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.

June 26, 2017

INTERVIEW: Architect Thomas Kosbau on the exciting future of sustainable design in NYC

By Emily Nonko

Since Thomas Kosbau began working for a New York consultancy firm running its sustainable development group, in 2008, much has changed in the city's attitude toward green design. Kosbau has gone from "selling" the idea of LEED certification to building developers, to designing some of the most innovative sustainable projects in New York to meet demand. He founded his firm, ORE Design, in 2010. Soon after, he picked up two big commissions that went on to embody the firm's priority toward projects that marry great design alongside sustainability. At one commission, the Dekalb Market, ORE transformed 86 salvaged shipping containers into an incubator farm, community kitchen, event space, community garden, 14 restaurants and 82 retail spaces. At another, Riverpark Farm, he worked with Riverpark restaurant owners Tom Colicchio, Sisha Ortuzar and Jeffrey Zurofsky to build a temporary farm at a stalled development site to provide their kitchen with fresh produce. From there, ORE has tackled everything from the outdoor dining area at the popular Brooklyn restaurant Pok Pok to the combination of two Madison Avenue studios. Last November, ORE launched designs for miniature indoor growhouses at the Brooklyn headquarters of Square Roots, an urban farming accelerator.
ORE's latest project

June 26, 2017

$3,300/month prewar co-op is just one block from Columbia University

By Emily Nonko

Any Columbia students out there in search of summer housing? This charming apartment, from the prewar cooperative 609 West 114th Street, is now renting. Besides the great Morningside Heights locale, a half block from the campus and a half block from Riverside Park, you get interior details like 10-foot ceilings, crown moldings and French doors. A corner location and windows everywhere you look stream in sunlight throughout the day. Although in a co-op building this apartment has been rented out for years, and was last asking $2,900 a month in 2015.
Check it out

Distinctive Homes

June 25, 2017

$850K for this 1899 Victorian home in Ridgewood with a charming front porch

By Emily Nonko

This historic frame home is looking picture perfect in Ridgewood, Queens. It's located at 62-46 61st Street, a block off the neighborhood's main drag of Metropolitan Avenue. The listing says you "step back into 1899 every evening in this beautiful two-story Victorian." We have to admit the property remains impressively intact, from the front porch to the ornate woodwork and pocket doors inside. After selling back in 2014 for $560,000, then getting some modern structural upgrades, it's now on the market for $850,000.
Go inside

Distinctive Homes

June 23, 2017

$1.5M UES co-op features 13-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling shelving

By Emily Nonko

This south-facing apartment comes from the prewar cooperative known as Morgan Studios, at 170 East 78th Street on the Upper East Side. A thoughtful renovation didn't take anything away from the prewar charm---the living room still looks stunning with 13-foot ceilings and large casement windows, alongside a wood-burning fireplace with a custom mantle. A ladder helps access the floor-to-ceiling shelving, and a staircase leads to the upper-level bedroom and kitchen. This was just listed under $1.5 million, after last selling in 2009 for $1.35 million.
Take the grand tour

Distinctive Homes

June 22, 2017

Rich wood and brick decorate this renovated East Village rental, for $13,995/month

By Emily Nonko

This East Village rental, at the Pear Tree Place condo at 203 East 13th Street, is rich in prewar material. The 11-and-a-half-foot ceilings are lined with wood beams, the walls are covered with exposed brick and the floor with a maple wood. The three-bedroom pad, on the rental market for $13,995/month, also comes with some perks: a planted terrace off the kitchen, an audio/visual system with two drop-down movie screens, and heated floors in the bathrooms.
Now go see it

Distinctive Homes

10 things you never knew about Prospect Park

Image by Elizabeth Jeegin Colley for the Prospect Park Alliance

June 20, 2017

10 things you never knew about Prospect Park

By Emily Nonko

Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux debuted Prospect Park to the Brooklyn masses in 1867. Though Olmsted and Vaux had already designed Central Park, they considered this their masterpiece, and much of the pair's innovative landscape design is still on display across all 585 acres. But it was the result of a lengthy, complicated construction process (Olmsted and Vaux weren't even the original designers!) as well as investment and dedication from the city and local preservationists throughout the years. After challenges like demolition, neglect, and crime, the Parks Department has spent the past few decades not only maintaining the park but restoring as much of Olmsted and Vaux's vision as possible. It's safe to say that these days, Prospect Park is just as impressive as when it first opened to the public. And of course, throughout its history the park has had no shortage of stories, secrets and little-known facts. 6sqft divulges the 10 things you might not have known.
All the juicy secrets ahead

