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 13, 2018

This white and bright studio asks $549K in Soho

By Emily Nonko

This Soho studio was renovated five years ago, bringing a stark modern aesthetic to a unit already boasting high ceilings, hardwood floors, exposed brick, and a decorative fireplace. Though the studio isn't huge, white walls and cabinetry, plus a line of windows that face Sullivan Street, keep things nice and bright. The pad, located at 145 Sullivan Street, sold in 2012 for $346,000 before being listed at an ask of $549,000.
Check out the reno

Distinctive Homes

February 12, 2018

Enjoy zen vibes from this lofty condo asking $775K in Hamilton Heights

By Emily Nonko

This two-bedroom pad comes from the prewar condo at 706 Riverside Drive, in Hamilton Heights. Though the building is classic the apartment's been renovated to look more like a zen loft downtown. A "double loft wonderland" was added to the second bedroom, alongside reclaimed wood shelving and unique decor. After last selling in 2007 for $349,830, it is now asking $775,000.
Look around

Distinctive Homes

February 8, 2018

For $1.6M, a historic upstate church-turned-music venue can be your personal house of worship

By Emily Nonko

This historic 19th century building was once home to a German Lutheran church--and now it's the site of a super-cool live music venue and recording studio in upstate New York. Located in the charming town of Hudson, at 21 North 6th Street, the space now offers a buyer some unique opportunities. At an ask of $1.59 million, the listing says, "with certificate of occupancy allowing for both commercial and residential use, this remarkable property can also be reimagined and adapted for any number of commercial uses like a concert hall or an event space, a live and work space for artists, or a phenomenal private residence." One thing's for sure, the bones of this former house of worship--including everything from a spiral staircase to stained glass--are unbeatable.
Look around

February 7, 2018

This chic and affordable Harlem co-op, asking $512K, has just one catch

By Emily Nonko

This is quite the appealing one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, located on the first floor of the Harlem cooperative 1919 Madison Avenue. And it's asking $512,000, a reasonable price for NYC real estate. There is, however, a catch behind that asking price. This is an HDFC apartment, meaning that to qualify to buy it you may need to make less—rather than more—money. (Such tight income restrictions have kept hundreds of HDFCs empty around the city.) Still, the apartment value has seen a boost in recent years, as it last sold in 2013 for $140,000.
Take a tour

Distinctive Homes

West Side art center The Shed plans a pre-opening exhibit this spring

Rendering by NLÉ Works

February 6, 2018

West Side art center The Shed plans a pre-opening exhibit this spring

By Emily Nonko

About one year before opening in the spring of 2019, The Shed, the art center rising near Hudson Yards, will present a free event on an undeveloped lot at 10th Avenue and 30th Street. The multi-arts exhibit will happen between May 1st to May 13th, just one block away from the center's future home. "We are temporarily transforming an empty lot into a flexible public space for new work, collaboration, and dialogue," Alex Poots, CEO of The Shed said in a press release. That means a cool temporary space, designed by the architect Kunlé Adeyemi of NLÉ Works and artist Tino Sehgal, to host a variety of music, dance and performance.
Read more about the upcoming shows

Taylor Swift buys yet another Tribeca property, spending $50M on a single block of real estate

Google Street View of 155 Franklin Street; Taylor Swift via Eva Rinaldi/Flickr

February 6, 2018

Taylor Swift buys yet another Tribeca property, spending $50M on a single block of real estate

By Emily Nonko

Taylor Swift nabbed yet another Tribeca property--bringing her spending along Franklin Street to an astounding $47.7 million. The New York Post reports that she has just purchased a 3,540-square-foot unit on the second floor of 155 Franklin Street, the condo building where she already owns a duplex. The pop star paid financier Jeremy Phillips $9.75 million for it in an off-market deal. She bought her existing top-floor penthouse at 155 Franklin, which spans 8,000 square feet, from “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson in 2014 for $19.95 million. Swift then bought the $18 million townhouse next door, at 153 Franklin Street, which comes with its own paparazzi-proof garage.
There's speculation to her latest purchase

