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.
March 15, 2024

Behind this $9.9M Chelsea townhouse, a secret path leads to a backyard carriage house

If you love the idea of an 1848 brick townhouse restored to its original glory, with a back garden, a roof terrace, and a pretty carriage house down a hidden "horse walk," the middle of Manhattan might not be the first place you'd look. This three-unit townhouse at 331 West 20th Street, asking $9,900,000, is like having a private country estate right in the heart of Chelsea. The 25-foot-wide, five-story Greek Revival home is large enough to contain three large private units. A two-story rear carriage house is an unexpected surprise.
townhouse and carriage house tour, this way
March 14, 2024

Step from the glass-clad conservatory onto a magical tea porch in this $7.25M Brooklyn Heights townhouse

With its stately brick facade and charming front garden, this 19th-century townhouse at 163 State Street, asking $7,250,000, fits in perfectly among its neighbors on a historic Brooklyn Heights block. Inside, the five-bedroom home unfolds to reveal dramatic details like a light-filled parlor beneath a glass ceiling, original wide plank floors, and exposed brick and wooden beams. A stem-to-stern renovation has framed classic architectural details with a modern framework of functionality and style.
Tour this stunning townhouse
March 13, 2024

Focus on 57th Street: Manhattan real estate insiders Leslie Hirsch and Howard Morrel chart the rise of Billionaires’ Row

New York City’s most successful real estate agents make it their business to know the city’s highlights, hot spots, secrets, and specialties; many are NYC natives or longtime residents whose love for the city’s streets and avenues adds indisputable value to their career of choice. We’ve asked a few top agents to tell us about their favorite neighborhoods and share their views on what the city's future may hold. Read on for insights from Leslie Hirsch, an insider with an enviable view from Billionaires' Row.
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March 13, 2024

This $3.5M Westchester estate is a private refuge surrounded by village life

This gated six-acre estate in Chappaqua, N.Y., asking $3,500,000, is elevated in more ways than one. Atop a gentle hill at 280 Douglas Road, a winding drive leads to the main house and surrounding grounds. A tennis complex, pool, gym, and sauna bring a wealth of amenities into your everyday home life; beautifully curated formal gardens, rolling lawns, and wooded groves offer a level of outdoor living you might not expect in such a civilized location.
tour the home and garden
March 12, 2024

This $2.6M apartment offers classic Upper East Side elegance with condo simplicity

Located just off Madison Avenue and two blocks from Central Park, this two-bedroom condo at 44 East 67th Street gets classic Manhattan cachet from being in a Rosario Candela building on a tree-lined townhouse block. But the bright, updated Lenox Hill home has the ease of living that comes with a condo purchase–in this case, for $2,595,000.
take the tour
March 11, 2024

For $665K, this little upstate home is the answer to your log cabin fantasies

Surrounded by eight wooded acres and a long private driveway in Austerlitz, New York, this petite and picturesque property embodies the log cabin dream. Inside, the charming house offers a thoroughly livable, colorful, contemporary cabin style. Asking $665,000, the 1,697-square-foot home holds three bedrooms, two full baths, and lots of bright spaces and delicious design details.
Livable log cabin tour, this way
March 8, 2024

For $995K, this dreamy upstate farmhouse gets every detail just right

Though many attempt to create a "modern farmhouse" aesthetic, few find as much success as this circa 1880 home in Rhinecliff, in the town of Rhinebeck, New York. Surrounded by a wooded lot and Hudson River views, this postcard-pretty property at 42 Kelly Street, asking $995,000, has undergone a considered renovation that features just-right design details for maximum comfort and charm.
get a closer look
March 7, 2024

This new $14.75M Cobble Hill townhouse looks like it’s been standing for a century

Built by its current owners in 2016, the five-story, 8,000-square-foot townhouse at 435 Henry Street occupies a corner lot in the charming brownstone neighborhood of Cobble Hill. From the outside, the newly-constructed home fits right in with its historic neighbors with its stately brick facade, two-over-two windows, and bay window detail. Designed by The Brooklyn Studio, the mansion-sized home with a private garage, yard, and roof deck puts all the modern design firepower on the inside. Asking a very 21st century $14,750,000, the seven-bedroom single-family townhouse features dramatic open spaces for entertaining and family living, light from three exposures, outdoor terraces with skyline views, a separate guest or work studio, and a garage.
A stunning brick mansion in brooklyn, this way
March 5, 2024