June 19, 2017

‘Apartment in the sky’ with lofts and skylights asks $625K in Hell’s Kitchen

By Emily Nonko

Located on the top floor of the Hell's Kitchen co-op 857 Ninth Avenue and decked out with skylights (with their own retractable shades!), this $625,000 pad feels like it's perched up in the clouds. 11.5-foot ceilings and two lofts, above the bedroom and kitchen, don't hurt either. Nor do the Manhattan cityscape views from the Eastern facing windows. This home last sold for $549,000 in 2016. We're guessing it got some upgrades before it was listed again this year.
See the interior for yourself

Distinctive Homes

June 18, 2017

East Village loft lined with shelving and storage space asks $4,600/month

By Emily Nonko

Space and storage are what this East Village loft has to give. The unit is from 300 East 4th Street, a brick cooperative built in the 1940s. While you can pick up a unit here for $1.299 million, this one is actually up for rent at $4,600 a month. With over 850 square feet, there are two mezzanines to hold a bedroom and a flexible bonus space. Custom closets were added, and built-ins line the walls, offering storage galore. Best of all, this lofty space takes in tons of light from five large windows.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

June 16, 2017

This $7.5M modern abode in Park Slope was once a humble carriage house

By Emily Nonko

From an 1890s carriage house to this stunning modern home, the Park Slope property at 77 Prospect Place has quite the story behind it. According to Brownstoner, this building, along with two others, was purchased by the Brooklyn Union Gas company for use in an alternative energy experiment. 77 Prospect served as the company's show house, and they installed experimental fuel cells on the roofs, the design of which was inspired by the Apollo spacecraft. More recently, in 2004, the building was completely renovated by the architect Philippe Baumann. He built out a chic, modern interior and added a second floor with a stunning open space that opens to an outdoor patio with a hot tub. Now it's up for grabs, asking $7.495 million.
Check out the home's most recent iteration

Distinctive Homes

June 14, 2017

Impressive duplex townhouse asking $875K may lure you to Staten Island

By Emily Nonko

This is the home that will lure New Yorkers onto the ferry and straight to Staten Island. It's a unique property--a duplex townhouse that's part of a cooperative--with a stunning interior. Under 18 foot ceilings, the main level is lined with exposed brick, wood ceilings, and a ceramic tile floor, alongside a gas fireplace and massive windows. It's located at 48 Bay Street Landing, right off the waterfront and within walking distance to the Staten Island ferry. And its asking price of $875,000--far lower than similar properties in Manhattan and Brooklyn--is sure to bring in potential buyers from around the city.
Tour the rest of the home

Distinctive Homes

For just $515K, an 1890s upstate church renovated into a unique single-family home

By Emily Nonko

A full and careful renovation has transformed this historic, 1890s church upstate into a single-family residence. When we say unique, we mean it--details like large stained glass windows, arched doorways, wood floors and exposed brick all hint at the church’s previous life. A stunning main room with soaring ceilings--the former sanctuary--is just waiting for a designer to transform it into an incredible living space. Located in Philmont, New York, a small town about two-and-a-half hours outside of New York City, this house-of-worship turned home is asking a modest $515,000.
You have to see the interior

June 12, 2017

Carroll Gardens duplex with a private entrance and bonus basement asks $1.5M

By Emily Nonko

This Carroll Gardens duplex offers ton of space to spread out. A private entrance from the 1930s brick building, at 483 Court Street, leads into a two bedroom, spanning 1,250 square feet over two floors. There's also an entire basement below the unit, as well as a private deck and garden off the lower level. This is the only apartment on the market at the quaint five-unit cooperative, and it's asking $1.495 million.
This way for a look

