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.

February 18, 2016

Full-Floor Loft With an Actual Artist’s Studio Asks $3M in Soho

By Emily Nonko

Back in the '60s and '70s, pretty much every Soho loft doubled as an art studio. Artists fought successfully to legally convert the former manufacturing buildings into live/work lofts, and today there's still a special zoning resolution that permits the use of former industrial spaces as homes only if the resident is an artist certified by the city. That zoning rule is often ignored, and with Soho lofts priced into the millions, you don't see many left that include studios. But this one, which occupies the entire second floor of 123 Prince Street, is the exception--at least when it comes to the art studio. (The price, of course, is high, at $3.125 million.) The open apartment has been built out with a lofted bedroom, office, studio space and mini bar.
Take a look around

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February 17, 2016

$2.7M Ditmas Park Beauty Is Historic Victorian Outside, Hip Brooklyn Inside

By Emily Nonko

Ditmas Park is a magical neighborhood in New York City, filled with yards, front porches and beautiful freestanding Victorian homes. This is one of them, at 536 East 18th Street, and it is now on the market for $2.725 million. The exterior has been well kept, right down to the wood front porch. The interior has gone through a big renovation that hasn't taken away all the historic details, but definitely opened up and modernized the house. (It last sold in 2012 for $1,299,000, probably before any reno.) The result is the best of both worlds: Historic Ditmas Park from the exterior, modern and hip Brooklyn inside.
Check out the renovation

February 16, 2016

Former Workman’s Cottage in the Warren Place Mews Now Asks $4,900 a Month

By Emily Nonko

We've come a long way from the 1870s. That's when the Warren Place Mews was constructed on a short, private block of Cobble Hill by the wealthy merchant and philanthropist Alfred Tredway White. He advocated for housing for the working class in Brooklyn and built this mews–which consists of 34 modest, Gothic cottages that share an English courtyard–specifically for workingmen and their families. Today, these cottages have been priced into the millions, with 21 Warren Place hitting the market last summer for $1.5 million. Renting isn't for the everyday workingman, either. 8 Warren Place is now asking $4,900 a month for two bedrooms and bragging rights to living in one of the quaintest homes in Brooklyn.
Check out the cozy interior

February 12, 2016

Cute Two-Bedroom Condo in Prime Williamsburg Is Priced Under $1 Million

By Emily Nonko

It seems like you can't find anything in Williamsburg for less than $1 million these days, but here's a condo that's priced just below seven digits. This two-bedroom unit at 211 Berry Street, an older condo complex in the neighborhood that's been slapped with a cool name (Northside Condo), has got a price tag of $995,000. This is not one of those North Brooklyn loft condos with a pool, roofdeck or resident lounges, which accounts for the lower price in the central Williamsburg location -- it's located right near the main drags of Bedford and Metropolitan avenues.
Take a look

February 11, 2016

$685K Chelsea Micro Apartment Was Renovated to Maximize Space and Design

By Emily Nonko

If you're going to live in a really small apartment, you may as well get it custom designed to maximize as much space as possible. Such is the case with this very cozy one bedroom at 221 West 21st Street, a nondescript five-story co-op building in Chelsea. This unit has been gutted, renovated and redesigned by MySuites & Co., a boutique real estate and design firm based in Soho, and furniture and textile designer Nightwood New York. The result–the Chelseagold. MySuites says it feels more like a 700-square-foot apartment than a 500-square-foot pad, and we think the charming interior design almost makes up for the lack of space.
See the rest of the micro apartment

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February 10, 2016

Floor-Through Noho Loft With Four Exposures Hits the Market for $3.25 Million

By Emily Nonko

At 55 Great Jones Street, a historic 1910 building in Noho, each of the seven stories has been converted into lofty co-op apartments. This one occupies the entire fifth floor for a total of 2,200 square feet. And because the building is surrounded by two squat, single-story structures, the unit comes with a rare four exposures. Never a bad thing to complement an apartment that's lofty to begin with.
Take an interior tour

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February 9, 2016

$19M Extravagant Riverside Drive Mansion Once Belonged to the ‘Father of the West Side’

