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.
MTA board member asks who will pay for Penn Station overhaul
September 29, 2016

MTA board member asks who will pay for Penn Station overhaul

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As 6sqft previously reported, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced plans early this week for a $1.6 billion overhaul of Penn Station, and further details revealed that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority would be responsible for $150 of the project's costs. Since those plans were released, questions have been raised about where that organization's share of the tab would be coming from in an already stretched budget.
So where is this money coming from?
Except for the $475K price, this charming studio embodies the old East Village spirit
September 29, 2016

Except for the $475K price, this charming studio embodies the old East Village spirit

By
Anyone who's been around long enough to remember what the East Village used to be like–before the days of shiny condos and SoulCycle–might say this rather romantic little 425-square-foot co-op studio at 88 East Third Street is just about as old school as you can get without having your bathtub in the kitchen. Yes, there’s a Starbucks on the corner, but this quintessentially quirky-cool block is still home to the infamous Hell’s Angels East Village clubhouse at number 77 (right next door to the New York Law School dorm). They won’t cause you any trouble, but those bad boys still ride, so we hope you like the sound of motorcycle engines.
Get a closer look
Not too big, not too small, turnkey Prospect-Lefferts townhouse is just right–and just $1.95M
September 28, 2016

Not too big, not too small, turnkey Prospect-Lefferts townhouse is just right–and just $1.95M

By
On a quiet block of Prospect-Lefferts Gardens--lined with similar round-fronted row houses and low-rise brick apartments--this thoughtfully-renovated, 20-foot-wide limestone townhouse is move-in ready, no contractor required. Asking $1.95 million, 176 Lefferts Avenue changed hands in 2014 for $1.6 million, and just before that in 2013 for $830,000 to a local developer–so you can see how much property values in this neighborhood have changed in recent years. Though the home has been renovated for use as a one-family, it's legally a two-family if you wanted to take advantage of the income–or other expansion–potential.
Explore all three floors
REVEALED: Governor Cuomo unveils plans for new Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex
September 28, 2016

REVEALED: Governor Cuomo unveils plans for new Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex

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In a presentation (pdf) Tuesday at the Association for a Better New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that plans for transforming a revamped Penn Station-Moynihan Train Hall complex into a "world-class 21st century transportation hub" were back on track and ready to roll, complete with a slew of new renderings and the selection of a developer-builder team including the Related Companies, Vornado, and Skanska AB, to redevelop the Farley Building.
Find out all the details
September 27, 2016

New bill would guarantee a lawyer for tenants facing eviction

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The City Council held a hearing Monday on a bill that would guarantee lawyers for all low-income residents facing eviction. The New York Times reports that the bill, which has the support of an overwhelming majority of council members, would make New York City the country's first jurisdiction to do so. Currently more than 70 percent of low-income tenants in New York City head to Housing Court without legal representation according to a recent report by the city's Office of Civil Justice, while landlords are almost always represented by lawyers. This leaves tenants at a disadvantage from the start, say tenant advocates. Last year nearly 22,000 tenants were evicted from their homes across the city.
Find out more
1890s carriage house fronts a glass-walled Gramercy home with six terraces for $16.8M
September 27, 2016

1890s carriage house fronts a glass-walled Gramercy home with six terraces for $16.8M

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A block from Gramercy Park, 150 East 22nd Street lies just outside the borders of the Gramercy Park Historic District, but the property's owners have preserved and restored one of the most substantial carriage houses still in existence in the coveted neighborhood. The original carriage house, commissioned by one Miss E.L. Breese, a prominent New York socialite known for her rare (for the time) level of independence, was constructed in the Neo-Flemish style in 1893. It now functions as a private garage for the home, its uniquely decorative façade enveloping the front of a thoroughly modern five-story townhouse–on the market for $16.8 million–that spans nearly 7,000 square feet and boasts an elevator, six bedrooms and six terraces including an amazing rooftop paradise.
Check out this amazing combination
NYC Transit paid $431M in settlements to people injured by trains or buses in last five years
September 26, 2016

NYC Transit paid $431M in settlements to people injured by trains or buses in last five years

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We’re frequently reminded of the MTA’s efforts to tighten security and keep us safe from terrorists; now the Daily News reports that errors in safety procedures have led to an alarming number of accidental injuries over the past several years. And victims are definitely saying something–at an average of $86.2 million in settlement payments per year, totaling $431 million over the last five years.
Take a look at the numbers
$14M Noho penthouse is mindfully designed, feng shui-enhanced and Architectural Digest-approved
September 26, 2016