Distinctive Homes

June 10, 2017

Lots of greenery at this sun-filled studio, asking $389K in the Upper West Side

By Emily Nonko

The right design can make a studio apartment feel larger, as this one on the market for $389,000 proves. It is located in the Upper West Side's Broadmoor co-op, 235 West 102nd Street. It's been on and off the market for a few years now, asking as low as $309,000. The cozy space is aided by big windows and plenty of greenery. Prewar details like beamed ceilings and bordered hardwood floors don't hurt, either.
Go take a look

Distinctive Homes

June 9, 2017

You can own two Westchester homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright students

By Emily Nonko

It's rare to own a home in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright, but here's two just outside of NYC in Westchester County. Brownstoner showcased the homes, both designed with Wright’s "Usonian" ideals in mind--affordable homes integrated skillfully with the landscape. The first, in Pleasantville, is known originally as the Silson house and was designed in 1951 by architect Kaneji Domoto, a Wright student. It's located within the actual Wright-planned community now known as the Usonia Historic District and asking $1.2 million. The second is a home designed by architect David Henken, another Wright disciple. Located in Dobb’s Ferry, with the same seamless connection to nature, it is listed for $1.049 million.
See photos of both properties

20 years ago, Mother Teresa lobbied New York’s mayor for a parking permit

Photo via Ed Reed/City of New York

June 9, 2017

20 years ago, Mother Teresa lobbied New York’s mayor for a parking permit

By Emily Nonko

Photo via Ed Reed/City of New York In June of 1997, an unlikely meeting of Mother Teresa and then Mayor Rudy Giuliani took place--and it was over the ever frustrating matter of New York parking. She had come to the city for a surprise visit to spend time with the South Bronx branch of her organization, Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa, then 86, would die just a few months later, but during this visit, her charity work wasn't what she wanted to discuss with the mayor. Instead, she came to him with a very New York request: picking up a few extra parking permits for her nuns.
The mayor couldn't turn her down

History

June 8, 2017

$1.3M for a sleek two bedroom with a custom designed backyard in Park Slope

By Emily Nonko

This two-bedroom apartment comes with a few nice perks: a private landscaped garden as well as a finished, 350-square-foot basement. It's located on the first floor and lower level of 456 15th Street, a brick cooperative in Park Slope. The last recorded sale was in 2008 for $845,000, now it has hit the market post renovation with a $1.295 million price tag. The interior is now sleek and modernized, offset with exposed wooden beams and original brick details in the lower level bonus space. The custom-designed backyard was totally decked out to match the modern interior of the apartment.
So take a look

Distinctive Homes

June 7, 2017

The lost plan to connect Brooklyn to Staten Island with a ‘boulevard under the sea’

By Emily Nonko

Back when New York City planners were dreaming of building new tunnels and bridges, they set their sights toward Staten Island. It was the turn of the 18th century and the city was in the midst of a Brooklyn boom following the debut of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. In 1909, the Manhattan Bridge opened to accommodate the growth of Brooklyn residents who needed ways to get in and out of the newly-developed borough. So the city started thinking about Staten Island. Today, of course, the two boroughs are connected by the Verrazano Bridge. But according to Brownstone Detectives, "Before talk of a bridge began... there was talk of a grand tunnel."
Learn more about the tunnel and why it never came to be

History

June 5, 2017

Restored Romanesque Revival townhouse asks $2.9M in Hamilton Heights

By Emily Nonko

This Romanesque Revival townhouse was constructed at 103 Hamilton Place, in the historic Harlem neighborhood of Hamilton Heights, back in 1910. In more recent years it's been carefully restored and upgraded, with the goal to bring the home back to its original grandeur. Rooms still hold marble fireplaces as well as pine, mahogany and oak shutters, windows and doors. That's paired with a modern kitchen and bathrooms, although one still holds its original clawfoot tub.
This way for a look inside

Distinctive Homes

June 4, 2017

$1.25M Hamptons home was built in 1639 with wood from a ship

By Emily Nonko

This East Hamptons home comes with serious history. Not only was it built way back in 1639, but the facade comes from the wood of a ship and the structure is still held together by the original wood pegs. According to the broker, the East Hampton Historical Society has actually verified the house history as well as the ship's numbered wood, the oldest part of the home. (The wood is numbered because, in the event of a shipwreck, it could be put back together.) They can also trace the property's family history all the way back to its earliest owners. Now, on the market for $1.25 million, it's ready for its next chapter.
Take a look inside

