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.
$770K Industrial Carroll Gardens Loft Is in a Converted 1938 Jute Factory
April 5, 2016

$770K Industrial Carroll Gardens Loft Is in a Converted 1938 Jute Factory

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You might not associate Carroll Gardens with industrial loft buildings, but rather with quaint brick row houses and the charming landscaped front gardens that give the neighborhood its name. But the Mill Building at 376 President Street is a fine example of the former (There's a building by the same name in Williamsburg that was once home to supermodel Agyness Deyn, if you're confused). Similar to Park Slope's Ansonia Court, which so many love for its rustic, almost-gritty Brooklyn factory charm, this 55-unit former jute factory offers a rare warmth and period details unique to this kind of converted industrial building. It's no less a modern condo though, with an elevator, parking and central A/C. This compact one-bedroom loft, asking $770,000–it last sold for $440,000 in 2012–has been updated with custom interiors that make the best of the apartment's factory bones.
Have a look
This 1970s East Village Windmill Was Decades Ahead of Its Time

Raising the windmill on the roof of 519. Photo credit: Travis Price via Gothamist

April 5, 2016

This 1970s East Village Windmill Was Decades Ahead of Its Time

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If you want to build a windmill today, you can thank a handful of dedicated tenants in a building at 519 East 11th Street in the East Village of the 1970s. The story of the Alphabet City windmill is one of many stories, recounted in Gothamist, from the bad old days of Loisaida–as the East Village's far eastern avenues, also known as Alphabet City, were once called–the kind the neighborhood's elder statesmen regale you with, knowing well that you know nothing firsthand of a neighborhood of burned-out buildings and squatters who bought their homes for a buck. But this particular story isn’t one of riots or drug deals on the sidewalk; it’s one of redemption, no matter how brief in the context of time. The windmill was installed above an East Village building that was saved by the community, built and lifted to the roof by hand–or many hands. According to legend, the windmill kept the lights on during the chaos of the 1977 blackout.
Read all about it
$8M Tribeca Penthouse Is a Downtown Dream With a Dramatic Staircase and Heavenly Sunsets
April 4, 2016

$8M Tribeca Penthouse Is a Downtown Dream With a Dramatic Staircase and Heavenly Sunsets

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If the address at 16 Debrosses Street sounds familiar, perhaps it's because the same Tribeca loft building was home to a young Lena Dunham, whose artist parents owned–and sold for $6.25 million in 2014–a duplex loft on the fourth floor. Dunham's first film, "Tiny Furniture," was filmed in the space. While that lovely and artsy loft may have been one kind of downtown dream, this tricked-out triplex penthouse, on the market for $7.995 million, is definitely another. Its 3,324 square feet may offer plenty of room for art, but this dressed-to-impress space seems better suited to entertaining and admiring the sunset against the skyline, from the Freedom Tower to the Hudson, from floor-to-ceiling windows and two separate terraces.
Check it out
An Art Collector’s $14.5M West Village Carriage House Is Both Private Gallery and Family Home
April 1, 2016

An Art Collector’s $14.5M West Village Carriage House Is Both Private Gallery and Family Home

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Purchased in 1996 for $950,000 by French music producer, newspaper publisher, entrepreneur and passionate lifelong art collector Jean Lignel, this West Village carriage house received a renovation by architect Jeffrey Flanigan that transformed the 1834 landmark into both a family home and a made-to-order art gallery with 6,700 interior square feet and 1,825 square feet of outdoor space. Lignel’s collection includes many works by Keith Haring, Warhol, and celebrated contemporary artist (and mother of filmmaker Beth B) Ida Applebroog among many others. In addition to being able to showcase large art pieces, modern conveniences–like an elevator and a garage–abound. Lignel first listed this "West Village Arthouse" (as the current listing calls it) in 2007 for a whopping $20 million, possibly fresh from its extensive–and no doubt expensive–renovation. Since then, the home has been on and off the market, with broker swaps and price chops happening each time. In this latest go-round, the three-story historic home with an artistic pedigree is listed at $14.5 million.
Take a look inside this private gallery and family home
NYC Water 101: From the Catskill Aqueduct and Robotic Measurements to Your Tap
March 31, 2016