$14M Noho penthouse is mindfully designed, feng shui-enhanced and Architectural Digest-approved

By
A $14 million price tag for a 3,000-square-foot, four-bedroom penthouse at an address like 7 Bond Street in Noho wouldn't be much of a surprise–even without 1,200 square feet of outdoor space, a perfectly-proportioned floor plan and a floor of glass-enclosed sunrooms. A feature spread in Architectural Digest reveals that this is no ordinary large and luxurious downtown pad but a "healthy living retreat," and as the listing puts it, a "veritable sanctuary of comfort and serenity." Portfolio manager Jason Pickard's home takes mindful design beyond the mere visual. A thorough renovation by AD 100 designer James Huniford, feng shui master Dee Kelly and "certified Building-Biology consultant" Matthew Waletzke of Healthy Dwellings used resources like reclaimed building materials and innovative air and water filtration systems to create a peaceful, luxurious and environmentally-friendly space.
Take the tour
Sales have launched for LES luxury condos next door to Katz’s deli for $1.075M and up
September 23, 2016

Sales have launched for LES luxury condos next door to Katz’s deli for $1.075M and up

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Developer Ben Shaoul's new Lower East Side condos adjacent to Katz's famous deli at 196 Orchard Street have just hit the market. Definitely in line with the 21st century version of the storied neighborhood, the 96 newly-minted apartments have luxurious finishes, expansive views and enviable amenities, with units starting at $1.075 million for a studio.
This way for more details and lots of interior renderings
$7.75M penthouse with huge roof deck tops Tribeca’s Pearl Paint-replacing condos

Inside the penthouse (L); The former facade of the building still as Pearl Paint (R)

September 23, 2016

$7.75M penthouse with huge roof deck tops Tribeca’s Pearl Paint-replacing condos

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Tribeca artists' mecca Pearl Paint--the 80-year-old art supply retailer at 308 Canal Street--closed just over two years ago, and in May, Trans World Equities filed permits to convert one of the buildings into four "bespoke full-floor lofts" and build a two-story addition above the 150-year-old cast-iron structure, now going by 42 Lispenard Street. Two are already in contract, but the newly-listed penthouse awaits, with a prospective winter 2016 occupancy date.
See more expensive sheetrock
Construction has officially begun for citywide ferry system; first boats to arrive in 2017
September 23, 2016

Construction has officially begun for citywide ferry system; first boats to arrive in 2017

By
Mayor Bill de Blasio, the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and Citywide Ferry operator Hornblower have announced that construction has officially begun on 19 vessels that will kick off New York City's first citywide ferry system, with vessels sporting the latest in 21st century maritime technology. The mayor said in a statement, “We are moving full steam ahead and bringing modern ferry boats, outfitted with the latest technology and safety features, to our waterways. This new fleet will help us connect commuters and visitors alike to neighborhoods throughout the city.”
Find out more
Combine Gwyneth Paltrow’s Tribeca penthouse with downstairs loft for the ultimate duplex
September 22, 2016

Combine Gwyneth Paltrow’s Tribeca penthouse with downstairs loft for the ultimate duplex

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The 4,400 square-foot penthouse at the River Lofts at 416 Washington Street in Tribeca that Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin kept as a Manhattan landing spot before their conscious uncoupling has yet to find a buyer. The New York Post reminds us that Gwynnie's loft is still available, along with the 1,900 square foot apartment downstairs owned by restaurateur Reika Yo Alexander (her EN Japanese Brasserie is a celebrity fave, and fashion luminaries like Karl Lagerfeld and Alexander Wang have hosted events at the chic Izakaya), and that the two units might be consciously coupled in a stellar package deal.
Have a look at the Tribeca loft possibilities
It may be small, but this $445K Chelsea studio is cute as a button and a block from the High Line
September 22, 2016

It may be small, but this $445K Chelsea studio is cute as a button and a block from the High Line

By
Chelsea may not be the first place anyone looks for bargains, but this sunny pre-war studio with 10-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls and a huge overhead loft space for storage or sleep is as cute as the neighborhood is pricey. Tucked into a turn-of-the-century townhouse at 356 West 23rd Street in the heart of the popular gallery-, food market- and shop-filled neighborhood, this tranquil studio overlooks charming brownstone gardens for peace and quiet, and it's near a collection of subway lines for convenience and a block from the High Line for High Line awesomeness.
Take a peek inside
Debt-beleaguered site of Norman Foster’s 3 Sutton Place condo tower is cleared for sale
September 21, 2016

