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.
Elegant $6M spread is dripping with ‘original Dakota details’
March 12, 2018

Elegant $6M spread is dripping with ‘original Dakota details’

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It's hard to be disappointed by an apartment at The Dakota, the famed, historic cooperative off Central Park West. This one, now on the market for $5.85 million, lives up to its elegant address with interior features the include carved mahogany doors, wood-burning fireplaces, tin ceilings and a mural painted in the master bathroom. The highly refined spread covers 2,700 square feet--spacious enough for at least one baby grand piano--and includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Head on in
Open staircases and angular ceilings add drama to this $4M Flatiron penthouse
March 12, 2018

Open staircases and angular ceilings add drama to this $4M Flatiron penthouse

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This Flatiron duplex has it all: a dramatic double-height living room, open staircases, angular ceilings, big windows, a balcony, sky bridge and private roof deck. Over a sprawling 2,300 square feet it holds two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. And it comes from 131 Fifth Avenue, a 23-unit cooperative built in 1904 that was once part of the original Lord & Taylor department store. All signs of retail are now gone, and you've got this ultra-hip penthouse asking $3.95 million in its place.
Take a peek
East Village’s landmarked Bathhouse Studios building is up for sale for $20M

Photo via Cushman & Wakefield

March 9, 2018

East Village’s landmarked Bathhouse Studios building is up for sale for $20M

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Once a free public bathhouse, now transformed into studio space, the Bathhouse Studios in the East Village has been listed for sale. The landmarked Neo-Italian Renaissance style building opened in 1905, offering public baths to the nearby crowded tenements. (Back then, bathing facilities were non-existent in apartments.) People used the seven bathtubs and 94 showers up until 1958, when the building shuttered and fell into disrepair. In 1995, Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Eddie Adams and his wife Alyssa Adams bought and converted it into a high-end studio and work space. And now, it's a professional studio space you're able to rent out, or outright buy for a hefty $19.95 million (h/t EV Grieve).
It comes with air rights
Versailles-inspired Long Island mansion lists for $60M, Baccarat crystal chandeliers included
March 9, 2018

Versailles-inspired Long Island mansion lists for $60M, Baccarat crystal chandeliers included

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This palatial Long Island mansion has been named Maison des Jardins--or, "house of gardens"--and it's been closely modeled after the Palace of Versailles. According to Mansion Global, entrepreneur Raphael Yakoby "developed a love for everything French when he started his business there." And so, he spent $3.25 million in 2010 for an 8.4-acre plot in Old Brookville and started building his dream palace. It really looks like something out of a dream, with 22-foot-high iron gates, gardens, and courtyards. Inside, over 22,000 square feet, there are eight bedrooms, a grand ballroom, $2.5 million of Baccarat crystal chandeliers, six 19-century marble fireplaces, and imported furniture, fixtures, and fabrics.
You've gotta see this
Stylish New Yorker Federico de Vera has listed his art-filled Fidi condo for $1.4M
March 8, 2018

Stylish New Yorker Federico de Vera has listed his art-filled Fidi condo for $1.4M

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Federico de Vera is known in New York for his eponymous Soho store, a museum-worthy space filled with artifacts that include everything from 18th-century religious figures to Victorian insect samplers, as well as his A-list clients that include Steve Jobs, Hillary Clinton, Anne Hathaway, and Donatella Versace. According to public records, he is the owner of this gorgeous art-filled one-bedroom apartment at the 20 Pine Street condo in the Financial District. After buying it for $1.1 million in 2008, it's been listed for $1.4 million. The high-ceilinged pad, with an open living and dining space, offers the perfect palate for another buyer who wants to fill it with unique decor.
Take the tour
Inwood Library project will have 175 affordable apartments and a new Pre-K

