercy Park and Madison Square Park. As for the apartment, it's got plenty of prewar charm and a cute, retro kitchen to boot. And it's asking $1.8 million.
Take the interior tour

Distinctive Homes

August 11, 2016

$4.4M ‘Eco-Luxurious’ Beach House in Amagansett Sits Next to a 216-Acre Nature Reserve

By Emily Nonko

The Hamptons is known for its incredible mansions, but this unique beach house was actually inspired by a simple barn. The architects, Studio Zung, reinterpreted the traditional wooden barns of the area to create this modern and luxurious property, which sits between the Atlantic Ocean and a sprawling nature reserve. One of the biggest design considerations was making the home eco-friendly, so it's outfitted with everything from salvaged pine beams to an eco-smart saline swimming pool. Dubbed Atelier 216, this drool-worthy property could be yours for $4.425 million.
Take a look around

August 11, 2016

135 Units of Affordable Housing Planned for the Coney Island Boardwalk

By Emily Nonko

In 2009, former Mayor Bloomberg rezoned the Coney Island waterfront to accommodate new residential and commercial development. While the city has moved ahead to build more amusement park rides at this popular summer destination, there hasn't been an explosion of new residential development since the rezoning. But plans are moving ahead for a nine-story building designed to hold 135 affordable and supportive housing apartments right along the boardwalk. In April, developers Georgica Green Ventures and Concern for Independent Living filed plans for the new building at 2002 Surf Avenue, reports CityRealty.com. Called Surf Vets Plaza, the building will totally transform the corner of West 21st Street and Surf Avenue, which is now a 170,000-square-foot vacant lot.
Read more about the development plans

Tons of Sun at This Corner Duplex, Asking $1.2M in Williamsburg

By Emily Nonko

One of the big perks of many duplex apartments is that the layout allows for double-height ceilings. It's a striking apartment detail, especially here at the hip Williamsburg condo 134 Powers Street. This apartment, asking $1,225 million, boasts double-height ceilings in the living room and since it's a corner unit, gets light on all sides.
Take the grand tour

Distinctive Homes

August 8, 2016

Architecture Workshop’s 400-Square-Foot Studio Has a Secret Bedroom and Sleeps Six

By Emily Nonko

Almost every New Yorker has been tasked with the challenge of smartly utilizing a tiny apartment. But Architecture Workshop takes the prize for the unbelievable challenge of transforming a 400-square-foot prewar studio into a modern space that hosts 10 for dinner, sleeps six, and includes a home office to boot. The firm created a multi-functional space with tons of cabinetry that blurs the line between furniture and architecture. The result, as the firm puts it, is "an airy modern apartment where everything has its place."
See how they did it

August 7, 2016

Michael Haverland’s Mod Waterfront House Sits on the Highest Point of Shelter Island

By Emily Nonko

Over four acres of waterfront land--atop the highest point on Shelter Island--sits this incredible beach house re-imagined by Michael Haverland Architect. The firm designed a modern but still contextual addition for the 6,000-square-foot home, with large steel casement windows and doors to best capture the surrounding views. While one end of the home looks like a traditional beach cottage, the other side is much bolder, brighter and all-around impressive.
Go inside

August 5, 2016

Vacation at a Glass Cabin in the Woods of Upstate New York for $300/Night

By Emily Nonko

This is a rural retreat like no other. Known as the Sixteen Doors House and designed by the firm Incorporated Architecture & Design, this is a modern cabin made practically transparent by the placement of sixteen doors and windows. Luckily, it's surrounded by six acres of forest in the foothills of the Berkshires so privacy is a non-issue. 6sqft profiled the design project back in 2014; now it's being offered as a vacation rental through Airbnb. For $300 a night, you can have your own tranquil experience at the Sixteen Doors House.
See inside

August 4, 2016

A Shipping Container Tower Transformed this Brooklyn Carriage House

By Emily Nonko

File this under kooky design schemes that actually work. Inhabitat NYC profiled a Clinton Hill carriage house completely transformed by a shipping container tower built inside. The homeowners, artist Markus Linnenbrink and art dealer Cindy Rucker, were on the hunt for an architect who could renovate with as many sustainable elements as possible. They picked the design firm LOT-EK due to their specialty in shipping container buildings. The result? A container tower that serves as the core of this retrofitted carriage house, and many more repurposed details throughout.
Check it out

August 3, 2016

Take a Staycation at This Restored Bungalow in Rockaway Beach

By Emily Nonko

You don't have to leave town if you're looking for a late summer getaway. You could just rent this restored Rockaway Beach bungalow, available on Airbnb for $130 a night. The two-bedroom pad, which the hosts call a "classic old bungalow," fits five guests. Lots of windows and a double-height ceiling mean the space has a lofty vibe, but mostly it's a charming and cozy place to shack up in New York City's surf town.
Take a look around

Getting Away

August 1, 2016

Two-Bedroom Williamsburg Condo With Pool Views Gets a Price Chop to $1.5M

By Emily Nonko

The Williamsburg development 135 North 11th Street probably starts looking good to buyers every summer considering it boasts its own private pool, complete with lounge chairs and cabanas. This particular apartment, a two-bedroom unit, looks down upon the pool from a private balcony. The funky space has just gotten a price chop, reducing from its ask of $1.62 million to $1.495 million last week. It last sold in 2011 for $728,048.
Take a look around

