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.

Miami meets Brooklyn in this $10M Williamsburg townhouse with a three-car garage

Photos courtesy of DDreps. Renderings courtesy of Masha Begun, Crosby Studios. Floorplans courtesy of Interiors by Kat.

March 28, 2025

Miami meets Brooklyn in this $10M Williamsburg townhouse with a three-car garage

By Michelle Cohen

Brought to you by the development team behind 112 India Street and The Bath Haus, Greenpoint, and designed by the visionaries at Crosby Studios (Opening Ceremony, Dover Street Market Paris, and immersive environments at Design Miami/2021), this single-family design masterpiece at 276 Berry Street is steps from the Williamsburg waterfront. But its architecturally distinct seven-level form, pale stone facade, modern windows–and the indulgent privacy of a three-car garage–wouldn't be out of place in Miami or Malibu. Asking $10,000,000, the corner home embodies modern design inside and out.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

On her own: The legacy of women’s hotels in New York City

Women in the dining room of the Clara de Hirsch Home for Working Girls, undated. Photo courtesy of 92NY Archives

March 27, 2025

On her own: The legacy of women’s hotels in New York City

By Michelle Cohen

The tale of a woman on her own, arriving in New York City to find her fortune, began long before Mary Tyler Moore exuberantly tossed her hat into the air. The city's history is inseparable from international women's history, and a handful of residences that offered refuge for young ladies arriving solo is undoubtedly part of this story. With good moral intentions–and rules and regulations–they were gracious in the amenities and camaraderie offered. Introduced here are some of the historic hotels that helped generations of women gain a foothold in the big city–as well as one set to reopen this year as a modern women-only residence.
a room of one's own

History

For $1.3M, a 1926 apartment in the Bronx that feels like an Italian hillside villa

All photos courtesy of Rinze van Brug; some photos are virtually staged.

March 26, 2025

For $1.3M, a 1926 apartment in the Bronx that feels like an Italian hillside villa

By Michelle Cohen

With a hilltop view of the Hudson River and the Palisades, the romantically-named Villa Charlotte Bronte at 2501 Palisade Avenue is a hidden gem within New York City limits. Built in 1926, the 17-unit complex is perched along steep cliffs, surrounded by greenery, and blessed with several stone patios for private enjoyment. Asking $1,315,000, this three-bedroom home offers living on three floors, including a light-filled garret in keeping with its charm.
the villa awaits

Distinctive Homes

Live like an early-aughts media icon in Nick Denton’s $3.5M Soho loft

Photo credit: Kate Glicksberg

March 25, 2025

Live like an early-aughts media icon in Nick Denton’s $3.5M Soho loft

By Michelle Cohen

Though Hungary might not be the first place that comes to mind when planning one's escape from 2025 America, Gawker founder Nick Denton is leaving his Soho home base and relocating his family to Europe, with precisely that destination in mind, according to New York magazine. European health care might be superior, but it will be hard to top his sexy loft at 76 Crosby Street. Asking $3,500,000, the two-bedroom loft condo is at the epicenter of downtown Manhattan living.
get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Within this $10M Brooklyn Heights townhouse is a masterpiece of modern architectural design

All photos courtesy of Virginia Carey for Brown Harris Stevens

March 20, 2025

Within this $10M Brooklyn Heights townhouse is a masterpiece of modern architectural design

By Michelle Cohen

Along historic Willow Place in Brooklyn Heights, the pretty carriage house at number 17 fits in perfectly; you'd never know that only the facade and sidewalls remain of the early-19th-century former stable. Architect Robert Kahn reconstructed the 4,600-square-foot building from the inside out in 2012, creating a modernist home for the ages, with three private garden spaces–including a stunning top-floor atrium courtyard–and a garage.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

For $1.75M, your own private oculus with skyline views on the Upper West Side

All photos courtesy of Celeste Godoy for The Corcoran Group

March 19, 2025

For $1.75M, your own private oculus with skyline views on the Upper West Side

By Michelle Cohen

Tucked under the eaves at the Ansonia condo at 2109 Broadway, this petite penthouse offers a unique way to experience panoramic city vistas. The circular windows that punctuate the Upper West Side building's signature Beaux-Arts architecture create an oculus effect that brings in light and provides a birds-eye view of Manhattan. Asking $1,750,000, the two-bedroom home has the air of a Parisian garret (without the stair climb), with the added condo convenience of the iconic address.
high-floor heaven, this way