Interview: Famous photojournalist Steve McCurry on authenticity, truth, and trust in today’s world

As the spring arts season awakens, an exhibition of note will be ending its run at the Cavalier Galleries in Chelsea: Now through March 30, take the opportunity to experience work by American photojournalist Steve McCurry. As one of our most celebrated contemporary photographers, McCurry is best known for his unforgettable portrait of 12-year-old Afghan refugee Sharbat Gula, the "Afghan Girl" who gazed from the cover of National Geographic magazine in 1985. The current solo exhibition marks the release of McCurry’s new book, "Devotion: Love and Spirituality" (Prestel, 2024). The show features over 30 photos that span more than four decades, captured during McCurry's visits to Cuba, Ethiopia, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Tibet. The images are both timeless and current, featuring human struggles and daily lives.
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March 5, 2024

For $4.6M, this classic Park Slope limestone updates history without erasing the details

On a leafy Park Slope block, the townhouse at 351 Fourth Street embodies the neighborhood's historic elegance. Built in 1909, the restored limestone residence consists of a two-bedroom garden flat and a gracious upper duplex. Behind a charming bay window, interiors have been renovated for the 21st century with a careful hand, while preserving details like original millwork and plaster walls and moldings. Asking $4,595,000, the 20-foot-wide home offers a total of five bedrooms, a rear garden and a deck.
take the townhouse tour
March 4, 2024

This $12.5M Chelsea carriage house has a garage, three outdoor spaces, and a two-bedroom flat

Spring will soon be in the air, and warmer weather brings dreams of al fresco dining and backyard entertaining for fortunate city dwellers with patios, decks, and private gardens. This four-story carriage house at 313 West 20th Street has three separate outdoor spaces–and a spacious garage, right in the heart of Chelsea. Asking $12,500,000, the historic home, built circa 1900, is a 25-foot-wide Manhattan mansion–with the option of a top floor apartment for rental income.
take the carriage house tour
March 1, 2024

Tiffany-blue walls and de Gournay designs surround a $1M UES co-op with Deco-era glamour

While this jewel box of an Upper East Side co-op may not be vast, it embodies the dream of a classic Manhattan pre-war apartment. Asking $1,085,000, the beautifully renovated one-bedroom co-op at 175 East 79th Street would make the perfect pied-à-terre (they're allowed, with board approval), from the subtle blue hue of the living room walls to the elegant hand-painted de Gournay wall covering in the foyer–and the 1928 bones that frame the entire space.
take the tour
February 29, 2024

For $55K, spend a post-modernist summer in a designer’s Long Island home and studio

In Flanders, N.Y., where Long Island's North and South Forks meet, this striking two-bedroom home–recently featured in Cottages & Gardens–belongs to noted interior designer Anthony Baratta. For $55,000, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the house, studio, and pool at 707 Pleasure Drive can be your design-immersive summer retreat. The home's dazzling curves and angles, bright colors, and pattern details reflect the designer's eye, and the pool and grounds offer endless opportunities for entertaining and enjoying the season.
welcome to pleasure drive
February 28, 2024

Cozy Brooklyn Heights co-op has pre-war charm and a bright, sunny kitchen for $1.5M

In a classic pre-war building at 161 Henry Street in historic Brooklyn Heights, just a few blocks from the Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park, this two-bedroom co-op has a bright disposition, and not just in the sun-washed south-facing kitchen. Asking $1,500,000, the cozy 1,000-square-foot apartment has 10-foot ceilings, two full bathrooms, a washer/dryer, and treetop views from three exposures.
have a closer look
February 22, 2024

This $3.25M Gramercy two-bedroom comes with expansion potential–and a key to the park