February 2, 2018

Richard Meier’s modernist Smith House in Connecticut lists for $14.5M

By Emily Nonko

There's no shortage of stunning modern homes designed in Connecticut by prominent architects, from Philip Johnson to Marcel Breuer. Add Richard Meier to that list, an architect currently making a big mark here in New York with his first NYC skyscraper design. He was just 31 when he designed the Smith House in Darien, Connecticut, which hit the market last week for $14.5 million. The home--with stark white walls, a geometric design and expanses of glass--was built in 1967 right along the Long Island Sound waterfront.
See the striking interior

A pavilion made of metal grain bins will debut this summer on Governors Island

Renderings courtesy of Austin+Mergold in collaboration with Maria Park, and consulting engineers Chris Earls (Cornell) and Scott Hughes (Silman)

February 2, 2018

A pavilion made of metal grain bins will debut this summer on Governors Island

By Emily Nonko

"Oculi" is the latest winner of FIGMENT’s City of Dreams competition, an annual design contest challenging architecture and design firms to build a pavilion out of recycled materials to be assembled and displayed on Governor's Island. Last summer, visitors to the island were graced with a pavilion made out of more than 300,000 aluminum cans (the number of cans used in NYC in an hour), melted down and cast into cracked clay. This year, the competition is highlighting metal grain bins. A design by the firm Austin+Mergold, in collaboration with Maria Park (of Cornell University) and consulting engineers Chris Earls and Scott Hughes, will reuse old metal grain bins for a pavilion that establishes a visual connection between urban and rural ways of life.
Read more on the winning proposal

February 1, 2018

$749K co-op in Prospect Heights has prewar charm with customized touches

By Emily Nonko

This apartment comes from one of the grand prewar co-op buildings off Eastern Parkway, located in the Prospect Heights Apartment House District and designed to be Brooklyn's alternative to Park Avenue. Located at 135 Eastern Parkway and known as the Turner Towers, the 1926 building holds nearly 200 lovely prewar pads. This one, now on the market for $749,000, is an oversized one- bedroom with beamed ceilings, plaster details, herringbone parquet, the original hardware, and vintage doors. Those classic elements are joined by some more modern, customized touches in storage. The Prospect Heights apartment's grown significantly in value since 2008, when it last sold for $450,000.
See the full space

Distinctive Homes

The scrapped plan to build a 77th Street bridge over the East River to Queens

Courtesy of the NYPL

January 31, 2018

The scrapped plan to build a 77th Street bridge over the East River to Queens

By Emily Nonko

At one point in New York history, it looked very likely that the city would get a brand new bridge across the East River between Manhattan and Queens by way of Blackwell’s (now Roosevelt) Island. This was back in the 1870s, as the Brooklyn Bridge began rising to the south. According to Ephemeral New York, this would have been the second bridge to link Manhattan to Long Island, and plans were just getting off the ground. Though an 1877 newspaper article got the location of the bridge wrong--as it wasn't going to Brooklyn--it explained that the proposal process was moving right along: "The projectors of this proposed bridge over the East River, between New York and Brooklyn at 77th Street, by way of Blackwell’s Island, have, in response to the invitation sent out, received ten separate designs and estimates from as many engineers," it said. "Ground will be broken as soon as a plan shall be decided on."
Here's why it never happened

INTERVIEW: Flank Development’s Mick Walsdorf on bringing timber construction back to NYC