Distinctive Homes

A newsroom icon’s sprawling Upper West Side co-op asks $5.5M

Photo credit: Jon Nissenbaum

March 18, 2025

A newsroom icon’s sprawling Upper West Side co-op asks $5.5M

By Michelle Cohen

A year after the passing of PBS journalist Robert "Robin" MacNeil (of MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour fame) the Canadian-American TV journalist's nine-room home at 44 West 77th Street is for sale. Asking $5,500,000, the pre-war co-op on the Upper West Side is the kind of classic Manhattan residence that feels like a rambling country estate, where you could throw lavish parties–or hide from just about everyone (even the news).
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Take home an armful of free tulips when Tulip Day pops up in Union Square

All photos courtesy of TulipDay.eu

March 13, 2025

Take home an armful of free tulips when Tulip Day pops up in Union Square

By Michelle Cohen

For the second year in a row, Union Square will host a colorful display of 170,000 tulips, with visitors invited to pick a bouquet for free. As a perfect way to welcome spring to the city–and your home–the event takes place on March 30 in the downtown Manhattan park, with advance registration required.
find out more

Events & Things To Do

Amazing light, East River views, and a private terrace for $2M on the Lower East Side

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group

March 12, 2025

Amazing light, East River views, and a private terrace for $2M on the Lower East Side

By Michelle Cohen

Homes in the classic East River Co-op at 572 Grand Street on the Lower East Side are known for offering great value when it comes to location and space. Asking $1,999,000, this three-bedroom residence is a fine example, with the additional perk of a private terrace and dazzling river and city views. Architect-designed interiors mean modern style and convenience on a par with the city's newly-minted condo towers.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Tudor charm frames a $2.1M pre-war duplex on the Upper East Side

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

March 11, 2025

Tudor charm frames a $2.1M pre-war duplex on the Upper East Side

By Michelle Cohen

Within the enchanting walls of a 1928 neo-Tudor style co-op a block from Central Park on the Upper East Side, this three-bedroom duplex at 71 East 77th Street offers two floors of classic Manhattan living. Asking $2,100,000, this iconic residence has been renovated, but leaves lots of room for your own improvements and flexibility for bedrooms, lounge spaces, and home offices.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Popular Articles

For $2.75M, a two-family house in Greenpoint with a pool in the backyard

Photo credit: Anastassios Mentis and Valantis Skoufris

March 7, 2025

For $2.75M, a two-family house in Greenpoint with a pool in the backyard

By Michelle Cohen

You don't have to move to the suburbs to have a private backyard pool and solar panels on the roof. This townhouse in everybody's favorite Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint has those perks, plus a two-unit setup that allows for rental income in addition to living–and swimming–space. Asking $2,745,000, the 2,500-square-foot house at 214 Eagle Street has been renovated and well-maintained, with attractive additions and convenient advantages on all three floors.
pool party, this way

Distinctive Homes

$2M Park Slope loft has a layout that’s great for gathering and a private terrace for your garden

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

March 6, 2025

$2M Park Slope loft has a layout that’s great for gathering and a private terrace for your garden

By Michelle Cohen

In the heart of Park Slope just a block from Prospect Park, this well-appointed co-op has pre-war loft bones, plenty of light, and a long list of just-right custom amenities and features. Asking $1,990,000, the two-bedroom loft in a former horse stable at 499 12th Street is arranged around a perfectly-appointed central kitchen, with a private terrace that feels like it's just outside a woodland home.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

This unusual $2.8M co-op is a compact triplex in a historic West Village townhouse

Photo credit: Jon Nissenbaum

March 5, 2025

This unusual $2.8M co-op is a compact triplex in a historic West Village townhouse