This two-bedroom apartment on a high floor at 50 Gramercy Park North, asking $3,250,000, is spacious enough in its current form. Making use of a sprawling great room, a third large bedroom can be created, adding value and livability. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out over the classic Manhattan neighborhood. Even better: Proximity to Gramercy Park means lucky residents get coveted keys to the private park.
Get a closer look
February 20, 2024

Asking $20M, a university president’s Greenwich Village residence enters a new chapter

This circa 1850 Greek Revival Federal Style townhouse at 21 West 11th Street on a postcard-perfect Greenwich Village block has the distinction of having been the official president's residence at the New School in Manhattan for four decades. As mentioned in a recent New York Times feature highlighting the listing, the elegant home, like many similar university residences, is considered by some to be an incongruous symbol of opulence–and smaller schools throughout the nation are growing more mindful of their bottom line. The home is now on the market for $20,000,000.
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February 16, 2024

Daring details add a spark of personality to a classic $2.35M Village co-op

On a Gold Coast block, this vibrant Village apartment at 2 Fifth Avenue stands out against a classic co-op setting. A thorough renovation by interior designer Sasha Bikoff leaves no corner untouched by creative detail and adventurous design. Asking $2,350,000, the two-bedroom home has a private balcony and unrivaled views down the Avenue.
get a closer look
February 15, 2024

Gaze at the sun, moon, and stars above from this $5.45M Tribeca penthouse

With a private terrace, fireplaces, open city views, and a front-row seat to the sky above, you could definitely call this sprawling three-bedroom condo at 459 Washington Street a trophy pad. Asking $5,450,000, this downtown Manhattan home boasts plenty of living and entertaining space along with modern design details and amenities exactly where you need them.
take the penthouse tour
February 13, 2024

This $7M limestone townhouse brings restored Park Slope perfection to historic beauty

The stately limestone townhouse at 615 Third Street embodies the dream of Park Slope living within the landmarked, historic blocks that surround Prospect Park. Asking $6,995,000, the four-story single-family home spans 4,550 square feet, including a triplex anchored by a ground-floor apartment. Built in 1899, this iconic property is filled with meticulously restored historic details that form a backdrop for equally considered top-of-the-line renovations.
Take the townhouse tour
February 9, 2024

Bed-Stuy brownstone living in a compact condo for $725K

On a historic block on the Clinton Hill-Bed-Stuy border, this top-floor home at 190 Lefferts Place offers townhouse living and modern condo convenience. On the highest floor of a beautifully restored four-unit brick-and-stone townhouse, this one-bedroom home, asking $725,000, blends pre-war details with 21st-century additions like central air, a newly-minted kitchen and bathroom, and a washer/dryer.
Get a closer look
February 8, 2024

22 unexpected NYC date ideas for the offbeat romantic

When February arrives, we're reminded that love is, in fact, in the air, filling our inboxes with a never-ending litany of ways to summon Cupid's attention, from expensive restaurant seatings to every bloom and bonbon that will fit in a heart-shaped box. If you're looking for a romantic New York City (or nearby) date idea with a bit more thought behind it, check out our love-infused list.
Think out of the (Heart-shaped) box
February 1, 2024

Look out on the city from high above the Lower East Side in this $3.8M penthouse

Manhattan's Lower East Side is enjoying a true 21st-century glow-up; this three-bedroom penthouse atop 196 Orchard Street embodies the layers of luxury that now define the storied neighborhood. The 1,925-square-foot condo offers an iconic city perch surrounded by 18-foot ceilings and views of downtown Manhattan through bronze-edged casement windows.
downtown penthouse living, this way
January 29, 2024

This $9.75M East Village duplex has Cape Cod-style charm topped by a rooftop cottage

As one of Manhattan's coveted properties with quaint rooftop cottages and cabins, the duplex condo at 72 East 1st Street isn't merely a quirky curiosity. The two-floor-plus-studio apartment has all of the perks of penthouse living. The thoroughly renovated home, asking $9,750,000, has the feel of an English country manor throughout, while offering modern style and convenience in its details and construction. At its apex, a Cape Cod-style shingled cottage and terrace provide a unique outdoor experience, in a neighborhood that's as urban as it gets.
Get a closer look at this rare NYC refuge