By Emily Nonko

Last November, news broke that Manhattan-based firm Flank Architecture + Development would construct two mid-rise office and retail buildings made of timber in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the first to be built in New York in over a century. Located at 320 and 360 Wythe Avenues, they are currently rising three and five stories, constructed from raw Canadian wood, which will be engineered into nail-laminated timber panels. The timber structure will rise above the concrete foundation, then it'll be covered by a brick facade. Flank co-founder Mick Walsdorf has said the ambitious project "will expand the limits of traditional construction and usher in a new era of sustainability-minded building practices." The firm has grown significantly since Walsdorf and Jon Kully were studying together at Columbia's Graduate School for Architecture, envisioning the possibilities of a joint architecture and development firm. Since then Flank has tackled the development and design of residential and commercial projects across the city, from The Boerum condominium in Brooklyn to the condo conversion at 40 Walker Street in Tribeca. With 6sqft, Mick discusses the history of the firm and the benefits of tackling both the architecture and development side of a project in New York City. He also gets into detail about why Flank decided to take on timber construction, and how construction is expected to unroll this year.
Keep reading for the full interview

January 30, 2018

In Prospect Park South, a freestanding Victorian lined with stained glass lists for $3.25M

By Emily Nonko

Prospect Park South is a neighborhood dominated by historic, freestanding homes, transporting you to a suburbia of New York City. One of those stunning homes at 171 Marlborough Road has just hit the market for $3.25 million. Some locals may know this home as the local Poulet Palace--the backyard's big enough to run a chicken coop. But a peek inside reveals impressive architectural details that include millwork, trims, moldings, columns and decorative balusters. The restored leaded and stained glass is the showpiece of the home, with a unique arched passageway from the dining room to the magical rear porch.
See the rest

Distinctive Homes

Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe’s one-time Clinton Hill townhouse is $8,000/month

Photo fo Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe via Rena Silverman/Flickr

January 29, 2018

Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe’s one-time Clinton Hill townhouse is $8,000/month

By Emily Nonko

The second floor of this Clinton Hill townhouse at 160 Hall Street once housed punk legend Patti Smith and her then-boyfriend, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. The year was 1967, and the rent was $80 a month. As the New York Post points out, that translates roughly to about $600 a month today. Now, the completely renovated townhouse dating back to 1901 is on the market for a whopping $8,000 a month. And it's far from "aggressively seedy" as Smith once described it.
Take a look around

How the Manhattan neighborhood of Turtle Bay got its name

Turtle Bay and Blackwell’s Island around 1840 at the foot of what now is 49th Street, courtesy the Turtle Bay Association

January 26, 2018

How the Manhattan neighborhood of Turtle Bay got its name

By Emily Nonko

The Manhattan neighborhood of Turtle Bay, a stretch of Midtown East that holds everything from skyscrapers to brownstones, has a history dating back to 1639. Modern-day New Yorkers might envision the area got its name from "hundreds of turtles sunning themselves on the rocks along the East River between 45th and 48th Streets," as Ephemeral New York puts it. Back then, that's where an actual bay was once located in Colonial-era Manhattan, surrounded by meadows, hills and a stream that emptied at the foot of today’s 47th Street. Some historians do think actual turtles lent to the neighborhood name, as they were plentiful in Manhattan at the time and were commonly dined on. But another reading of history suggests otherwise.
The name may have been a mistake

History

January 26, 2018

For $75M, you can have your own mega-mansion in the Meatpacking District

By Emily Nonko

The listing calls this building at 799 Washington Street "one of the last grand historic structures in prime meatpacking district." And it could be yours for a cool $75 million. Turning it into a mega-mansion, however, will require serious work. (Though there's no lack for inspiration when it comes to mega-mansions in New York.) The 23,000-square-foot structure is currently configured as a high-end film studio and commercial space, topped off with a residential penthouse unit. Other suggestions to any deep-pocketed buyer, per the listing, include conversions to a boutique hotel or a multi-unit, live/work building.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

January 26, 2018

Sleek Soho penthouse with a sunken great room asks $10M

By Emily Nonko

Most Soho penthouses are spread across warehouse space--so it's unique to see a floorplan with a large, sunken great room. But that's what you get with the penthouse unit at 154 Spring Street, in Soho, which has just hit the market for $9.95 million. A private key-locked elevator opens to a 4,131-square-foot pad (with an extra 875 square feet outside!) lined with arched windows and skylights. There are three bedrooms over three floors, plus lots of fancy interior touches that include a glass staircase.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