By Michelle Cohen

Tucked into the lower levels of an 1880s townhouse at 239 1/2 Waverly Place, this restored residence mixes original details, modern interiors and townhouse living. Asking $2,795,000, this unique maisonette triplex co-op unfolds within a historic building on a beautiful West Village street. With the feel of a townhouse-within-a-townhouse, living space is spread over three floors, with its own street-level entrance and two private outdoor spaces, including a roof deck with ivy-covered walls.
take the three-floor tour

Distinctive Homes

For $650K, watch spring arrive in the city from this bright Upper East Side co-op

Photos courtesy of Hayley Ellen Day | DDreps

March 4, 2025

For $650K, watch spring arrive in the city from this bright Upper East Side co-op

By Michelle Cohen

Spring is right around the corner, and this sun-filled one-bedroom Yorkville co-op at 10 East End Avenue, asking $650,000, has corner windows in every room for East River and city skyline views. Call it a front row seat to a fresh start.
Take a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Frank Lloyd Wright’s palatial former Plaza suite asks $18.9M

Photo credit: The Charlie Attias Team / Compass

February 13, 2025

Frank Lloyd Wright’s palatial former Plaza suite asks $18.9M

By Michelle Cohen

Once known as the Frank Lloyd Wright Suite–the architect lived in the corner apartment at the Plaza Hotel while he was working on the Guggenheim Museum from 1954 to 1959–this impressive condominium residence at 1 Central Park South occupies the rare level of Manhattan homes that just may justify its towering price tag. Asking $18,900,000, the 4,000-square-foot home adds up to a living space as dazzling as the park and city views it offers. Featured in Architectural Digest in 2014 as a media power pair's pied-a-terre, this extraordinary apartment offers the five-star hotel amenities of the iconic Plaza along with those views.
the tour starts here

Distinctive Homes

This $4M condo feels like a fresh start in a new addition to the Upper East Side

Photo credit: Andrew Werner at Andrew Werner Photography

February 12, 2025

This $4M condo feels like a fresh start in a new addition to the Upper East Side

By Michelle Cohen

It's hard to name a more classic Manhattan neighborhood than Lenox Hill on Manhattan's Upper East Side. At the heart of this prime residential spot, the six-story boutique condominium residence at 420 East 75th Street recently launched sales, offering pristine 21st-century interiors and a dazzling menu of amenities to match the building's sought-after address. Asking $3,995,000, this three-bedroom home offers dual balconies, a cozy library, an additional "accessory room," and the understandable draw of fresh new...everything.
get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Behind a stately Village brownstone facade, a massive six-story mansion asks $35M

Photo credit: DD-Reps for Sotheby’s International Realty

February 11, 2025

Behind a stately Village brownstone facade, a massive six-story mansion asks $35M

By Michelle Cohen

From a basement gym to a fully landscaped roof terrace–and the elevator that shuttles between them–the six-floor townhouse at 34 West 12th Street has all the trimmings of a contemporary suburban mansion. From the outside, the 1860s home maintains the genteel tone of the neighborhood, its perfectly preserved brownstone facade blending with neighbors on a tree-lined Greenwich Village block. Though a no-expenses-spared three-year renovation has endowed the home's interiors with over 7,000 square feet of luxury finishes and 2,000 square feet of private gardens and terraces, its $35,000,000 ask represents a tall order.
six-floor townhouse tour ahead

Distinctive Homes

20+ memorable, affordable NYC date ideas for Valentine’s Day (or any day)

Xanadu Roller Arts. Photo credit: Dave Jeffers

February 10, 2025

20+ memorable, affordable NYC date ideas for Valentine’s Day (or any day)

By Michelle Cohen

Official Valentine's Day events can be overrated and often come with a decidedly un-lovable price tag. Skip the spendy seatings and contrived celebrations and take advantage of the many inspiring, exciting, offbeat, and romantic events the city has to offer.
great date ideas, this way