By Emily Nonko

There's something a little intimidating about an 8,000-square-foot, seven-bedroom single-family mansion that once belonged to "the father of the West Side" himself. The property in question is 327 West 76th Street, in the Riverside Drive area of the Upper West Side. The home was built in 1892 and quickly sold to Cyrus Clark, a businessman who retired from the silk business and went into real estate, making it his mission to campaign on behalf of developing Manhattan's West Side. The house wasn't distinct just for its owner, but because the exterior architecture stands out so distinctly in a row of more refined townhouses. For years the home was broken up into apartments, but developer Leonard Zelin converted it back to a single-family a few years back. Now he's hoping the investment will pay off: Zelin bought the townhouse for $8.8 million in 2010 and it's now asking an impressive $18.995 million.
Take a look around

February 8, 2016

$1.5M Catskills Home Is Part Geodesic Dome, Part Prairie-Style Retreat

By Emily Nonko

A geodesic dome house near the mountains of the Catskills? Yes, it exists. This $1.49 million property at 106 Mountain Laurel Lane, which spans a little more than one acre, holds a house with two very distinct architectural styles. The first is contemporary, which the listing says is inspired by the "lines and modern aesthetic of Frank Lloyd Wright." Then there's the dome design, inspired by architect Buckminster Fuller. The two styles were integrated into a 3,300-square-foot home with three bedrooms. Inside, a triangle door from the "contemporary wing" leads you into a geometric space with triangular windows and a pentagon skylight. You don't see 'em like this everyday.
The listing calls it the DomeHouse and “The Embrace”

February 5, 2016

Cute Clinton Hill Duplex With an Interior Designer’s Touch Asks $1.3 Million

By Emily Nonko

You wouldn't guess that this apartment comes from a Brooklyn brownstone, given its modern and airy vibe. But this condo at 396 Franklin Avenue in Clinton Hill, which takes up two floors of said brownstone, has been carefully renovated by an interior designer, who also took care to make sure everything in the two-bedroom unit is family friendly. The result? A beautiful apartment with some artistic touches that seems as pleasing to adults as they would be to kids. Oh yeah, and there's a private roof deck to enjoy, too.
Check it out

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February 4, 2016

From a Former Babka Bakery Comes This Duplex Condo With the Original Timber Beams Intact

By Emily Nonko

Like many loft buildings in Williamsburg, this one's got a very interesting history behind it. 234 North 9th Street, which dates back to 1915, was once owned by Sophia Zablowski, a baker. She used the site as an industrial warehouse bakery to make her popular Polish babka cake. The building was converted to 11 apartments in 2007–it's now known as the Sophia Lofts–and this one is on the market for $1.43 million. (To give you an idea of how pricy the neighborhood has become, this last sold in 2008 for $681,209.) The apartment still has many of the old warehouse details intact.
Take a look

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Duplex in Historic Brooklyn Heights Co-op, Built for Manhattan Views, Asks $2.25M

By Emily Nonko

2 Grace Court is one of the few cooperatives in Brooklyn Heights, a neighborhood mostly filled with townhouses. Built in 1922-23 by the architect Mortimer Freehof, it was specifically constructed on an elevated site near the waterfront so the building would get commanding views of the New York Harbor and Manhattan skyline. And this is the best kind of apartment you could find in such a building: The three-bedroom corner duplex has 12 large windows, southern and western exposures, and views of the East River, Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan from every room.
See more of the interior

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February 2, 2016

Lofty Park Slope Co-op Boasts Double-Height Ceilings and a Spiral Staircase

By Emily Nonko

Forget the brownstones with historic detailing that dominate Park Slope. This apartment, located at the co-op building 302 5th Avenue, is modernly renovated and downright lofty, with double-height ceilings and a raised space above the kitchen. The sleek spiral staircase also adds a contemporary touch. And with two bedrooms, 1,700 square feet over three floors, and a garden, there is plenty of room to spread out. The triplex has just hit the market for $1.5 million.
Take a tour

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February 1, 2016

$5M Penthouse Loft in Tribeca Flaunts Steel, Copper, and Lots of Brick

By Emily Nonko

Now this is the type of apartment we would love to be trapped in during a snowstorm. There's a wood-burning fireplace underneath lofty 16-foot ceilings in this Tribeca penthouse, located at 58 Walker Street, not to mention a big pile of wood to keep the fire roaring. Plenty of leather furniture and exposed brick also help keep this sprawling space, 2,115 square feet over two different floors, feeling cozy. This apartment wouldn't be so bad in the summer, either, with 1,318 square feet of private roof space.
Take a look around