Debt-beleaguered site of Norman Foster’s 3 Sutton Place condo tower is cleared for sale

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A US Bankruptcy Court judge has approved a plan to sell the 3 Sutton Place site at at 426-432 East 58th Street, one of the city's most luxurious old enclaves, reports the New York Post. Brokers have been selected to conduct the marketing of the 262,000-square-foot project that includes plans for a 900-foot-tall condominium tower drawn up by British architect Sir Norman Foster of Foster + Partners.
Find out more
UWS duplex is both a ‘Tuscan villa’ and ‘Swiss chalet’ with three fireplaces and roof garden
September 21, 2016

UWS duplex is both a ‘Tuscan villa’ and ‘Swiss chalet’ with three fireplaces and roof garden

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According to the listing, this brownstone duplex at 316 West 90th Street on the Upper West Side is "a Tuscan villa in the warmer months and a romantic Swiss chalet in the winter." That sounds like a pretty tall order for a two-bedroom co-op, even for $1.8 million. But upon closer inspection, three toasty fireplaces definitely have fall and winter dialed in, and two decidedly Tuscan villa-esque decks await once al fresco season arrives.
Pick a room, pick a season, this way
Sales begin at Annabelle Selldorf’s 42 Crosby Street, Soho condo with $1M parking spots
September 20, 2016

Sales begin at Annabelle Selldorf’s 42 Crosby Street, Soho condo with $1M parking spots

By
Sales officially launched today at 42 Crosby Street, Atlas Capital Group's 50,000-square-foot Soho condominium designed by Annabelle Selldorf of Selldorf Architects. Nine three-bedroom residences and a penthouse at the seven-story luxury residence will start at $8,250,000 (the penthouse is going for $25 million). According to the press release, the building's design offers "a contemporary interpretation of the Soho neighborhood’s cast iron architecture," and of course, there's those $1 million parking spots.
Find out more and see renderings
Fort Greene brownstone from ‘Girls’ looks even better in real life, asks $5.6M
September 20, 2016

Fort Greene brownstone from ‘Girls’ looks even better in real life, asks $5.6M

By
Remember that season on Girls where Lena Dunham's character falls for a handsome doctor with a gorgeous, pristine renovated brownstone? The townhouse that hosted those episodes is, in fact, the same 5,600-square-foot landmarked home that just hit the market for $5.6 million. Located at 52 Oxford Street in leafy, historic Fort Greene, it's currently owned by actor, screenwriter, and sometimes interior designer, Billy Morrissette, and according to the listing, also did star turns on Elementary, SNL and Difficult People. But the five-story 19th-century beauty with thoughtfully chosen and luxurious finishes, a sprawling deck, a deep landscaped yard and an industrial-chic glass-walled sun room has plenty of star power even when the cameras aren't rolling.
Tour all five star-quality stories of townhouse glory
A Trump empire built on $885 million in tax breaks has cost the city a fortune
September 19, 2016

A Trump empire built on $885 million in tax breaks has cost the city a fortune

By
If you've followed Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump's gold-plated real estate career, you might already know how much of his success has been due to his family's extensive political connections–and generous tax breaks, grants and incentives from the government and taxpayers. In case you haven't read Trump's 1987 bestseller "The Art of the Deal," the New York Times illuminates the role that hundreds of millions in tax breaks have played in the Trump empire. While Trump may not be much different from other developers in seeking tax breaks, the candidate vociferously paints a picture of a rigged system and a fixed game. But these very fixes have enabled him to achieve a net worth estimated at 4.5 billion and the opportunity to indulge a run for the nation’s highest office.
So what's been going on here?
The ‘empty mansions’ of Huguette Clark: Luxury and mystery of an era past

Photo courtesy of Emptymansionsbook.com.

