Beyond amenities: Brodsky’s Brooklyn Museum collaboration offers an artful take on apartment living

When we think about typical amenities in a New York City apartment building, we think of the basics: a laundry room, a gym, maybe even a pool, if you’re lucky.

But at The Brodsky Organization, it’s not just about what’s inside the building — it’s about what lies beyond it.

This summer, Brodsky launched a yearlong collaboration with the Brooklyn Museum, giving residents across its Brooklyn properties access to one of the city’s most iconic cultural institutions.

The Brodsky Organization is a New York City-based developer offering apartments in neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan. Residents now receive general admission passes, invitations to exclusive exhibition openings, free guided tours, and discounts on special exhibitions and in the museum gift shop.

It’s a major partnership for Brodsky Neighbors, the company’s resident perks program that connects tenants to small businesses, services and institutions just outside their front doors.

Led by Cadien Houser, who oversees partnerships and events for The Brodsky Organization, the program’s goal is to help residents experience their neighborhoods to the fullest.

“Downtown Brooklyn is incredibly different from Prospect Heights,” Houser said. “These neighborhoods have such a wealth of opportunity to explore, and I think that what Brodsky Neighbors does is really connects our residents in each of those neighborhoods so that there’s something that all of our tenants can access wherever they live.”

But the collaboration with the Brooklyn Museum is a first — and it marks an expansion of Brodsky Neighbors’ mission.

As Brodsky continues to grow throughout Brooklyn — with four properties in the borough and more on the way — working with a major institution like the Brooklyn Museum “felt like the natural next step,” Houser said.

Both organizations share a community-first mindset, Houser added, with a common goal of enriching the lives of local New Yorkers through art.

“We make you feel at home within your building, but also confident to explore your neighborhood,” Houser said. “Including arts as a component of that is really valued. I don’t think other people are doing that — it’s unique.”

Through the Brodsky Neighbors program, the Brooklyn Museum is bringing art directly to residents — both within its walls and inside their buildings.Photo by Adrianna Glaviano

As part of the collaboration, the museum is also coming to the buildings. Brooklyn Museum representatives will host on-site events at Brodsky properties, giving residents the chance to engage with art, and with each other, in a setting that feels familiar.

While the full slate of programming is still in the works, Houser said events could include everything from paint-and-sip workshops led by museum educators to artist talks.

“It’s nice to not only encourage them to go out to the museum and see what they have to offer on site, but then also bring it directly on site for the residents… that’s really special,” Houser said.

Access to art is just one of many collaborations Brodsky Neighbors has cultivated — but this one stands out.

Most of the program’s more than 100 partnerships are with local restaurants, fitness studios, salons and more — perks designed to add convenience or fun to everyday life.

But the Brooklyn Museum collaboration offers something deeper: the chance to both enrich and better understand one’s life.

By adding cultural institutions into the mix, Brodsky is redefining what a resident perk can be. This isn’t just about saving money — it’s about helping people feel more connected to the city, and even to themselves.

Brodsky’s “housing plus culture” model is one more real estate developers should consider, Houser said.

“We’ve seen folks reply in the end-of-year survey saying thank you, this has made such a difference… It really brightens everyone’s day. You never know what someone’s going through… And I think the programming we provide is a really pleasant experience that makes people really feel good about choosing to live in one of our buildings.”