Urban Refuge

Living Large in 1,000 Square Feet

by Jennifer Farley and photographs by Deborah Degraffenreid, May 26, 2011

In the annals of Kingston’s Rondout-area renovation stories, realtor Jonathan Korn’s daring purchase of a squalid 1860s Federal-style brick townhouse on Ravine Street reads like a bodice-ripper. Against seemingly insurmountable odds, the petite but upright house, abused by cruel fortune, somehow manages to catch the eye of the man who really loves her. He won’t listen to people who say she’s not worth the trouble.

After nearly four years of dramatic ups and downs—as in a gut renovation that hits a few snags—there’s a Hollywood ending: a glass-tiled chemistry-lab kitchen; a light-bathed penthouse master bedroom with a view of the Wurts Street bridge; and a spacious open parlor and dining area where four closet-size rooms used to be.



A study in contrasts, Korn’s home is like a classic yacht. It’s clearly not a conventional real estate investment. It might be a money pit. That’s okay with Korn. He’s not leaving until he can no longer make it up the restored and restructured staircases.

Perched proudly on a hillside, with straightforward lines and a “secret garden”-style pitched backyard, the house reminds Korn of San Francisco. There, comparable dwellings cost several times the undisclosed—but clearly princely—sum he’s put into his home near the Hudson. He loves smelling the water and spying the sailboat masts. “I believe in these old cities by the river,” the realtor says.