Events & Things To Do

For $2.35M, condo living on three levels in South Harlem

Photo credit: Hayley Ellen Day | DD-Reps

February 7, 2025

For $2.35M, condo living on three levels in South Harlem

By Michelle Cohen

Manhattan condo living can mean sacrificing space, but this 2,574-square-foot triplex apartment at 271 West 122nd Street adds up to townhouse living–multi-level outdoor space included–in a sleek, 21st-century package. Asking $2,350,000, the upper Manhattan home offers four bedrooms, lots of storage on three levels, laundry facilities, an elevator, and a landscaped garden.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Live in the treetops with private gardens below in this $12.5M Brooklyn Heights townhouse

Photos courtesy of Nikola Strbac for The Corcoran Group

February 5, 2025

Live in the treetops with private gardens below in this $12.5M Brooklyn Heights townhouse

By Michelle Cohen

Even on a postcard-perfect block amid the homes and gardens of historic Brooklyn Heights, the six-story Federal-style townhouse at 12 Sidney Place is a standout. Asking $12,500,000, the 21-foot-wide home offers 5,700 square feet of breathtaking interior architecture, surrounded by the greenery of a sunken garden, multiple terraces, and an enclosed sleeping porch.
take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

This $10.5M Soho loft in a former chocolate factory feels like a country estate

Photo credit: Shannon Dupre | DD-Reps

February 4, 2025

This $10.5M Soho loft in a former chocolate factory feels like a country estate

By Michelle Cohen

The classic lofts that line the streets of Soho and Nolita are known for their flexible floor plans and cavernous open living space; this 4,100-square-foot loft condo at 285 Lafayette Street checks those boxes, adding a level of sumptuous coziness you'd expect to find in a Catskills country home. Asking $10,500,000, the four-bedroom loft began life at the turn of the 20th century, in a chocolate factory that later became one of the neighborhood's earliest full-service condominiums.
explore the loft

Distinctive Homes

For $549K, get cozy in an 1860s Catskills farmhouse with barns, sun porches, and a dreamy country kitchen

All photos courtesy of Matt Petock (@capture_catskills)

January 31, 2025

For $549K, get cozy in an 1860s Catskills farmhouse with barns, sun porches, and a dreamy country kitchen

By Michelle Cohen

If you're dreaming of a rustic farmhouse surrounded by acres of rolling hills, you'll want to consider Bailey Farm at 455 Bailey Road in Stamford, New York. Asking $549,000, this Catskills country estate on 33 upstate acres is sufficiently away-from-it-all, while also being the picture of modern farmhouse comfort and warmth. Anchoring a former cauliflower farm, the historic home boasts sun-filled covered porches at the front and back. Outside, two barns offer room for expansion.
farmhouse tour, this way

Distinctive Homes

For $2.75M, row house charm and a big front porch, a block from Prospect Park

Photo credit: Russ Ross for The Corcoran Group

January 30, 2025

For $2.75M, row house charm and a big front porch, a block from Prospect Park

By Michelle Cohen

In the Prospect Park-adjacent Brooklyn neighborhood of Windsor Terrace, this compact brick row house at 247 Windsor Place begins with a wide, welcoming front porch. Asking $2,750,000, the 2,600-square-foot, four-bedroom home has kept its historic charm, while modern updates–like a repositioned staircase that allows for an open main-floor layout–add 21st-century liveability.
take the tour

Distinctive Homes

17 Valentine’s Day gifts from NYC, with love

January 29, 2025

17 Valentine’s Day gifts from NYC, with love

By Michelle Cohen

Shower your person(s) with love while showing your love for New York City with our collection of sweet treats and treasures. All of the below items can be found at local shops and businesses–or ones that were born in NYC.
NYC-loving gifts, this way

For $2.5M, turn-key townhouse living in a historic Crown Heights home

Photo credit: Francisco Rosario/DDreps for The Corcoran Group

January 29, 2025

For $2.5M, turn-key townhouse living in a historic Crown Heights home

By Michelle Cohen

In the Weeksville section of Crown Heights at 313 Troy Avenue, this 1901 townhouse is easily recognizable as a historic gem from the first glance at its barrel-front facade. Within the home's graceful architecture, a dramatic renovation has introduced modern luxury and eye-pleasing design. The two-family home, asking $2,500,000, includes a renovated garden-level flat with a duplex above.
Joy in weeksville, this way

Distinctive Homes

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