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January 29, 2016

Design Firms Launch Kickstarter for Hyper-Accurate,12-Foot-Long Model of Manhattan

By Emily Nonko

Could this become the coolest New York souvenir ever? Two Manhattan-based design firms, TO+WN Design and AJSNY, have teamed up to sell a model of Manhattan that will blow all the others out of the water. Using detailed aerial scans of the city, the firms created a 12-foot-long model of Manhattan that represents every last landmark, skyscraper, brownstone, park and event hall. Impressively, they've managed to replicate current-day Manhattan down to a 1:5000-scale–and they're calling their mini Manhattan a "Microscape." If you want a piece of this, you're not the only one. The project's Kickstarter, which recently launched with an $8,000 goal, is already more than $17,000 funded with 26 days left.
Learn more about the microscape

January 29, 2016

This Classic Co-op Next to Carl Schurz Park Asks $2.795 Million

By Emily Nonko

This stretch of East 86th Street, in the Yorkville area of the Upper East Side, is an attractive, quiet block that ends at Carl Schurz Park—home to Gracie Mansion and Mayor de Blasio. Along the way is this six-story, red brick co-op building with an elegant entrance at 519 East 86th Street. And the four-bedroom unit currently for sale there, asking $2.795 million, is just as lovely as the block outside. It's a classic prewar co-op with one of those drool-worthy, complex floor plans: a large foyer, four bedrooms, dedicated living and dining rooms, a mud room, an office, the works.
See it for yourself

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January 28, 2016

A Former Engraver’s Studio in Sniffen Court, Now a Townhouse, Asks $6.45 Million

By Emily Nonko

Who wouldn't want to live in a townhouse with lots of interesting history, located in one of just a few private mews in New York City? Enter this listing at 156 East 36th Street, a Murray Hill townhouse that originally served as stables during the Civil War era, then was converted to an engraver's studio in 1915. The Romanesque building is also a part of the Sniffen Court Mews, which is blocked from the public by a private gate off East 36th Street. Sniffen Court was constructed between 1863 and 1864 as a collection of carriage houses–the off-street placement helped solve noise and odor issues related to the horses. The stables were in use until the early 1920s, when automobiles replaced horses, and eventually they were converted to residential.
Read more about this house

January 28, 2016

Rows of Bookshelves Under 11-Foot Ceilings Line This $2M Nomad Loft

By Emily Nonko

There's no better apartment for a book lover than a loft. The open space and high ceilings are the perfect setting for rows of bookshelves, which also can serve as impromptu dividers throughout an apartment that lacks lots of walls. This lofty three bedroom at 50 West 29th Street in Nomad has a massive, open living and dining room that the owners are using almost like a library. There are tons of bookshelves under the 10-foot-9-inch ceilings, as well as a few used to break up the living and the dining areas.
Check out the rest of the space

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January 26, 2016

Beautiful Brick and Wood Make This West Village Rental Beyond Cozy

By Emily Nonko

If any "Sex and the City" fans out there have lingering dreams of renting a lovely apartment in a West Village brownstone, this two-bedroom unit is looking promising. (Only steps from Magnolia Bakery, the listing says!) It's a fourth-floor walkup on the top-floor of the brownstone at 283 West 11th Street. Once inside, it isn't hard to warm up to this apartment, with its fireplace, exposed brick, and overall charm. Plus, there's a roof deck, which is shared by the building, right above you. It is now on the rental market for $5,600 a month—so sadly no, not a rent most freelance writers like Carrie could afford.
Take a look around

January 25, 2016

Chelsea Loft Designed by Award-Winning SYSTEMarchitects Wants $2M

By Emily Nonko

This two-bedroom live/work loft comes from 249 West 29th Street, a prewar Chelsea co-op built in 1929. The building may be older, but this particular loft, now on the market for $2.15 million, is quite modern. It was designed by SYSTEMarchitects, a prominent firm that's won awards everywhere from the American Institute of Architects to the Museum of Modern Art. They also designed this other Chelsea loft, distinguished by a wood boat hull that was built out in the mezzanine. There's nothing quite as striking in this loft, although it does have a very interesting design element in the master bedroom.
See what it is