January 25, 2018

50 Cent’s Connecticut mansion gets a $13M price cut ahead of ‘Million Dollar Listing’ stint

By Emily Nonko

50 Cent's lavish Connecticut mansion--which has undergone some pretty significant price chopping--is about to get its 15 minutes of fame. The New York Post reports that the house will soon be featured on Bravo’s "Million Dollar Listing." There's certainly a lot to show off on this 17-acre estate: the property boasts 19 bedrooms, 25 bathrooms, an indoor pool and hot tub, night club, indoor basketball court, multiple game rooms, a "green screen room," recording studio, gym, conference room and home theater. (And there are some 50 Cent-themed amenities to boot.) But it hasn't had any luck finding a buyer, with the price getting slashed from $18.5 million down to $4.995 million.
See the insane interior

January 24, 2018

Design studio White Arrow turned a Ridgewood townhouse into a modern two-family home

By Emily Nonko

The plan to turn an early 1900s Ridgewood townhouse into a two-family home was also an opportunity for the Manhattan design firm White Arrow to design bold, modern interiors throughout. The two-story townhouse is now configured with an upper-level owner's level, and a rental unit on the ground floor. More importantly, the spaces are finished with modern furniture, bursts of color, and a playfulness that makes it hard not to want to move right in.
Get the full look

Photos from 1968 show the Museum of Natural History’s 94-foot blue whale being hung

Photo courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History Library

January 24, 2018

Photos from 1968 show the Museum of Natural History’s 94-foot blue whale being hung

By Emily Nonko

Back in 1968, the staff and contractors at the American Museum of Natural History got to constructing, mounting, and finally hanging the 94-foot fiberglass-and-polyurethane blue whale model that's become an icon of the museum. Though the hulking whale looks like it's been hanging from the Hall of Ocean Life ceilings since the museum's opening, it's actually the second version of the installation. According to Slate, the museum made the decision in the early 1960s to overhaul a paper-mâché model hung in the early 20th century because it looked outdated. The replacement was set to be nothing less than dramatic: a display to "create the illusion of having joined the whale in its own domain," as As Alfred E. Parr, oceanographer and past director of the AMNH, wrote at the time.
See more photos

History

January 23, 2018

This map tells you how far you can walk, bike, drive or ride public transit in a set amount of time

By Emily Nonko

Here's a handy map that will allow you to find areas you can reach by walking, cycling, driving or using public transport, anywhere in New York, in a set amount of time. Called TimeTravel, it's a pretty straightforward tool: you plug in an address, a time frame, and mode of transportation. The map then comes up with a layout where you can go from that point in a given amount of time on a certain mode of transit. Above, you're looking at how far a New Yorker could travel in 15 minutes, from Union Square East, on public transit. The map even allows you to specify what date and time you're leaving, to give you the most accurate estimate possible.
You can also search for nearby amenities

Transit

January 23, 2018

$1M West Village condo looks chic with high ceilings and exposed brick

By Emily Nonko

223 West 10th Street is a historic five-story, 20-unit brick building that went condo back in 2005. We've featured units here before, like this one asking $999,000 last summer. The latest unit to hit the market is #3A, a chic one bedroom asking a hair over $1 million. It's a sponsor sale, completely renovated, with the high ceilings and exposed brick giving it a lofty vibe.
The location isn't bad either

Distinctive Homes

January 22, 2018

Lavish Renaissance Revival brownstone just outside Prospect Park asks $6M

By Emily Nonko

This five-story Brooklyn brownstone--packed with pre-war details--is less than 25 yards from the borough's beloved Prospect Park. Located at 572 1st Street in Park Slope, it's currently configured as an owner’s triplex with a rental duplex on the top two floors. And it's huge: the building measures 22 feet wide and 52 feet deep, with 18 feet extensions on two levels. Details include everything from tiled fireplaces to stained glass to enormous mirrors to ornate woodwork. It's just been listed for the substantial sum of $5.995 million.
Take a look around

