Hannah Berman

Brooklyn, United States

Writer at Freelance

Program Director & Associate Editor at Skylight

Articles

“If we could do it, anyone could”

3 weeks ago | skylight.nyc | Hannah Berman

Many New Yorkers are familiar with the cooperative home ownership model, otherwise known as the co-op. Yet even those who know co-ops well might be surprised to learn that this model first appeared in the US in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park, at the hands of Finnish immigrants looking to lower housing costs by pooling their resources. Sun Garden Homes, located at 637 – 661 41st St., is one of those 25-odd original Finnish co-ops, built in 1926 and owned and managed collectively ever since.
What Is A Bathhouse And Why Are They Trending in New York?

1 month ago | thrillist.com | Hannah Berman

Othership bathhouse in New York's Flatiron | Christian RodriguezOthership bathhouse in New York's Flatiron | Christian RodriguezNew YorkTravelWellnessDespite a recent spike in sanitary skepticism and UTI rumors, chatty, crowded, and sweaty baths are trending with Gen-Z. I first heard about New York’s Russian & Turkish Baths from my friend Alp.
"Everyone’s sick of hearing about heat pumps from me!"

Jan 1, 2025 | skylight.nyc | Hannah Berman

Kathryn DeFehr lives at 205 Hicks Street, a 20-unit co-op in Brooklyn Heights that began the process of replacing its old, inefficient oil-burning boiler with electric heat pumps in 2020. DeFehr, an architect obsessed with sustainability, knew about Local Law 97 (LL97) before it passed, and used the new law as an opportunity to convince her fellow co-op board members to take the leap toward installing clean energy tech.
Emily Nussbaum Is Getting Realer Than Real

Oct 15, 2024 | publicseminar.org | Hannah Berman |Mat Cusick |Nicole Hemmer |Natalia Mehlman Petrzela

Artificial Intelligence Concept Collage (2024)| KitohodkA / ShutterstockEmily Nussbaum is a highly celebrated intellectual and writer. She has written for the New Yorker for several years, first as a television critic, then as a staff writer. She’s the author of I Like to Watch, a collection of essays about her television hot takes; she’s also a Pulitzer Prize–winning critic. Her newest book, Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV (Random House, 2024), was published this June to great fanfare.
The borough’s best indie publishers

Sep 25, 2024 | bkmag.com | Hannah Berman

Indie publishing has always been scrappy. This is of course by design. Many independent book imprints and literary magazines are founded in opposition to (and sometimes with contempt for) the traditional publishing scaffold, where five remaining big publishing houses dominate, resulting in a slim array of perspectives and favoring commercial viability above all else.
A Laugh For The Day

Jul 30, 2024 | 5tjt.com | Hannah Berman

Now and then I think of myself as a real life ‘Calamity Jane’. That’s because few people can get themselves into as much trouble as I so often do. However, as of last week, thanks to my friend Rina, I have decided to relinquish my title. She is currently the real ‘Calamity Jane’. It started when Rina innocently turned on her microwave oven and was unpleasantly surprised to discover that it did not turn on.
Desert 5 Spot, LA’s favorite country bar, arrives in Williamsburg

Jul 29, 2024 | bkmag.com | Hannah Berman

On opening night at Desert 5 Spot, I’m standing at the bar waiting for my “Dropkick Me, Jesus” cocktail when I decide to compliment the tall blonde woman to my left on her cowboy hat. “I like your hat,” I say. “Oh, this?” she says, grimacing. “This,” she tells me, is her backup hat — she accidentally left her real ($900) hat at her cabin. The hat she’s currently wearing is so cheap that she would let someone burn a cigarette on it, she explains.
A Guaranteed Visit

Jul 9, 2024 | 5tjt.com | Hannah Berman

Nothing in life is better than a little humor. At least that’s the way I see it. I enjoy laughing and I like to have fun. Writing has always been fun for me. It saves me from having to pay for therapy. If I write, I don’t need pills or a therapist to lighten my mood. It also helps me at night. If I can’t sleep at night, I just get up and write. I am far from perfect so I sometimes rely on a thesaurus and use a dictionary to help me with spelling.
Novelist Maura Cheeks opens Brooklyn’s newest bookstore and wine bar

Jun 29, 2024 | bkmag.com | Hannah Berman

It’s Saturday afternoon in Carroll Gardens and every seat in the newly-opened Liz’s Book Bar is taken. At the bar, people sit reading books, both hardcover and on Kindle; at tables, duos and groups chatter about what to read next for their book clubs. Three women pose for a picture wearing shirts proclaiming themselves as “BOOKWORMS.”And behind the bar, novelist and owner Maura Cheeks is pouring drinks. It’s been a busy year for Cheeks.
Kudos To A Comedian

Jun 26, 2024 | 5tjt.com | Hannah Berman

For several months I had been kvetching about the Hollywood elite —specifically Jews—who had not spoken out in support of Israel. Mea culpa! Apparently I was unaware that indeed there have been many who have spoken out and shown support for Israel. Every Jew should be on board with Israel and should openly say so. And it is celebrities who have the ability to reach a great many people.