June 2, 2017

$2.7M Soho co-op shows off its 14-foot exposed wood beams

By Emily Nonko

This deliciously lofty two-bedroom apartment comes from the West Broadway Arches, a Soho co-op at 140 Thompson Street. The building boasts a historic brick facade, while the interior's decked out with 14-foot ceilings, oversized arched windows, white oak floors, and exposed wood beams. A modernized, open floorplan also makes this a nice apartment for entertaining--or at least that's what the listing suggests.
See it for yourself

Distinctive Homes

June 1, 2017

Large and lovely income-restricted co-op asks just $375K in Hamilton Heights

By Emily Nonko

If you're curious--and qualified--to take the leap and start shopping for an affordable HDFC co-op, don't miss this Hamilton Heights listing at 409 Edgecombe Avenue. As an HDFC apartment, there are income restrictions that limit who can buy this $375,000 one bedroom. But for that reasonable price you get 945 square feet of lovely prewar space, including a spacious foyer and formal living and dining rooms. Best yet, the top-floor, corner apartment comes with views out over the Harlem River and out toward Yankee Stadium.
Take a look

May 31, 2017

Dubbed ‘the neighborhood’s most charming house’ by the Brooklyn Eagle, this Victorian asks $1.825M

By Emily Nonko

This freestanding Victorian, built in 1860, was actually dubbed "the neighborhood's most charming house" by the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper. Located at 211 Vanderbilt Street, in Windsor Terrace, it is still clad with cedar clapboard and fronted by a covered porch. The fully detached home is also set back from the street, offering the rare front lawn, plus a side walkway that leads to a truly massive backyard. Although the interior has mostly been upgraded, it still holds a few historic surprises. It is plenty charming, but you'll have to judge for yourself if the home deserves the title of most charming in all of Windsor Terrace.
Take the grand tour

Distinctive Homes

May 30, 2017

$3.4M Hell’s Kitchen penthouse boasts the city’s only private rooftop bocce court

By Emily Nonko

Roof decks don't get much better than this one atop the penthouse at 454 West 46th Street, also known as the Piano Factory. The $3.395 million two-bedroom co-op, with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, boasts a 3,000-square-foot private terrace, the only one in the city with its own bocce ball court. The court--which also functions as a golf putting green--is joined by a spacious sitting and dining area with a gas barbecue grill, as well as panoramic views of Midtown West. The apartment isn't too bad either, which a glass atrium over the living and dining areas. This penthouse pad last sold in 2009 for $2.9 million and has been on and off the market asking as much as $4.1 million.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

May 26, 2017

Former writing studio of NY Review of Books founder Elizabeth Hardwick asks $1.4M

By Emily Nonko

This quaint Upper West Side one bedroom comes from the Central Park Studios, an apartment cooperative built in 1905 by artists and writers for the purpose of creating living and studio space for their creative endeavors. Unsurprisingly, this apartment has its own creative history: it served as the writing studio to Elizabeth Hardwick, acclaimed author and co-founder of the New York Review of Books. She lived here with her husband, the poet Robert Lowell, until her death in 2007. The present owner, according to the listing, then wrote his first published book here. So who will be the next writer to continue the apartment's creative energy, for the asking amount of $1.42 million?
See the full space

Distinctive Homes

May 25, 2017

Here’s your chance to vacation inside a geodesic dome in the woods for just $46/night

By Emily Nonko

Airbnb offers no shortage of unique vacation rentals, but this geodesic dome is really something. The 165-square-foot hut is located on a farm in the woods outside Bethlehem, Connecticut, there's no power, heat or air conditioning, and the kitchen and bathroom are located about 100 feet away inside the property's main house—imagine it as a form of camping. While you may be "roughing it" during your stay, you'll also be surrounded by forest in a mesmerizing dome built of pine sourced right from the property. As the owners put it, it's a "very peaceful space where you can get in touch with nature and yourself." The vacation rental is asking $46 a night.
Take a peek inside the dome

Getting Away

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