NYC Water 101: From the Catskill Aqueduct and Robotic Measurements to Your Tap

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New York City is the nation’s largest municipal water supplier. While many locals happily choose tap water at restaurants and extol the virtues of New York’s wettest, we sometimes wonder how and where the magic happens–even more so recently, in light of some other cities’ far less stellar experiences with the local water supply. This recent New York Times article clears things up, so to speak, on how 9.5 million people (and growing, apparently) can keep the good stuff flowing. The source: More than 90 percent of the city's water supply comes from the Catskill/Delaware watershed, about 125 miles north of NYC; the other 10 percent comes from the Croton watershed. The watershed sits on over a million acres, both publicly and privately owned, but highly regulated to make sure contaminants stay out of the water.
Robots, radiation and more of the journey
$8M Park Slope Brownstone Is Historic and Luxurious With a Professional-Grade Gym
March 31, 2016

$8M Park Slope Brownstone Is Historic and Luxurious With a Professional-Grade Gym

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It's pretty rare to come across an historic home that manages to be "sophisticated and elegant" with "prolific original architectural details" and also be a block from Prospect Park. But this amazing Park Slope townhouse, a restored Romanesque brownstone, "perfectly integrates historic detailing with a modern sensibility" and boasts a professional-grade gym in the basement and a private landscaped rose garden. The 6,000 square feet of perfection at 178 Eighth Avenue, which probably already has plenty of offers over its $8 million ask, is luxurious in the best possible way, from gorgeous chandeliers to wall treatments that have plenty of flair but never veer into the whimsical or look "decorated." There's not an ostentatious frill or questionable architectural choice in sight; no Hermès leather walls. No spotlit purse-cochere. It's almost too understated in places, but not even close to austere.
Take a look at the house and fail to drool.
Controversial Zoning Change Would Fill Lower Manhattan Public Plazas With Retail
March 30, 2016

Controversial Zoning Change Would Fill Lower Manhattan Public Plazas With Retail

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Whether you consider them "dead-end" corridors devoid of street life or nifty urban shortcuts (or just convenient rain shelters), the city's covered public walkways and arcades are finding themselves in something of a spotlight, reports the Wall Street Journal. This recent focus is on the covered walkways that run alongside skyscrapers in the Water Street corridor in lower Manhattan. A proposed zoning change, which would affect property owners in the Water Street Subdistrict, would allow retail to open up shop in these arcades.
Find out why some object to new retail additions
Though Pint-Sized and Pricey, This $1.15M Village Studio Has Tons of Charm and Storage
March 30, 2016

Though Pint-Sized and Pricey, This $1.15M Village Studio Has Tons of Charm and Storage

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While space in this Greenwich Village studio at 12 West 9th Street definitely has its limits, there's plenty of loveliness and luxury–not to mention clever storage and well-planned placement–in this small package. For $1.15 million, you get one of the best addresses in the city, gorgeous light, convenience, and a sweet, if diminutive place to call home. The apartment's current owners purchased the studio just a few years ago in 2013, according to records, for a shockingly pocket-sized $455,000. For a prime Village property, even a studio, that's nearly a steal, and the sellers are certainly hoping to make the most of it.
Check out its crazy closet and more stealthy storage
The Official 2016 NYC Bike Map Has Arrived
March 29, 2016

The Official 2016 NYC Bike Map Has Arrived

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The Department of Transportation just released the downloadable 2016 New York City Bike Map ahead of a paper version due next month. This year's map shows 70 miles of new or "upgraded" bike-specific lanes, twelve of which are protected (physically separated from auto traffic). Also on the map are seven miles of newly-created off-street bike lanes.
Check out the map
$2.5M Greenwich Village Loft Offers Plenty of Light For an Indoor Garden
March 29, 2016

$2.5M Greenwich Village Loft Offers Plenty of Light For an Indoor Garden

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It can be tough to find the sophistication of a Manhattan apartment building and still get the open space and old-school industrial feel of a loft, but this $2.5 million, two-bedroom co-op at 111 Fourth Avenue does a great job with the best of all possible worlds. In an amazingly convenient (though perhaps a little busy if you're seeking a neighborhood vibe) spot at the crossroads of Greenwich Village, the East Village, and steps from Union Square, you're getting enviable city views, finely finished interiors and building amenities like an elevator, laundry, landscaped roof decks and parking, while scoring all the open loft architecture, 1920s construction and walls of casement windows you could possibly wish for.
Take a look around
‘Eloise From Hell’ Spent 35 Years in the Plaza for $500/Month, Until Donald Trump Came Along