July 29, 2016

Floor-Through, Two-Bedroom With Historic Touches Asks $9,500/Month in the Village

By Emily Nonko

Charm abounds at this two-bedroom West Village apartment, which spans a full floor of the 1875 brownstone building 69 Perry Street. The interior boasts some beautiful historic details like moldings, carved fireplace mantles and original shutters. The fully-furnished apartment also comes with the owner's impressive collection of antique mantel pieces, 19 century paintings and antiques, and an Italian ceramic collection. Overall, not a bad spot to cozy up for a year.
See more of the apartment

July 29, 2016

This Montauk Beach House, Reminiscent of the Salk Institute, Blends Naturally With the Shore

By Emily Nonko

This beach house, designed on the shores of Montauk by John Pawson, is anything but flashy. Instead, the goal was to blend the building with its surroundings--"to engage naturally with the flow of the dune," as Pawson put it. It's almost reminiscent of the Salk Institute, a complex designed by Louis Kahn in La Jolla, California that powerfully engages with the Pacific Ocean. Here, the home barely peeks above all the beachfront brush surrounding the Atlantic. And from the interior, numerous decks look like they're extending naturally into the sand. This is the type of getaway that'll really make you feel one with nature.
See more

Architecture And Design

July 28, 2016

Hip Apartment With Spacious Private Balcony Asks $695K in Ridgewood

By Emily Nonko

This super-stylish condo apartment comes from the Glenridge Mews, a complex in Ridgewood, Queens comprised of nine interconnected buildings with private walk-ways lined with lush greenery and landscaping. The outdoor space doesn't end at the apartment, as the 1,089-square-foot pad comes with a 75-square-foot private balcony large enough for a modest outdoor dinner party. And inside, tons of windows and exposures to the east, west and south ensure a bright, cheerful spot that's now asking $695K.
Take a tour

July 27, 2016

$2.5M Freestanding Italianate House Charms in Bay Ridge

By Emily Nonko

The charm of a freestanding home in the middle of New York City will never get old. This Italiante home, at 237 77th Street in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bay Ridge, pretty much exudes all the charm and is now asking a cool $2.5 million. The 11-room house has a landscaped front yard that leads to a wrap-around porch. Once inside, a grand entrance leads you to a formal living room with hand-restored crown molding, the original windows, stained glass doors and a side entry back out to the porch. The rest of the house, too, is decked out with historic extravagances like stained glass, pocket doors and a wood-burning fireplace.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

July 26, 2016

$3M Art Deco Co-op Boasts Wrap-Around Terraces With Views of Central Park

By Emily Nonko

It's one thing to have views of Central Park from your apartment. It's quite another when those views come from two wrap-around terraces that surround your penthouse. That's what happening at 336 Central Park West, where this 17th floor, one-bedroom pad is now on the market for $2.995 million. There's more square footage outside than there is inside--with 1,100 interior square feet and 1,720 exterior square feet. And the interior boasts twelve large windows, with the original steel-cased frames, that look out onto both incredible terrace spaces.
See more of this outdoor shangri-la

Distinctive Homes

July 22, 2016

Dreamy Hamptons Vacation Home Designed by Mid-Century Architect Andrew Geller Asks $2M

By Emily Nonko

Vacation homes don't get much better than this. The abode at 375 Brick Kiln Road in the Hamptons was designed by the Mid-century architect Andrew Geller. He was known for designing creative homes across Long Island that utilize low-cost materials in unconventional ways, according to Curbed Hamptons, and he created this one--known as the Elizabeth Reese house--in 1963. The striking $2.2 million beach cottage, featuring triangular windows with projecting flaps, sits on a beautiful five acres of land. It comes with a tennis court, swimming pool and an impressive stone fireplace, making this one of the coolest vacation pads we've come across.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

July 12, 2016

This Luxurious, $15M New Jersey Castle Comes With 32 Acres of Land

By Emily Nonko

New York City is full of incredible properties, but it's not known for its castles. You have to go to New Jersey for that. Over near Bernardsville Mountain, in northern New Jersey, is the Stronghold Castle—probably one of the most impressive homes in the entire state. It's the work of the architect George B. Post, who purchased 104 acres around the mountain in 1871. Soon after, in 1886, Post was commissioned to design a house for James Coleman Drayton, a New York banker and the son-in-law of William Backhouse Astor on one of the highest points in the area. The result? A two-story, stone villa with a tower commanding views of the estate's 128 acres. Over the years, different owners added to the home and it evolved into this modern-day castle. Between 1940 and 1995, it served as a private girl's school. The latest owner, who bought in 2004, restored the castle in all its grandeur while adding modern additions to make it a cozy home. (Or, as cozy as a castle can be.)
Take the grand tour

July 12, 2016

$1.4M Williamsburg Apartment is Surrounded by Greenery and Outdoor Space

By Emily Nonko

This Williamsburg apartment at 16 Monitor Street is perfect for summer, as there's views of greenery pretty much everywhere you look. As the listing says, "Whichever window you look out of, you see lush foliage and flowers." The two-bedroom duplex spans about 1,500 square feet and is decked out with modern finishes and a very impressive walk-in closet. It's been renovated into a bona fide entertainment space, assisted in no small part by the 200 square feet of barbecue and lounge space outside.
Check out the inside and outside

Distinctive Homes

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