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.

May 5, 2015

The Former Upper West Side Mansion of Charles Schwab Is Asking $20 Million

By Emily Nonko

It doesn't get any grander than this 11,500-square-foot, six-story mansion on the Upper West Side. Located at 323 West 74th Street, this home has an interesting history, to say the least: It was designed by the famous architect C. P. H. Gilbert as part of a larger row of residences off Riverside Drive to rival the mansions of Fifth Avenue. The infamous moneyman and steel magnate Charles Schwab lived here from 1914 to 1917, then, according to Daytonian in Manhttan, it was used as the "scandalous love nest" for the mistress of industrialist George Gould. Today, it's been configured as an owner's triplex with an apartment below. The asking price comes in at $19.995 million.
See more interior photos here

May 4, 2015

Shoes Are the Star at This SoHo Loft Redesign by Aa Studio

By Emily Nonko

Anyone who appreciates good design as much as a good pair of shoes will love this project by Aa Studio. The New York-based architecture firm focuses on space, proportion and light in home design. So given the task of a bedroom redesign that would also accommodate a large designer shoe collection, it's no surprise that the result feels so spacious. The gorgeous, bright master bedroom, located inside of a Soho penthouse, comes with sleek, grown-up cubby spaces that show off the impressive footwear display.
See more interior photos here

May 1, 2015

$2M Historic Bushwick Mansion Has a Secret Wild Side

By Emily Nonko

Many people know Bushwick as the Brooklyn neighborhood of artists and lofty warehouse apartments. But Bushwick Avenue is also home to many historic mansions built in the 19th century. This Renaissance Revival property at 716 Bushwick Avenue is one of them. The large mansion is decked out with many historic touches– woodwork, fireplaces, parquet floors–but it also pays tribute to Bushwick's rebirth as an artist destination. (You won't believe the graffiti work on display in the basement.) To buy a home that embodies both old world and new world Bushwick, it's going to cost $1.98 million.
See photos of the surprising interior here

April 30, 2015

$2.5M Clinton Hill Townhouse Is Dripping with Historic Details

By Emily Nonko

This beautiful Brooklyn townhouse, located at 181 St. James Place, is right in the heart of the Clinton Hill Historic District. The single-family property itself is historic inside and out–all three buildings were designed by the prominent Brooklyn architect William Tubby. No. 181 is the centerpiece, a combo of both Romanesque Revival and Queen Anne styles with an oeil-de-boeuf (bulls-eye) with four keystones at the center of the gable. The interior is decked out with incredibly restored historic details... a carved wooden staircase, fireplaces, stained glass windows, even a claw foot tub. To live in this piece of Brooklyn history, it's going to cost you $2.545 million.
Tour the interior right here

April 29, 2015

This Cozy Brooklyn ‘Slot House’ Fits a Bed in the Kitchen

By Emily Nonko

Who says small spaces can't be designed luxuriously? In fact, this compact home in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn looks downright gorgeous—even if there is a bed lofted above a refrigerator. Noroof Architects designed the home in the early 2000s, and nicknamed the project "Slot House." The exterior "slot" was inspired by the existing maple tree on site, which the owners did not want to remove. The slot allows the tree to be seen from the inside, and this clever slotted design gesture was carried to the interior.
See the impressive result here

The Multi-Million Dollar Real Estate of Brooklyn’s… Gravesend?

Image: Nest Seekers International

April 28, 2015

The Multi-Million Dollar Real Estate of Brooklyn’s… Gravesend?

