All articles by Michelle Cohen

Michelle is a New York-based writer and content strategist who has worked extensively with lifestyle brands like Seventeen, Country Living, Harper’s Bazaar and iVillage. In addition to being a copywriter for a digital media agency she writes about culture, New York City neighborhoods, real estate, style, design and technology among other topics. She has lived in a number of major US cities on both coasts and in between and loves all things relating to urbanism and culture.

Drew Barrymore’s amazing 12-acre Westchester estate asks $5M

All photos courtesy of Modern Angles

March 27, 2026

Drew Barrymore’s amazing 12-acre Westchester estate asks $5M

By Michelle Cohen

This 12-acre estate at 19 Winfield Avenue in Harrison is currently owned by Drew Barrymore, but her influence goes beyond just celebrity cachet. The actress, producer, director, and talk show host curated every detail of the three homes on the property as part of her Beautiful by Drew design brand. Asking $4,995,000, the estate's living spaces have an unusual level of considered charm. The property contains five lots, any of which can be sold off for additional income. In addition to the historic main house, the estate includes a guest house and a pool house, surrounded by a combination of wooded land, lawns, and landscaped gardens.
explore this lovely upstate refuge

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow Photography

March 26, 2026

For $3.1M, this rambling Flatbush Victorian is a welcome refuge

By Michelle Cohen

From the wide front porch to the wood-beamed sunroom and beautifully preserved historic details, this tree-shaded Prospect Park South home at 155 Stratford Road invites laid-back city living. Asking $3,100,000, the home's historic details are unfussy but lovely, its proportions are gracious, and modern updates are exactly where they need to be. A private two-car driveway adds even more everyday value.
have a seat on the porch swing

Distinctive Homes

Photos by Chrysovalantis Skoufris of Uptick Multimedia unless otherwise noted.

March 25, 2026

Dine in a gold-domed cupola in this $13.5M Chelsea penthouse

By Michelle Cohen

In the landmarked O'Neill Building at 655 6th Avenue, this duplex penthouse condo is a 21st-century luxury home that pays homage to the Gilded Age. The building dates to 1887, when it was built as a Ladies' Mile department store. Asking $13,495,000, the penthouse is a 4,819-square-foot residence that was, until 2008, home to "Law & Order: SVU" star Mariska Hargitay. Anchoring the home's 2,500 square feet of outdoor space is a paved terrace with a view of the gold Neo-Grec-style cupola.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

All photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

March 23, 2026

This $5M three-family Crown Heights townhouse is a modern triplex with two rental apartments

By Michelle Cohen

The glass-fronted five-story residence at 914 Pacific Street resembles a chic apartment building; for $4,950,000, you'd have a townhouse-sized owners' triplex (delivered vacant) topped by two spacious apartments. The building has a private garage, outdoor space for each unit, and a property tax abatement in place until 2035. All three residences in the 25-foot-wide townhouse are modern and well-designed to bring in substantial rental income in the popular Crown Heights neighborhood.
get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Live in perpetual sunlight in this $5M contemporary Crown Heights townhouse

Photos by Gabriel Sebastian

March 19, 2026

Live in perpetual sunlight in this $5M contemporary Crown Heights townhouse

By Michelle Cohen

This new-construction two-family townhouse at 819 Dean Street at the convergence of Prospect Heights, Clinton Hill, and Crown Heights has 4,615 square feet of indoor living space, too many outdoor areas to count, and sunlight in every direction. Instantly recognizable on a classic Brooklyn block, the new steel-structured modern home has a handmade brick facade protected by a fiber cement rain screen. Asking $4,950,000, the two units consist of a 3,600-square-foot owner's triplex, a 1,200-square-foot garden flat, and a finished cellar.
step into the light

Distinctive Homes

For $1.85M, this Chelsea co-op is a work of art

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

March 17, 2026

For $1.85M, this Chelsea co-op is a work of art

By Michelle Cohen

This unique Chelsea one-bedroom at 255 West 23rd Street lives like a studio while offering the added distinction of a separate sleeping area, all on the top floor of an Art Deco gem. Inside, the home's curvaceous interiors are the work of designer Ghiora Aharoni, who envisioned it as a "residence as a work of art." Asking $1,850,000, the petite pied-à-terre blends design, art, and architecture, taking advantage of light and natural materials to create a peerless refuge.
Artful living, this way

