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.

September 8, 2015

Handcrafted Organic Materials Meet Seamless Smart Home Tech in This $5.4M Village Loft

By Michelle Cohen

Loft lovers and perfectionists will covet this sprawling Greenwich Village condominium at 8 East 12th Street; it's both spacious and luxurious, boasting handcrafted organic materials in custom-designed interiors and switched-on, "smart home" creature comforts high and low. For your $5.4 million, you're getting location (near just about all the reasons you'd want to live downtown) and 2,330 square feet of painstakingly-created space for you to move in and enjoy. The current setup offers two bedrooms and 2.5 baths, but there's enough space here for any combination–and all the bells and whistles are already installed.
Take a look around...

Distinctive Homes

September 4, 2015

For $2.65M This Corner Tribeca Loft Has Classic Bones, Snappy Interiors and Windows Galore

By Michelle Cohen

This classic Tribeca loft at 2 Hubert Street gives you a corner spot with walls of windows, a traditional-meets-modern custom renovation, a private elevator, closet space, and great original details reworked to accommodate daily life. Though this is a busy corner near the highway entrance, that description fits much of the neighborhood, and, in a way, it adds to the unique industrial feel when taken together with these big-shouldered loft buildings. Built in 1890, 2 Hubert–also known as 151 Hudson Street–is an intimate eight-unit loft condominium building. For $2.65 million, you don't get a lot of space at 1,222 square feet, but the layout could certainly be reconfigured, and it is, indeed, a two-bedroom apartment in Manhattan's most expensive residential neighborhood. And the charmingly updated interiors are a definite plus for anyone who wants to move in and get right down to the business of living.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

September 3, 2015

Miraculously Unscathed by Time, This Historic Wooden UES Townhouse Seeks Tenants

By Michelle Cohen

Townhouses available for rent have a way of seeming decadent and dreamy, the perfect home for a collective of friends or a lucky city family. Their monthly bill is often but a dream for many as well, and this Upper East Side home asking $18,500 a month is no exception; the house itself, however, is quite exceptional. The amazingly preserved home at 120 East 92nd Street, as well as its neighbor at number 122, and a third, a block over at number 160, comprise a trio of wooden houses built between 1859 and 1871, before the city sprung up on all sides. This collection of dainty wooden houses presents an utterly charming shock of nostalgia amid the brick, stone and steel of Manhattan's Upper East. One of the last wood-frame houses to be built in Manhattan, the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission called 120 East 92nd "...a delightful surprise. Time and change have passed it by." But change, in this case, has been good: The three-story, four-bedroom home's longtime owners have renovated it for comfort and livability–and preserved it with the utmost care; it boasts every modern convenience while keeping its historic beauty.
Take a look inside this rare historic home

September 2, 2015

Find Historic Brownstone Warmth and Manhattan Convenience at This Chelsea Duplex Rental

By Michelle Cohen

It's hard to resist historic brownstone interiors with their high ceilings, graceful plaster molding and tall townhouse windows. Living on two floors of a townhouse feels pretty much like you've got a whole house to yourselves. Throw in a wood-burning fireplace–and, even better, a tasteful renovation–and we can't imagine a better place to settle in and get ready for winter. Just one flight up, this gorgeous three-bedroom duplex at 322 West 20th Street is on the rental market for $9,800 a month; at 1,800 square feet, it's not house-sized, but it beats the average Manhattan apartment by a city mile–and many a sleek downtown duplex rents for as much or more.
Take a look inside this pretty brownstone apartment

Distinctive Homes

September 1, 2015

For $725K This One-Bedroom Chelsea Jewel-Box Is a Just-Right Downtown Dream

By Michelle Cohen

On a postcard-perfect tree-lined West Chelsea street, tucked among elegant, historic apartment buildings, this one-bedroom garden co-op at 433 West 24th Street has just what it takes to recharge and take refuge from the surrounding kaleidoscope of New York City life. The listing for this funky and fabulous flat offers no floor plan or square footage, but rooms appear well-designed to take advantage of the available living space–and look good doing it.
Tour the apartment here

Distinctive Homes

August 26, 2015

This Dramatic Downtown Triplex Loft Tells the Story of a Neighborhood’s Creative Past

By Michelle Cohen

Even from a glance at its facade, you could guess that 508 LaGuardia Place is a unique and historic structure. Located within the South Village Historic District, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation called it "perhaps the finest example of industrial architecture of the late 19th Century in the South Village." The available 5,000 square-foot, four bedroom upper triplex would be well-utilized as a live/work space, suitable for "tech or fashion companies to use as a work space that impresses." And you may indeed need startup funding to swing the $30K per month rent. The Romanesque Revival-style building has a history of creative residents that parallels the neighborhood's evolution through the second half of the 20th century. Built in 1891 as the H. H. Upham Company sign factory, the story of 508 LaGuardia Place is the story of Soho and Tribeca through the years when artists and photographers worked and lived in cavernous former factories and warehouses and did the heavy lifting required to carve out amazing spaces for themselves.
Find out how this former industrial building tells the story of the surrounding neighborhoods