By Emily Nonko

When people talk about expensive Brooklyn real estate, the conversation often revolves around the well-kept townhouses in Brownstone Brooklyn, the waterfront condos of Williamsburg, the freestanding mansions of Prospect Park South. Gravesend is not a neighborhood that’s on most New Yorkers' minds. But this South Brooklyn enclave, bordered by Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, Bensonhurst and the waterfront, sees some of the highest home sales in all of Kings County. Here, it’s not uncommon for selling prices to break the $10 million mark. Two years ago, a home hit the market for $14 million. So what’s happening in Gravesend? Simply put, this is not your average New York City real estate market. This neighborhood is home to the largest Sephardic Jewish community in the United States, and real estate is dominated by proximity to synagogues and Jewish Community Centers. That pressure for proximity has driven real estate prices into the multi-millions.
Learn more about the unique Gravesend real estate market…

April 28, 2015

Renovated Carroll Gardens Carriage House Comes with a Private Entryway

By Emily Nonko

The pine plank floors, raised ceilings, and exposed ceiling beams at this Carroll Gardens carriage house are making us swoon. A recent renovation at the house, located at 36 Strong Place, has completely elevated this former stable into a beautiful three-level home. Not only is this a freestanding property—rare in this neighborhood of brownstones—it also comes with a private entryway and an expansive backyard. The rent, of course, reflects all those perks (and the fact that it comes furnished). The asking price is a hefty $12,500 a month.
See more of the interior photos here

Distinctive Homes

April 24, 2015

Lofty Greenwich Village Condo Offers Plenty of Space to Show Off Your Art

By Emily Nonko

This is not your artsy Greenwich Village apartment of the beatnik era. The condo at 29 East 10th Street, which takes up the entire second floor, is more along the lines of "luxury loft living." It has been renovated with custom lighting and exposed brickwork to accommodate the seller's impressive, sometimes kooky, art collection. And it seems like unique design is a trend of the building, which is a former 19th century feather factory. Last year an impressive condo hit the market here asking $14.995 million. This new apartment is asking significantly less, priced at $3.95 million.
See more of the interior photos here

Going Green and Curbing Gentrification: How the Bronx Is Doing It Differently

Image: View Grand Concourse via photopin (license)

April 20, 2015

Going Green and Curbing Gentrification: How the Bronx Is Doing It Differently

By Emily Nonko

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Bronx is burning." The infamous phrase, uttered in a 1977 broadcast of a Bronx fire, has stuck in the mind of many New Yorkers even today. Indeed, the Bronx saw a sharp decline in population and quality of life in the late 1960s and 1970s, which culminated in a wave of arson. By the early 1980s, the South Bronx was considered one of the most blighted neighborhoods in the country, with a 60 percent decline in population and 40 percent decline of housing units. Although revitalization picked up by the '90s, the Bronx never quite took off like its outer-borough counterparts Brooklyn and Queens. While media hype, quickly rising prices and a rush of development has come to characterize those two boroughs, the Bronx has flourished more quietly. The borough, nevertheless, has become home to growth and development distinct from the rest of New York City. Innovative affordable housing, adaptive reuse projects, green development and strong community involvement are redefining the area. As Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said during this Municipal Arts Society discussion in 2014, this is "The New Bronx."
Keep Reading About What's Going on in the Bronx

April 16, 2015

Gorgeous Carroll Gardens Brownstone Embodies Both Modern and Historic Design

By Emily Nonko

This Carroll Gardens brownstone, at 371 Clinton Street, has a lot going for it. It has been converted from a two-family home into a sprawling, four-story single family beauty. There's a whole 3,400 square feet to enjoy, and man, is there a lot to enjoy. An interior renovation has struck the perfect balance between historic, classic brownstone design and more modern upgrades. And it makes sense, since the current owners specialize in home furnishing.
See more interior photos here

Distinctive Homes

UWS Brownstone Duplex with Private Terrace Asks $1.8 Million

By Emily Nonko

If you can't afford the multi-millions it takes to buy a townhouse off Central Park West, this duplex at 132 West 78th Street may do the trick. Of course, the price is still significant with an ask of $1,795,000. But it's a smaller sum for a lovely, historic pad–the co-op takes up two floors of a brownstone, which is located on a block of even more gorgeous brownstones. And did we mention it's located less than a block away from the Museum of Natural History, and one block from Central Park?
Take a look around here

Distinctive Homes

All articles by Emily Nonko

Pitch a Story

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Distinctive Post Form

Get in Touch

Send us a Tip

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Thinking about selling your home?

Sell a Home (Footer)

Before You Move On from this Page.

Your Daily Doseof NYC Life!

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Your Daily Dose
of NYC Life!