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January 23, 2016

$2M Historic Bed-Stuy Brownstone Comes With an Ethereal Interior

By Emily Nonko

There really is something dreamy about the interior of this Bed-Stuy home at 231 Decatur Street. From the outside, it looks like a well-kept, historic townhouse -- prominent Brooklyn architects Axel Hedman and Eli Bishop designed this barrel-front, Renaissance Revival-style brownstone in 1897. The interior is chock full of historic detailing, too, like intricate mantels and woodwork, decorative fireplaces and stained-glass windows. The design, very bright and white, compliments those old details well, and gives the spaces an ethereal feel. If we could pick any Brooklyn brownstone to show up in our dreams, this would be the one.
See the interior

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January 22, 2016

Modern, Massive Loft in Prewar Flatiron Building Asks $7.895 Million

By Emily Nonko

Space, volume and abundant light—those are the three virtues of this Flatiron loft apartment at 260 Park Avenue, according to its listing. When it comes down to it, we'd have to agree; it's hard to argue with 3,287 square feet of open loft space that includes a "great room" that spans more than 46 feet, 12 enormous windows covering multiple exposures, and a master bedroom that comes with a double walk-in closet that's probably the size of some studio apartments. This condo sits within an eight-story prewar building that long served as the headquarters of the United Federation of Teachers. Well-known economist Richard Thaler purchased it in 2012 for $5.94 million and he's now trying to unload it for $7.895 million.
Take the tour

January 20, 2016

Lovable Park Slope Apartment Perched on the Top Floor Asks $3,900 a Month

By Emily Nonko

Yes, a top floor apartment can often mean an annoying walk up the stairs to get there. And for this prewar building in Park Slope, at 523 8th Street, that's likely the case. This apartment is located on the top floor of the four-story, 11-unit building. But we'll venture to say this walk-up is worth it, considering how charming the space is. It's a two-bedroom rental with details like tin ceilings, carved entryways, and lovely views of the treetops below. It's also just a half block away from Prospect Park.
Check it out

January 19, 2016

Live/Work Loft Serviced by the Original Freight Elevator Asks $1.575 Million in Clinton Hill

By Emily Nonko

We'll just come out and say it: this Clinton Hill loft is really cool. The 2,074-square-foot space, lined with big windows that face both north and south, takes up the entire third floor of the live-work cooperative at 93 Lexington Avenue. You'll still find the original industrial details of the former warehouse building throughout the apartment, including an incredible copper-doored elevator. Another freight elevator, also an original detail of the building, opens directly into the apartment. It last sold in 2012 for $880,000 (slightly over the ask of $855,000) and now it's on the market for much more, $1.575 million.
Tour the space

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January 18, 2016

Get More Bang for Your Buck With This $1.6M Kensington Townhouse

By Emily Nonko

You might call Kensington an "under-the-radar" neighborhood of Brooklyn–it doesn't get a lot of press coverage, it isn't known for any of Brooklyn's famous brownstone architecture, and it only covers 107 square blocks a little further south in the borough. But it's still a lovely, family-friendly area with great townhouses and proximity to both Prospect Park and Green-Wood Cemetery. This three-story townhouse at 277 East 9th Street has been totally and completely renovated by a "boutique developer" who, according to the listing, "spared no expense." The ask of $1.575 million obviously isn't cheap, but you're definitely getting more bang for your buck in a borough where townhouses that need major upgrading still go for up to $2 million. Here, at least, there are no renovations needed.
See the interior

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January 15, 2016

Behind a Boring Facade Are Cool, Lofty Apartments in Greenpoint

By Emily Nonko

The four-story townhouse at 106 Dupont Street in Greenpoint is nothing to write home about. In fact, it's straight up boring, and it'd be fair to assume the interior was, too. But the building, which was gut renovated in 2006, actually holds some cool apartments inside. It was separated into three units: a super lofty, top-floor duplex with three bedrooms; a middle floor-through apartment with two bedrooms; and a first-floor, floor-through unit with two bedrooms and a private garden. The listing is marketing this as a good investment for "an end-user who wants to collect great rental income," as it's currently occupied by tenants. But they'll have to cough up a lot of cash first: the property is asking $3.78 million.
See the apartments

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