Illustration by Hilary Knight, courtesy of Simon and Schuster

March 28, 2016

‘Eloise From Hell’ Spent 35 Years in the Plaza for $500/Month, Until Donald Trump Came Along

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Remember the story of Herbert J. Sukenik, the famous Central Park West "hermit holdout?" Developers paid the rent-controlled curmudgeon $17 million and gave him a free massive pad overlooking the park in a legendary buyout. His female counterpart might be one Fannie Lowenstein, whom none other than Donald Trump is said to have ended up bestowing a sprawling suite in the venerable Plaza Hotel at 1 Central Park South, complete with a Steinway grand piano and maid service. For zero dollars a month. For life. Here’s how the story of the woman the hotel staff referred to as “the Eloise from Hell” became yet another Manhattan rent regulation legend, as told by Vice.
Find out more
Recently Sold for $10M in Bidding War, Furnished UES Townhouse Now Renting for $50K/Month
March 28, 2016

Recently Sold for $10M in Bidding War, Furnished UES Townhouse Now Renting for $50K/Month

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Bidding wars have become too familiar to cause much of a shock, and things have cooled down a bit in the city's most competitive markets, but a nice turn-key townhouse can still bring out the competition in full force. This was certainly the case when this four-story townhouse at 235 East 72nd Street changed hands for $10.1 million–well over the $9.5 million ask–after a bidding war between developers Naftali Group and Toll Brothers in February. The former emerged victorious, though rumor has it that both parties may have plans for amassing properties on the prime Upper East Side block. The furnished townhouse is now seeking a short- or long-term tenant to fork over $50,000 a month for the privilege of dwelling on its four renovated floors of five-bedroom spaciousness. The 5,250-square-foot 1910 house has been completely furnished with no detail left unfinished, and since it's managed by onefinestay, renters won’t have to pay utilities and get to enjoy perks like hotel-grade linens and towels, maid service, 24/7 concierge services, and iPhones with unlimited local calls and curated property and neighborhood information.
See all 5,250 square feet of this turn-key townhouse
Actor Stephen Dorff Lists Chelsea Penthouse Loft With Party-Ready Roof Deck for $3M
March 25, 2016

Actor Stephen Dorff Lists Chelsea Penthouse Loft With Party-Ready Roof Deck for $3M

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The Chelsea loft penthouse at 251 West 19th Street belonging to actor Stephen Dorff just hit the market for $3 million, reports the Wall Street Journal. The apartment's best feature is undoubtedly its 850-square-foot private roof terrace with a wet bar/kitchen, outdoor shower and Empire State Building views. Dorff was a teen heartthrob in the '90s–known for the boxing film, "The Power of One" (1992), and the 1998 superhero film “Blade”–and an indie It Boy of sorts in the following decade, appearing in cult films like John Waters' "Cecil B. Demented" and slacker/grunge time capsule "S.F.W.." A stream of typical "evil guy" roles followed until 2010, when he starred in the Sofia Coppola film "Somewhere," which, perhaps ironically, is the tale of a disaffected hotel-dwelling actor. But Dorff has definitely worked hard if nothing else. And he may finally be seeing the benefits: WSJ quotes the actor in a 2013 interview as describing his less-than-savvy spending habits during the early days of his career: "After movies, I would rent these really expensive houses, and then I would run out of money and have to do another movie. I didn't like that feeling of having to take something I didn't want," he says. "Now I'm into buying—forget this renting stuff."
See more of this indoor-outdoor duplex
This $925K Upper West Side Co-op Has Pre-War Details and a Hand-Painted Tableaux
March 25, 2016

This $925K Upper West Side Co-op Has Pre-War Details and a Hand-Painted Tableaux

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When looking at Manhattan apartments, it's hard sometimes to avoid the cookie-cutter trap, especially when looking at one-bedrooms. Pre-war units can be more diverse, but there's still plenty of the generic. This lovely one-bedroom co-op in an elevator building at 329 West 108th Street is definitely exceptional in that regard. The combination of two 1890s townhouses that resulted in this boutique co-op brought with it interior details like warm wooden beams, mosaic tiles, oversized bay windows and leaded glass–which remain to charm and set the apartment apart from the crowd. Everywhere you look in this know-it-when-you-see-it home, you'll find turn-of-the-previous-century, museum quality details: quarter- and rift-sawn oak herringbone and parquet floors, leaded glass, ornate moldings, and original woodwork surrounding oversized doorways, windows and nearly 11-foot ceilings.
Take a tour
Chatty Maps Tell You What You’ll Hear on Given Streets and How It’ll Make You Feel
March 25, 2016