Renderings courtesy of Fogarty Finger Architecture and Andrew Berman Architect

March 7, 2018

Inwood Library project will have 175 affordable apartments and a new Pre-K

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The former site of the Inwood Library is undergoing a major upgrade, with the city announcing a shiny new development that will hold the branch, 175 units of deeply affordable apartments, and a brand new pre-k facility. The decision to tear down the old library building is the result of months of community engagement and neighborhood planning exercises through the city's Inwood Affordable Housing and Library Planning Process.
See interior renderings
The second phase of Hunters Point South Park will be ready for visitors by summer

Photo by David Lloyd/SWA

March 6, 2018

The second phase of Hunters Point South Park will be ready for visitors by summer

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Long Island City is getting five more glorious acres of waterfront park space, with the city expected to complete Hunters Point South Park in the coming months. The second phase of the park, which stretches below 54th Avenue and wraps around Newtown Creek, is nearing completion after three years under construction, according to LIC Post. The city's Economic Development Corporation says the opening date will come by late spring or early summer, so New Yorkers will have a whole new outdoor amenity to enjoy when the weather warms up.
The park has tons of cool features
$4.25M for a full-floor Soho loft with its with original 19th century wainscoting and moldings
March 5, 2018

$4.25M for a full-floor Soho loft with its with original 19th century wainscoting and moldings

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Here's a stunner of a loft apartment, occupying the full floor of the Soho cooperative 27 Howard Street. A private key-locked elevator opens into a white, bright living room with high ceilings and brick walls. Plenty of details give the space personality, including a working wood-burning fireplace, walls of windows, and the building's original 19th-century wainscoting and moldings. On the opposite side of the open living space, there's a spacious master bedroom (with a tricked-out bathroom), plus a media/guest room in between. The 2,000-square-foot pad has just been listed for $4.25 million.
Take a look
Justin Timberlake wants to offload his sleek Soho Mews penthouse for $8M
March 5, 2018

Justin Timberlake wants to offload his sleek Soho Mews penthouse for $8M

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A year ago, Justin Timberlake, his wife Jessica Biel, and their young son Silas decided to call Tribeca home with a $20 million penthouse buy at 443 Greenwich Street. That left Timberlake with an unwanted penthouse at the Soho Mews, which the singer/actor/all-around celeb paid just over $6.5 million for in 2010. Curbed now reports that he's listed the sleek spread on the market for $7.995 million with Stribling broker-to-the-stars Jared Seligman. Any interested party will be buying into a celebrity-friendly condo that Meg Ryan and Jake Gyllenhaal have also called home.
See JT's former home
Interior designer Bunny Williams lists tasteful Upper East Side co-op for $4M
March 2, 2018

Interior designer Bunny Williams lists tasteful Upper East Side co-op for $4M

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Interior designer and "high society tastemaker" Bunny Williams has just listed her classic six Carnegie Hill apartment at the 1185 Park Avenue cooperative. The apartment--now full of antiques she has collected from around the world--is asking $3.995 million with a maintenance is $4,685 a month. (According to the New York Times, she purchased it for about $900,000.) The two-bedroom, three-bathroom spread is on the fourth floor of the 15-story prewar co-op, one of the last in the city designed with a drive-through central courtyard.
Take the interior tour
Lovely garden apartment in an 1893 West Village building is renting for $4,100/month
March 2, 2018

Lovely garden apartment in an 1893 West Village building is renting for $4,100/month

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This apartment, occupying the garden floor of a historic West Village apartment building, is sure to charm you. Located at 225 West 10th Street, the five-story, 20-unit prewar brick building was constructed in 1893 and converted to condos in 1997. (It's a walk-up, making the ground-floor location of this pad even sweeter.) This bright, well-designed condo is now up for rent asking $4,100 a month. And as you might expect, it comes with access to its own private garden space.
Take a look
Brooklyn’s ‘hive loft’ creates private nooks within an open, industrial space
March 1, 2018