September 19, 2016

The ‘empty mansions’ of Huguette Clark: Luxury and mystery of an era past

By
Reclusive copper heiress Huguette M. Clark died in 2011 at the age of 104; in the years preceding and after her demise, obsessive followers of her story puzzled over her decision to remain in a small hospital room for the last 20 years of her life after having rarely left her apartment in the decades before. In this day of heiresses who run fashion companies and give house tours, Huguette Clark’s wealth and her retreat from the public eye—despite being by all accounts entirely lucid—have made her the target of endless fascination. But almost as fascinating are the storybook-grand properties that still stand as remnants of a gilded age long past and what remains of one of its biggest fortunes, barely touched and preserved as if in aspic until their recent acquisition by a new generation of magnates and heirs.
See more of Huguette Clark's abandoned Gilded Age opulence
Video: Visit designer Kate Spade in her art-filled, unfussy Upper East Side home
September 19, 2016

Video: Visit designer Kate Spade in her art-filled, unfussy Upper East Side home

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Ultra-popular clothing and accessories designer Kate Valentine Spade invites us into the Upper East Side apartment she shares with her husband/business partner Andy Spade and young daughter, courtesy of People magazine. She's managed to snatch a free moment away from her new accessories line Frances Valentine to give us a whirlwind tour of her two favorite rooms.
Step inside and have a look
$900K brownstone condo is proof that your money still goes a little farther in Harlem
September 18, 2016

$900K brownstone condo is proof that your money still goes a little farther in Harlem

By
While the $899,000 ask on this two-bedroom, floor-through apartment at 30 West 126th Street in Harlem may not be a total steal, an apartment of this size with well-designed custom renovations, central heat and air, closet space, and a cozy balcony would likely be much more costly in many other Manhattan neighborhoods. And certainly a pretty brownstone block steps from shopping (a Whole Foods is on the way) and subways would up the price even more. Yet this brick-lined, light-filled home has every bit as much townhouse appeal as its West Village counterparts.
Get a closer look
Historic and possibly haunted mansion near Navy Yard is priced to scare at $4.5 million
September 16, 2016

Historic and possibly haunted mansion near Navy Yard is priced to scare at $4.5 million

By
Though we can see how the otherwise potential-filled historic–and allegedly haunted–Lefferts-Laidlaw mansion at 136 Clinton Avenue in the Clinton Hill/Navy Yard/Wallabout neighborhood may terrify prospective buyers with an ask of $4.499 million, an 1878 New York Times account describes the persistent and mysterious ring-and-run situation that apparently plagued the home’s then-resident, Edward F. Smith. Neither crafty attempts to discover who was responsible for “doorbells rung, doors rattled" on a nightly basis and a brick hurled through a window, nor police intervention could produce a culprit. The house became a fixture on the map of spiritualists who held seances on the sidewalk. Locals suggested the pesky poltergeist might be either a lawyer who had committed suicide on the premises, or, as Mr. Smith suggested (possibly with some sarcasm attached as it was, after all, Brooklyn), Satan.
Does this house look spooky to you?
Saudi billionaire seals the deal on the city’s highest home for record $88M
September 16, 2016

Saudi billionaire seals the deal on the city’s highest home for record $88M

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The most expensive apartment closing in New York City this year and one of the priciest sales ever is finally a done deal, reports The Real Deal. The apartment, the top penthouse at Rafael Viñoly-designed billionaire’s bunker 432 Park Avenue, is the priciest unit in the big-ticket building as well as being literally the city’s highest. As 6sqft previously reported, the buyer is Saudi retail magnate Fawaz Al Hokair. The sale price was $87.7 million—a skyscraping $10,623 per square foot.
More jumbo numbers, this way
Ex-Fox News chair Roger Ailes tries to sell two Hudson Valley homes at a $1M+ loss
September 15, 2016

Ex-Fox News chair Roger Ailes tries to sell two Hudson Valley homes at a $1M+ loss

By
Scandal-plagued Fox News founding father and recent Donald J. Trump advisor Roger Ailes has put two of his Garrison, N.Y. homes on the market at significantly less than their purchase price, Variety reports. You may ask why Ailes has two homes in Garrison; in fact, Ailes owns a "hilltop compound" with over 20 acres and several houses in the quiet Putnam County hamlet.
Check out more photos, this way
City Council approves La Central development, bringing nearly 1,000 affordable units to the Bronx
September 15, 2016

City Council approves La Central development, bringing nearly 1,000 affordable units to the Bronx

By
On Wednesday the New York City Council voted to approve the La Central development project in the Melrose section of the Bronx, the Daily News reports. The project, which will be designed by FXFOWLE architects, is slated to bring 992 apartments to the borough, all of them designated as affordable housing under Mayor de Blasio’s mandatory inclusionary housing (MIH) legislation. It is the biggest project to be approved to date under the MIH rules, which require some income restricted apartments in projects that need the city's approval.
Find out more and see more renderings
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