Chatty Maps Tell You What You’ll Hear on Given Streets and How It’ll Make You Feel

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Chatty Maps is an interactive project that reveals what sort of experience your ears will have on specific city streets. Leaflet-based maps of New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Washington, Miami, Seattle, London, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan and Rome map each city's roadways, which are colored to correspond to sounds on the street (transport, nature, human, music and building), based on tags taken from social media. Select your city and find a street on the map (or search for the street of your choice) to view the corresponding sounds. For each street, you also get a data visualization that attempts to track the relationship between street sounds and human emotions. Streets with dominant music sounds, for example, are associated with strong emotions of joy or sadness.
Check the map to find out how the city sounds at street level
‘Scarface’ Director Brian De Palma Buys Second Co-op in Fifth Avenue Building for $1.8M
March 24, 2016

‘Scarface’ Director Brian De Palma Buys Second Co-op in Fifth Avenue Building for $1.8M

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Filmmaker Brian De Palma just bought a second unit at 1 Fifth Avenue in Greenwich Village according to city records. The famous director of "Scarface" and "Carrie" already owns an apartment on the 23rd floor of the Gold Coast building, where's he's lived since at least 1989, but his latest acquisition is a two-bedroom unit for which he paid $1,750,000.
Find out more about the building's celebrity residents
Rent Michael C. Hall’s Greenwich Lane Pad for $15K a Month
March 24, 2016

Rent Michael C. Hall’s Greenwich Lane Pad for $15K a Month

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"Dexter" star Michael C. Hall (whom you might also love from "Six Feet Under" or David Bowie's "Lazarus") made celebrity real estate news just last week for the purchase of a $4.3 million two-bedroom apartment in the new Greenwich Lane complex at 160 West 12th Street. Now the New York Post reports that the apartment is available for rent for $15,000 a month. The actor, who successfully fought cancer at age 38, recently married longtime girlfriend Morgan Macgregor, an associate editor at the Los Angeles Review of Books. He also recently sold his Los Feliz home for $4.85 million, so while the couple may be warming up to New York City living, it makes sense to put the prime Village property to good use from day one.
See more of the Greenwich Lane pad
Breathalyzer Entrepreneur Lists Iconic Plaza Condo for $2.39M
March 23, 2016

Breathalyzer Entrepreneur Lists Iconic Plaza Condo for $2.39M

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A gracious layout, unique pre-war details–including the signature bathroom finishes–and amenities unmatched in any Manhattan building make this one-bedroom condominium in the legendary Plaza Hotel and Residences at 1 Central Park South as enviable now as ever. Currently asking $2.389 million, this perfectly maintained apartment offers all the cachet of Plaza living and every modern convenience. The home's floorplan–offering a spacious entry foyer and a huge living/dining space–could even handle the addition of another bedroom or any number of alternative configurations. The unit faces the garden, and oversized windows allow warm light to infiltrate every corner.
Tour this classic Central Park South home
Despite Landmarks Approval, 190 Bowery May Shed Its Iconic Graffiti After All

190 Bowery getting a bath; photo via Bowery Boogie

March 23, 2016

Despite Landmarks Approval, 190 Bowery May Shed Its Iconic Graffiti After All

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Though the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved a proposal to restore the former Germania Bank Building at 190 Bowery with its controversial coat of graffiti intact, the on-again-off-again spray paint layer looks to be on its way out according to onlookers (h/t Bowery Boogie). Power-washing and a "paint-removal system" are reportedly underway, disappearing decades of scrawl.
Refresh your memory on what's in the future for 190 Bowery
‘Drinking Birds’ Artist Lists Gowanus Loft Building Filled With Hand-Crafted Interiors for $3.5M
March 22, 2016

‘Drinking Birds’ Artist Lists Gowanus Loft Building Filled With Hand-Crafted Interiors for $3.5M