Distinctive Homes

NYC’s first Art House Cinema Week will offer 5,000 free movie tickets and more perks

Film Forum in Greenwich Village. Photo by Tkbrett on Wikimedia

March 13, 2026

NYC’s first Art House Cinema Week will offer 5,000 free movie tickets and more perks

By Michelle Cohen

The NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) and Art House New York (AHNY) announced the city's first Art House Cinema Week New York. The week-long celebration of independent cinema runs from March 20-26 at nearly 30 independent local theaters throughout the city. MOME is providing 5,000 free tickets to ensure that all New Yorkers can participate, rediscover their local independent cinemas, and experience the art of filmmaking.
find out more

Events & Things To Do

This $6.4M Chelsea condo is like having a library, cafe, and office in a three-bedroom loft

Photos by Joseph Velasquez from Five7 Media

March 13, 2026

This $6.4M Chelsea condo is like having a library, cafe, and office in a three-bedroom loft

By Michelle Cohen

This Chelsea loft condominium in the Spears Building at 525 West 22nd Street is as classic as it gets. Built in 1880, the former furniture warehouse sits next to the High Line, and the homes within have kept the warmth and architectural detail of the industrial era. Framed by exposed brick walls, massive wood beams, and cast iron-capped columns, this 3,033-square-foot residence, asking $6,400,000, has plenty of open living space, with the unusual convenience of three bedrooms and several flexible rooms for work and play. Full walls of shelving await a vast book or art collection, and many closets keep clutter out of sight.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

All renderings courtesy of DBOX

March 12, 2026

See inside record-setting West Village addition Eighty Clarkson

By Michelle Cohen

The much-anticipated new residential development, Eighty Clarkson, has released renderings of interiors and amenity spaces following a record-breaking year of sales. The not-yet-completed West Village condo has been kept under wraps, though quietly managing to sell over a billion dollars in volume during that time. WSJ recently featured the sought-after downtown development, reporting that a $129 million residence is currently in contract; if the sale proceeds, as 6sqft previously reported, it will set a new downtown Manhattan record.
get a closer look at the interiors and amenities

New Developments

Photos courtesy of Tim Waltman of Evan Jospeh Studio

March 11, 2026

$5M Yorkville home offers a flexible frame for townhouse living

By Michelle Cohen

This Federal-style townhouse at 412 East 89th Street in Yorkville is a good place to think about spring, with a 20-foot forecourt and a large rear patio, planted and ready for the days ahead. At 20 feet wide, the four-story home, asking $5,000,000, has retained many graceful historic details that frame perfectly integrated modern comforts. As a legal three-family dwelling, the property, just two blocks from Carl Schurz Park and Gracie Mansion, can be divided for high rental income, very easily converted to a single-family home, or anything in between.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

Make this lofty $1.5M Chelsea co-op your own

By Michelle Cohen

This pre-war co-op in the Jensen Lewis Building at 161 West 15th Street has the gracious rooms and classic architecture of an elegant Chelsea apartment, with the high ceilings of a loft. Asking $1,499,000, the home's options are many, starting with its current two-bedroom configuration.
bring your architect and your imagination

Distinctive Homes

For $595K, this Turtle Bay pre-war co-op elegantly maximizes every square inch of space

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

March 5, 2026

For $595K, this Turtle Bay pre-war co-op elegantly maximizes every square inch of space

By Michelle Cohen

This corner one-bedroom at 320 East 42nd Street represents classic Manhattan living in Tudor-style Woodstock Tower, a former hotel built in 1929. Asking $595,000, the compact apartment has retained its pre-war elegance in the form of high ceilings, original hardwood floors, and dramatic casement windows, while optimizing living space and storage with cleverly-designed built-ins throughout.
get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Big, beautiful Boerum Hill townhouse has a barefoot lawn and a finished basement for $7.8M

Photo by Kenneth Chen/Evan Joseph Studios

March 4, 2026

Big, beautiful Boerum Hill townhouse has a barefoot lawn and a finished basement for $7.8M

By Michelle Cohen

While a designer-renovated townhouse in the heart of brownstone Brooklyn may fulfill many a real estate dream, we often expect to give up a green lawn and flexible, livable basement. Asking $7.8 million, this four-story home at 168 Bergen Street in the Boerum Hill Historic District has those rare additions and more behind its 19th-century brick facade.
take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