August 25, 2015

Experience Brooklyn Townhouse Living Without the Commitment in This Pretty Cobble Hill Rental

By Michelle Cohen

If you've ever harbored a certain kind of Brooklyn townhouse fantasy–but aren't ready for the responsibility (or the mortgage)–this is about as close to the dream as it gets. And though it might require a tiny bit of imagination (picture it with furniture!) this just-renovated triplex rental at 198 Warren Street checks all the boxes--charming restored original details, five bedrooms (though one is tiny) if you've got a big family or just want to share the rent, 2,500 square feet of living space, a brand-new kitchen, central A/C, and outdoor space. And you're in one of Brooklyn's most desirable enclaves in Cobble Hill on a picture-postcard block near, as the brokers say, all.
Check out the historic interiors, this way

Distinctive Homes

August 24, 2015

Should Poor Neighborhoods Stay Poor to Avoid Gentrification? Mayor De Blasio Speaks Out

By Michelle Cohen

Recently on the Brian Lehrer radio show on WNYC, Mayor De Blasio addressed questions about the effects inclusionary development–i.e. giving developers the green light to build market rate housing if they set aside 25-30 percent of the units for low- and middle-income residents–has on the quality of life in lower-income neighborhoods. A growing concern among housing activists is that reliance on this kind of inclusionary zoning leads to gentrification that pushes out the lower income residents due to the 70-75 percent of market rate units bringing new, wealthy residents and new businesses that will cater to them.
Hear what the mayor has to say

Affordable Housing

August 24, 2015

Top Design Pro’s Impressively Renovated Bed-Stuy Brownstone Asks $2.375M

By Michelle Cohen

This townhouse at 806 Greene Avenue may not make much of an impression from the outside–though it sits on a pretty, historic block in the neighborhood's Stuyvesant Heights district–but a top NYC designer-helmed renovation and a double duplex layout may be what it takes to move this four-story, two-family brownstone at what would be one of the neighborhood's highest-priced trades to date if it gets its current ask of $2.375 million. At 18 feet wide (2,709 square feet total), it's a little on the narrow side, but there's plenty of space in both units by NYC standards. What makes us sit up and take notice is the sexy renovation by the home's current owner, Siobhan Barry, a partner at high profile design firm ICRAVE, whose work includes this modern Hamptons pool house and dozens of buzzy commercial projects like the W Hotel VIP lounges, Delta Airlines terminals at LaGuardia and JFK, the JetBlue terminal at JFK and jet-set nightclub Lavo, to name just a few.
Tour the townhouse here...

Distinctive Homes

New Renderings Revealed for Garden-Topped High Line Jardim Condos

Renderings via New York YIMBY.

August 24, 2015

New Renderings Revealed for Garden-Topped High Line Jardim Condos

By Michelle Cohen

A new full set of renderings has surfaced from New York YIMBY revealing designs for the West Chelsea condominium project at 527 West 27th Street known as Jardim. The High Line-adjacent project, designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld, is being developed by Centaur Properties and Greyscale Development Group.
See the latest renderings

Modern Magpies and Hipster Hoarders Will Flock to This Greenpoint Dream Loft

By Michelle Cohen

So we’re guessing there are several kinds of people this rental listing will appeal to. First, if you've been planning to film your pilot episode of “Hipster Hoarders,” your search is over. Lovers of real industrial lofts, log cabins, treehouses, birdhouses, she sheds, cowboy camping, glamping or pods in your living room: This one will go fast! In all seriousness, this 1,400 square foot three-bedroom (or whatever room you need!) loft that’s renting for $4,600 a month might not be a bargain, but it's a decent amount of lovely Greenpoint space. And if you're into lofts (and assuming this is actually a legal dwelling. Or a semi-legal dwelling with good karma), the possibilities are endless. This lovely loft is in a terrific neighborhood, near the waterfront and surrounded by cafes, quirky boutiques, bars both chic and chill, the ferry, the G train, picturesque streetscapes and lots of friendly neighbors in their super-cool cowboy-treehouse lofts. We're hoping the current tenants have found a new dream home, because clearly this listing is an invitation to Live the Dream.
This way to curated chaos

August 21, 2015

Model Agyness Deyn’s $3.6M Former Williamsburg Loft Has a Tax Bill of Just $24 a Year

By Michelle Cohen

A renovated 2,911 square-foot corner loft in Williamsburg's Mill Building at 85 North 3rd Street just hit the market for $3.6 million. The spacious loft condominium with dramatic open spaces and original details is the former home of Brit model Agyness Deyn, who bought the Northside pad for $1.97 million in 2008 and sold it in 2012 for $2.175M. New owners have given it a rustic-luxe update and hope to keep the upward trend going, with a current ask of $3.65 million. An expensive loft in the 'burg wouldn't faze us, (and the building has an impressive menu of amenities–doorman, garage, roof deck–for a loft), but the tax bill was a shocker: Taxes on the pricy pad are a mere–as per the listing–"unheard-of $24 a year," due to a J-51 exemption and tax abatement in effect until 2025.
Find out why the taxes are so low

Amazing Detailed Map from the 1950s Shows 300+ ‘Wonders of New York’

Historical Map: “Wonders of New York” by Nils Hansell, c. 1953-1955; courtesy of Transit Maps.