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Sometimes what you see is more than first meets the eye. That was definitely the case in the early '90s when internationally exhibited artist Daniel Reynolds, known for his utterly mesmerizing life-sized "Drinking Birds" installation, purchased this 30-foot-by-90-foot mixed-use building on the south side of Union Street in Gowanus. This listing, priced at $3.5 million, is unique in that its beautiful live and work spaces were designed with an artist's vision, as well as in its creative pedigree and many possibilities for use. Included are three market-rate lofts, a roof deck and an artist's workspace–an excellent investment on a prime Brooklyn block. Each loft offers unique hand-crafted marble baths, restored working fireplaces with stone mantles, stainless steel kitchens, and restored 19th-century tin detailing put to use in an unconventional yet breathtaking way.
Tour this fascinating custom-built creative space
Yankee Legend Lou Gehrig’s New Rochelle Family Home Is for Sale for Just $300K
March 21, 2016

Yankee Legend Lou Gehrig’s New Rochelle Family Home Is for Sale for Just $300K

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The New York Post reports that Yankee legend Lou Gehrig's former home is for sale. The 2,522-square-foot, four-bedroom New Rochelle house that Gehrig purchased for his parents in 1928–and in which he lived for five years afterward–just hit the market for a surprisingly low $399,999 (assessment rolls list the home's market value as $506,826). According to the Post, the price is so low because it's a short sale, i.e. the seller owes more on the property than the amount of expected profit. Also, the home is being sold “as is.”
Find out more
The Sale of This $2.8M Stuyvesant Heights Corner Limestone Beauty Will Benefit Creative Kids
March 21, 2016

The Sale of This $2.8M Stuyvesant Heights Corner Limestone Beauty Will Benefit Creative Kids

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There's so much to love about this 4,100-square-foot, four-story limestone townhouse at 271 Stuyvesant Avenue we hardly know where to start. For lovers of historic homes, this 1890s townhouse has a bounty of intact original details on every floor, from fireplaces to inlaid parquet floors to moldings and wainscoting. It's in a great corner spot in the prized Stuyvesant Heights historic district, the Bed-Stuy neighborhood known for its rows of architecturally notable brownstones and limestones. There's outdoor space and a deck; use the garden-level apartment for extra income (or live in the lower unit, with the yard and finished cellar). But perhaps the most rare blessing of this property is that proceeds from the sale of the $2.795 million home will "enable the launch of a non-profit creative residency for marginalized youth," founded by the current owner, renowned photojournalist and Guggenheim Fellow Brenda Kenneally.
Tour this amazing historic townhouse
$850K Architect-Designed Clinton Hill Condo in a Gothic Cathedral Is Just as Cool on the Inside
March 18, 2016

$850K Architect-Designed Clinton Hill Condo in a Gothic Cathedral Is Just as Cool on the Inside

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It's hard not to stare in awe at the impressive building at 555 Washington Avenue on the northeast corner of Atlantic and Washington Avenues near the border between Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights; the spectacular Gothic cathedral–fittingly known as Cathedral Condominiums–was built in 1914 as a seminary and converted to condos in 1988. The building's gargoyles and cathedral windows make it the kind of place it's hard not to try to imagine coming home to. This one-bedroom-plus-loft "duplex" apartment would be a nice place to call home in any building, but the fact that it's tucked away in this one makes it that much more special. While the interior is neither Gothic nor solemn, custom details, four distinct living areas and a great design eye make this feel like a find at $850K.
Take a look around
First Look: The Annabelle Selldorf Condos Replacing Bowlmor Lanes in Greenwich Village

Image: 21E12

March 18, 2016

First Look: The Annabelle Selldorf Condos Replacing Bowlmor Lanes in Greenwich Village

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The 23-story residential tower that will rise at 110 University Place, home of the beloved now-demolished Bowlmor Lanes, will be designed by starchitect Annabelle Selldorf, Curbed reports. Accompanying this news are brand new renderings and a teaser site for the 56-unit condominium building, which is being developed by William Macklowe Company. The condos replacing the Greenwich Village bowling mecca will be known as 21E12, with sales expected to launch in the next several months. As 6sqft previously reported, in 2012, Billy Macklowe, founder and CEO of William Macklowe Company and son of 432 Park Avenue developer Harry Macklowe, acquired control of the property from a partnership group.
See more, this way
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