Flatbush mansion sells for $6.25M, a neighborhood record

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow Photography

March 3, 2026

Flatbush mansion sells for $6.25M, a neighborhood record

By Michelle Cohen

Last June, 6sqft introduced the wide front porch and colorfully restored rooms of this Colonial Revival mansion at 1221 Albemarle Road in Flatbush, first listed for $6,500,000. The 1904 home, built by architect William C. Lauritzen, has sold for $6,250,000, less than a year later. The sale sets a record for the Flatbush neighborhood of Ditmas Park; a property at 260 Westminster Road, which sold last year for $3.8 million, held the previous top price.
Take another look

Distinctive Homes

This $1.55M Fort Hamilton home is ready for spring, inside and out

Credit: Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group

March 2, 2026

This $1.55M Fort Hamilton home is ready for spring, inside and out

By Michelle Cohen

It's hard to imagine a garden in bloom when New York City is still shifting piles of snow. This Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, townhouse at 215 90th Street, asking $1,550,000, feels like a preview, with floral wallpaper, skylit rooms for sunlight in every season, and a patio surrounded by greenery. An additional perk: garage parking with an EV charger.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

This $800K Chelsea two-bedroom co-op is easy on fees and rules

Photo credit: Andrew Brincka/DD Reps for The Corcoran Group

February 26, 2026

This $800K Chelsea two-bedroom co-op is easy on fees and rules

By Michelle Cohen

This two-bedroom parlor co-op on a tree-lined Chelsea block at 231 West 21st Street, asking $799,000, has plenty of pre-war charm along with tons of sunlight and a renovated kitchen and bath. Low monthly fees and laid-back co-op regs make Manhattan living a little easier.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Seagram heir’s Soho penthouse rents for $120K a month, a neighborhood record

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph

February 25, 2026

Seagram heir’s Soho penthouse rents for $120K a month, a neighborhood record

By Michelle Cohen

Seagram liquor heir Eli Bronfman will be collecting $120,000 a month for his penthouse pad at 20 Greene Street while searching for a buyer, according to The Real Deal. The massive loft occupies the top three floors of the classic cast-iron building, topped by a dazzling rooftop terrace. Bronfman put the four-bedroom condo on the market last year for $45 million. Its current ask is $35,950,000, but its six-figure rental price may make it hard to part with–and may be Soho's highest ever.
take the penthouse tour

Distinctive Homes

This $4M Strivers’ Row home is a link to Harlem history with five floors of townhouse living and a private garage

All photos courtesy of The Corcoran Group

February 25, 2026

This $4M Strivers’ Row home is a link to Harlem history with five floors of townhouse living and a private garage

By Michelle Cohen

Built in 1892, this renovated townhouse on Harlem's Strivers' Row, asking $3,995,000, brings neighborhood history into the 21st century. Restored by noted architect Alan Berman of Archetype Architecture NY, the Colonial Revival-style yellow brick-and-limestone home at 269 West 138th Street includes a duplex apartment on the lower floors with a triplex above. An extra perk: a private garage.
take the harlem townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

Waymo in 2021. Photo courtesy of Waymo.

February 20, 2026

Hochul nixes robotaxis outside NYC

By Michelle Cohen

After backing legislation that would allow self-driving vehicles to be tested outside city limits, Gov. Kathy Hochul has reversed her stance, saying this week that companies like Waymo won't be allowed to test the cars in smaller towns outside of New York City, as Gothamist reported. The latest development does not affect the current pilot program, allowing Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, to operate eight of its cars in Manhattan and Brooklyn, albeit with a human at the wheel.
find out more

Photos by Travis Mark

February 20, 2026

Rare historic Greenwich Village ‘Renwick Row’ brownstone with intact details asks $12.5M

By Michelle Cohen

As one of a row of stately brownstones designed by noted 19th-century architect James Renwick Jr., the historically significant property at 28 West 10th Street is a rare opportunity to own and restore a New York City icon. Asking $12,500,000, the six-story townhouse, built circa 1856, is one of the "Renwicks" often cited when noting the downtown neighborhood's historic beauty; like many of its Village neighbors, it has seen several notable creative residents. The home still has many of its original details, including fireplaces, woodwork, and plaster, offering a chance to bring this rare dwelling into the 21st century.
unspoiled village history, this way

Photo credit:Beyond my Ken via Wikimedia commons.