Brooklyn’s ‘hive loft’ creates private nooks within an open, industrial space

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This quirky interior design project, for an apartment on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, came from the owner's desire to preserve their open, industrial loft space while adding some extra privacy and separation. The task fell to OS Architecture, a Manhattan-based firm that's done interior design around the world. As the firm notes, the main goal was "avoiding conventional partitions that would have closed off the space." So they got creative, creating a "single faceted form that could be enclosed and private at times," but still interlocked with the larger space of the open loft. Ultimately this interior object, separate from the columns, ceiling and walls of the apartment, makes for an interesting design talking piece.
See more images
$1.9M freestanding home in Flatbush offers more than enough room for entertaining
February 28, 2018

$1.9M freestanding home in Flatbush offers more than enough room for entertaining

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When you've got all the space that a freestanding home offers, you may as well use it! This Flatbush home at 2687 Bedford Avenue is being marketed as the "center of holidays, family gatherings, birthdays and backyard barbecues." With a front and back lawn, two front parlors, six bedrooms and a dining room that can fit 20, that claim makes sense. In all that space, there are some unique interior details to be found, like built-ins, fireplaces and stained glass. The whole impressive package has just hit the market for $1.885 million.
Check out the interior
$900K corner co-op in Brooklyn Heights is cozy as can be
February 27, 2018

$900K corner co-op in Brooklyn Heights is cozy as can be

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Walking down Brooklyn Heights' main drag of Montague Street you can't miss number 62, a stunning Queen Anne-style brick building with a prominent turret. One of the building's corner co-op units has just hit the market for $899,000, and while it doesn't have the lavish prewar details the exterior might suggest, it's plenty charming. The rounded living room is lined with exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling windows, and renovations can be found in the kitchen and bedroom. The one-bedroom spread last sold in 2011 for $645,000.
Get inside
First-floor pad with some prewar charm asks $1M on the Upper West Side
February 26, 2018

First-floor pad with some prewar charm asks $1M on the Upper West Side

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You're getting something of a deal for this two-bedroom co-op up for sale at 301 West 108th Street on the Upper West Side. The spacious pad is asking $1.12 million due to its first-floor location and lack of views. (It hit the market for $1.249 million last year and didn't sell.) But the listing does promise that it isn't the "typical" ground-floor unit, considering that it's "elevated well above ground level." Prewar touches that include archways, moldings, wainscoting and hardwood floors--plus a stunning building lobby--don't hurt, either. The apartment last sold in 2015 for $995,000.
See what you think
Six-acre Connecticut estate asking $2.5M is drop-dead gorgeous, inside and out
February 23, 2018

Six-acre Connecticut estate asking $2.5M is drop-dead gorgeous, inside and out

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Be prepared to swoon over this estate in Warren, Connecticut. 90 minutes outside of New York City, follow a long tree-lined private road to this six-acre hideaway. Inside and out, the 1950s property stuns, with interior design worthy of a magazine spread. And property amenities are plentiful, including wood-burning fireplaces in every room, an in-ground pool with its own cabana, a barn and lush landscaping. The property is now up for grabs asking $2.495 million.
Prepare to fall in love
Central Park’s Belvedere Castle will close for restoration next week

Photos via Central Park Conservancy

February 23, 2018

Central Park’s Belvedere Castle will close for restoration next week

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The Belvedere in Central Park was conceived as a miniature castle by Calvert Vaux, co-designer of the park, in 1869. It opened with some of the best views of the city's prized green space--the name Belvedere was chosen as it is Italian for "beautiful view." But the years have taken their toll on the stone structure, which has not been renovated since 1983. Now the Central Park Conservancy will close it to address issues like cracked pavement, a leaky roof, and plumbing issues. Starting this Monday, February 26th, Belvedere Castle will be off-limits to the public for its restoration, and will not reopen until 2019.
More details of the reno
Just 35 miles outside NYC, this magnificent estate on the New Jersey waterfront asks $1.75M
February 22, 2018

Just 35 miles outside NYC, this magnificent estate on the New Jersey waterfront asks $1.75M

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Located right on the shores of Green Pond--known as the cleanest lake in New Jersey--and just 35 miles outside of NYC, this custom property is asking $1.75 million (h/t CIRCA). Everything here is unique, from the stonework, wrought iron gates, deck and stone patio around the property, to the two-story glass conservatory inside. There's even a separate apartment for guests, so the property sleeps 16 people total. It's surely a destination that'll lure New Yorkers out of the city.
Get inside
Did you know the Flatiron Building used to have a massive restaurant in the basement?
February 22, 2018

Did you know the Flatiron Building used to have a massive restaurant in the basement?