January 22, 2018

MTA will spend $4 billion to buy 1,600+ new subway cars

By Emily Nonko

Following a very rough year for the city's subway system, the MTA announced it'll spend close to $4 billion to buy over a thousand new train cars to modernize the aging fleet. The New York Times calls it "a major investment meant to help remedy the delays and breakdowns that plague the system." The MTA has set up a three-phase contract with the Japanese company Kawasaki in which the first new cars should be delivered July 2020. Known as the R211, the cars will have brighter lighting, 58-inch-wide doors, rather than the current 50 inches, and eight digital screens displaying information and advertisements. An initial batch of 20 trains will feature the open-gangway cars, pictured above and on display to New Yorkers late last year.
The cars will also perform

Transit

January 19, 2018

A magical private patio is tacked onto this $599K co-op in Lenox Hill

By Emily Nonko

Summer feels far away... but this apartment's lovely patio will at least bring back memories of New York's warmer months. The very private, enclosed outdoor space is a part of this one-bedroom at the Lenox Hill cooperative 150 East 61st Street. After selling in 2010 for $400,000 it's back on the market asking $599,000. The ground-floor abode boasts some unique design quirks like colorful wallpaper and decor, but a new buyer will have an opportunity to make the interior--as well as that awesome patio--their own.
Head inside

Distinctive Homes

January 18, 2018

$329K Tudor City studio packs a punch with charming prewar details

By Emily Nonko

Tudor City, the Turtle Bay apartment complex built in the 1920s, is known for its tiny, affordably priced apartments. This one comes from 45 Tudor City Place, which holds a whopping 403 units over 25 stories. Despite the small space, there are charming interior details, like dark hardwood flooring and beamed ceilings, and the owner has added some extra touches to maximize space. It's now on the market asking $329,000 after selling in 2006 for $280,000.
Head inside

Distinctive Homes

All articles by Emily Nonko

This white and bright studio asks $549K in Soho

Enjoy zen vibes from this lofty condo asking $775K in Hamilton Heights

For $1.6M, a historic upstate church-turned-music venue can be your personal house of worship

This chic and affordable Harlem co-op, asking $512K, has just one catch

West Side art center The Shed plans a pre-opening exhibit this spring

Taylor Swift buys yet another Tribeca property, spending $50M on a single block of real estate

Richard Meier’s modernist Smith House in Connecticut lists for $14.5M

A pavilion made of metal grain bins will debut this summer on Governors Island

$749K co-op in Prospect Heights has prewar charm with customized touches

The scrapped plan to build a 77th Street bridge over the East River to Queens

INTERVIEW: Flank Development’s Mick Walsdorf on bringing timber construction back to NYC

In Prospect Park South, a freestanding Victorian lined with stained glass lists for $3.25M

Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe’s one-time Clinton Hill townhouse is $8,000/month

How the Manhattan neighborhood of Turtle Bay got its name

For $75M, you can have your own mega-mansion in the Meatpacking District

For $25M, a Flatiron penthouse in a golden cupola, with Manhattan at your feet

Sleek Soho penthouse with a sunken great room asks $10M

50 Cent’s Connecticut mansion gets a $13M price cut ahead of ‘Million Dollar Listing’ stint

Design studio White Arrow turned a Ridgewood townhouse into a modern two-family home

Photos from 1968 show the Museum of Natural History’s 94-foot blue whale being hung

This map tells you how far you can walk, bike, drive or ride public transit in a set amount of time

$1M West Village condo looks chic with high ceilings and exposed brick

Lavish Renaissance Revival brownstone just outside Prospect Park asks $6M

MTA will spend $4 billion to buy 1,600+ new subway cars

A magical private patio is tacked onto this $599K co-op in Lenox Hill

$329K Tudor City studio packs a punch with charming prewar details

138 Willoughby Street in Downtown Brooklyn

All articles by Emily Nonko

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