February 19, 2026

Alexander Wang’s Asian arts hub to open in Chinatown landmark

By Michelle Cohen

The Beaux Arts building at 58 Bowery has been an anchor of Chinatown for a century, owned for most of that time by the Citizens Savings Bank. Designer Alexander Wang and his mother, Ying Wang, purchased the landmarked building in 2025; this month, the pair will launch their dream of a hub for Asian and Asian-American creativity in the neighborhood with the opening of The Wang Contemporary (TWC). The center's inaugural exhibition, "20,000 Variations On A Paper Plane In Flight," by Asian-American art collective MSCHF, will be on view from February 20-22.
find out more

Events & Things To Do

$2M mid-century modern home in Westchester has 21st-century energy efficiency and zero carbon footprint

All photos courtesy of Judy Justin

February 19, 2026

$2M mid-century modern home in Westchester has 21st-century energy efficiency and zero carbon footprint

By Michelle Cohen

This 1963 home at 23 Crossbar Road is a remarkable opportunity to be nearly off-grid, energy-wise, while living in the popular Westchester village of Hastings-on-Hudson. The home has a certified Pearl Gold rating and a zero carbon footprint, meaning its owners can be free of energy bills. Originally designed by well-known architect Harry Wenning, the renovated home, on the market for $1,999,000, has modernist charm and plenty of contemporary comforts.
get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

For $2.45M, an artist’s downtown Manhattan loft is a blank slate with a modern frame

All photos courtesy of Bettina Werner and Douglas Elliman

February 18, 2026

For $2.45M, an artist’s downtown Manhattan loft is a blank slate with a modern frame

By Michelle Cohen

This one-bedroom-plus-office condo in the amenity-packed Downtown by Starck residence at 15 Broad Street is a high-floor haven, currently home to Italian artist Bettina Werner, who is known for her unique salt crystal artworks. The Fidi condo, asking $2,450,000, offers 1,809 square feet of living space, with the kind of white-box vibe that you'd expect from an art gallery, framed by 11-foot beamed ceilings. The building is also known for its peerless menu of luxury perks, including a pool and spa, a ball court, and a gorgeous rooftop park with a reflecting pool.
get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

NFL luminary Chris Simms’ Greenwich farmhouse asks $8M

Photo credit: Daniel Milstein

February 17, 2026

NFL luminary Chris Simms’ Greenwich farmhouse asks $8M

By Michelle Cohen

Chris Simms, noted sports analyst and former NFL quarterback, and his wife, Danielle, are moving out of state and putting their restored Greenwich, Connecticut home at 640 Round Hill Road on the market. Asking $8,000,000, the fully restored antique farmhouse is surrounded by bucolic meadow views with direct access to the Greenwich Riding Trails. The property includes a finished party barn and garage, a pool house, and equestrian facilities.
Connecticut country life, this way

Distinctive Homes

This $15M penthouse is a 9,000-square-foot mansion in the Midtown sky

Photo credit: Tim Waltman – Evan Joseph Photography

February 12, 2026

This $15M penthouse is a 9,000-square-foot mansion in the Midtown sky

By Michelle Cohen

If you're thinking a townhouse is too small, this dazzling duplex high above Manhattan's east side at 500 Park Avenue, asking $15 million, might do. With over 9,000 square feet of living space, it's easy to get lost among the rooms that span two floors of this Midtown condo with four exposures, panoramic views, and a massive terrace. Currently owned by architect Wendy Evans Joseph, who has designed projects for noted museums and cultural institutions, including the new Canarsie Library, NYC's first public mass timber building, the home's interiors reflect a level of design sophistication not found in the average Manhattan penthouse.
limitless space, dazzling views, this way

Distinctive Homes

All articles by Michelle Cohen

Pitch a Story

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Interested in seeing the property in person?

Distinctive Post Form

Get in Touch

Send us a Tip

Interesting in learning more about purchasing a new home?

Thinking about selling your home?

Sell a Home (Footer)

Before You Move On from this Page.

Your Passport to NYC:Subscribe for Local Insights and Stories!

Before You Move On
from this Page.

Your Passport to NYC:
Subscribe for Local Insights and Stories!