Elaine Masci
1987-present
My father and uncle were the original founders and owners of Il Mulino Restaurant in Greenwich Village. I lived on MacDougal Street until I was 12 and then we moved into a building my parents purchased on Broome Street.
As a child I used to be friends with the daughter of a prominent artist who lived in a landmarked cast-iron loft in SoHo. At 4,000sqft, her loft, while a restrained living space, also served as the perfect incubator for her father’s work. His innovative art was displayed throughout the apartment and we would spend hours playing with his art supplies and flipping through notebooks he filled with sketches and ideas. Periodically, we would be allowed to jump on two playground swings that were suspended from their 13’ ceilings. Today, I’m in real estate sales and the time I spent with them, made me appreciate the importance of thoughtfully designed living spaces, architecture and the arts. Their apartment was stunning, but unintentionally so. At that time, lofts were a necessity for artists, they weren’t lived in because they were considered trophy-properties. Whereas now, the opposite is true. I will always fondly remember her family and how much those moments influenced my life.
I think the preservation of our neighborhood is important for aesthetic reasons and educational purposes, but preservation also helps protect a property’s value; arguably a person’s biggest investment. I’m heavily involved with the Greenwich Village Society For Historic Preservation. I’m 1 of 7 brokers chosen to represent the real estate community as their GVSHP Brokers Partnership Member. We help raise awareness within the real estate community about the importance of historic preservation.
I’m thrilled that Yukie decided to start The SoHo Memory Project! SoHo, at times was scary, but there was a certain magic to it that remains indescribable. Thank you, Yukie, for trying to recapture such a rare and exciting time in NYC’s history.