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New York's iconic Flatiron building, built in 1902, gets plenty of attention for its distinctive, triangular design. But the massive restaurant that operated out of the landmark's basement--known as The Flat Iron Restaurant and Cafe--has seemingly been lost to the ages. The basement restaurant allegedly could seat up to 1,500 guests. And by 1906, Madison Square had transformed from a desirable residential neighborhood for the city’s elite, as it had been in the Gilded Age, to a bustling commercial hub. The lengthy menu reflects that, with offerings that include affordable dishes of shellfish, meats, and sandwiches.
Check out the menu
Beamed ceilings and a spiral staircase make a bold statement at this $6,500/month West Village pad
February 21, 2018

Beamed ceilings and a spiral staircase make a bold statement at this $6,500/month West Village pad

By
The West Village co-op 92 Horatio Street is featuring a duplex apartment up for rent, and it's got lots of personality. This unit is decked out with dark wood beamed ceilings, two brick fireplaces, and a spiral staircase taking you up to a private roof terrace. The one bedroom also boasts some extra space in the form of a home office. There have been no shortage of quirky co-ops up for sale in this building, but this one is up for rent asking $6,500 a month.
Go see inside
$14M “single family masterpiece” on the Upper West Side stuns in seafoam
February 20, 2018

$14M “single family masterpiece” on the Upper West Side stuns in seafoam

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The current owners of the Upper West Side townhouse at 144 West 82nd Street took on a careful renovation that they're hoping will appeal to a new buyer. The 6,193-square-foot residence was transformed into a grand single-family home, with impressively restored, ornate interior details paired with modern appliances and perks like a wine room and elevator. (They've also finished much of the interior in shades of seafoam green.) The owners bought in 2000 for $3.6 million--post reno, it's asking a $13.9 million.
The interior will impress
This drool-worthy, lofty pad asks $1.4M inside a historic Chelsea townhouse
February 16, 2018

This drool-worthy, lofty pad asks $1.4M inside a historic Chelsea townhouse

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The Neo-Classical townhouse at 146 West 16th Street sits on a dreamy historic Chelsea side street, and one of the apartments inside is just as charming. The two-bedroom apartment spans the entire floor and has been renovated. It sold in 2010 for $899,000, in 2014 for $1.29 million, and now it's asking $1.399 million. Interior details like walnut stained oak floors, whitewashed exposed brick, an original decorative marble mantel, plus a wall of windows facing 16th Street are sure to impress.
So take a look
In a former Harlem school building, this rococo-inspired studio asks $695K
February 15, 2018

In a former Harlem school building, this rococo-inspired studio asks $695K

By
There's no overlooking this studio apartment from the former Harlem public school at 220 West 148th Street. Carved from the early 1900s school building, this is a 750-square-foot pad with 12-foot ceilings and light through three exposures. In this bright space, the current owner has packed every corner with a rococo-inspired design. Plenty of elaborate touches make this feel less like a tight studio and rather a lofty apartment with plenty to look at.
Head right in
Fall in love with this elegant two-bedroom co-op, asking $1.85M in the Village
February 14, 2018

Fall in love with this elegant two-bedroom co-op, asking $1.85M in the Village

By
In New York we don't just fall madly in love with people--we fall just as hard for real estate. So here's a charming two-bedroom apartment to love from the Greenwich Village cooperative 171 West 12th Street. The listing boasts plenty of pre-war elegance in the form of original casement windows with double-paned glass, a wood-burning fireplace surrounded by exposed brick, and built-in bookshelves. And exposures to the south, west, and north--plus access to a balcony--bring in plenty of light. It's just been listed for $1.85 million.
Take a look
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