August 21, 2015

Amazing Detailed Map from the 1950s Shows 300+ ‘Wonders of New York’

By Michelle Cohen

Click to expand >> One of a growing collection of transit maps, this cool detailed New York City map, designed by graphic designer/sailing enthusiast/IBM employee Nils Hansell sometime around 1953-1955, offers a mind boggling tableau of (mostly) Manhattan's points of interest, numbered, with a corresponding key. There's also a color-coded schematic to the subway system, which was at the time divided up by its operators, BMT, IND and IRT; the map also shows a remaining few of the city's elevated railway systems, the last of which was ended in 1955.
Check it out here

History

August 20, 2015

City Defends Supertalls, Won’t Limit Size of Midtown Towers

By Michelle Cohen

The Department of City Planning announced that although it shares residents' concerns about the effects of the new crop of supertall towers rising near Central Park, it does not intend to lower the size limits on buildings in the dense Midtown district. Crain's reports that department director Carl Weisbrod said in a written response to elected officials on August 12 that the slender structures may actually preserve historic buildings nearby and that they enhance the city's iconic skyline.
Read more on the city's response

August 20, 2015

You’ll Get Sunlight, Rooftop Memories–and Plenty of Exercise–in This Fifth Floor West Village Rental

By Michelle Cohen

This light-filled roost at 281 West 11th Street, available for 4-12 months, comes furnished "in a mid-century modern style." The one-bedroom walk-up is on the fifth floor, so while you don't have to worry about upstairs neighbors, you'll certainly be able to stay in shape. For an equally-steep $6,500 a month, the pre-war co-op delivers those lovely 10-foot ceilings, exposed brick walls and a wood-burning fireplace to make the whole picture even more charming. On the modern creature comforts side there's a washer dryer combo in the apartment, and a Bang & Olufsen sound system. In addition, you get dibs on a quarter of the roof. And it's in a lovely and convenient part of the West Village that looks good from any angle.
Check it out, here

Distinctive Homes

Modernist Designer Russel Wright’s Hudson Valley Home Is a Rare Example of Organic Mid-Century Architecture

Wright’s studio, surrounded by windows and the wooded landscape. Photo courtesy of Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center.

August 20, 2015

Modernist Designer Russel Wright’s Hudson Valley Home Is a Rare Example of Organic Mid-Century Architecture

By Michelle Cohen

Dwell Magazine recently brought to our attention this magical modernist gem, located in the Putnam County town of Garrison, New York. Manitoga, the house, studio and 75-acre wooded garden of mid-century industrial designer Russel Wright (1904-1976), is one of the few 20th century modern homes open to the public in New York State. A firm believer in the idea that “good design is for everyone,” Russel Wright was a pioneer of the idea of modern living in America. Best known for his organic yet elegant American Modern dinnerware collection, his became a household name–one which could be found on the underside of each of the over 200 million pieces that were sold between 1939 and 1959. But the designer's lesser-known–yet no less remarkable–effort can be seen in the home and surrounding landscape–including a large abandoned granite quarry–which were acquired by Russel and Mary Wright in 1942. Now a National Historic Landmark, and virtually unchanged save ongoing improvements and renovations, the Manitoga/Russel Wright Design Center hosts tours, hikes, performances and an artists’ residency.
Find out more about Russel Wright's lesser-known masterpiece this way

Architecture And Design

August 19, 2015

The NYPL Is Mapping Books About NYC Neighborhoods—Add Your Favorites!

By Michelle Cohen

The New York Public Library is currently putting together a map of New York City neighborhoods represented in the pages of our favorite books. Novels set in the five boroughs are added to the map as readers suggest them, along with nearby landmarks and attractions so you can get your literary bearings. Currently most of the listed titles in are in Manhattan ("American Psycho" in the Financial District, "Catcher in the Rye" in Central Park, to name just a few); Team Brooklyn is looking sparse (Hello? Paul Auster?), and The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island need you!
Suggest your favorite neighborhood novels...

Uncategorized

Park Slope Pavilion Condo Plans Met With Resistance From Neighbors, Landmarks Commission

Rendering of Hidrock Realty’s proposed design for a five-story residential building next to the historic Pavilion Theater.

August 19, 2015

Park Slope Pavilion Condo Plans Met With Resistance From Neighbors, Landmarks Commission

By Michelle Cohen

Hidrock Realty, developer of a five-story condo building next to the historic Pavilion Theater on Prospect Park West, was told by the Landmarks Preservation Commision to make changes to the proposed design after neighbors expressed concerns, DNAinfo reports. Park Slope neighbors in attendance at an LPC hearing Tuesday voiced disapproval for the Morris Adjmi-designed five-story beige brick residential building, fearing that it would "open the door to out-of-character development up and down Prospect Park West."
Find out what the neighbors are afraid of

August 19, 2015

This Flatiron Rental Offers Classic Loft Living, Modern Luxury, and Curious Built-Ins

By Michelle Cohen

Back in the 20th century, before luxury loft condos were a thing, artists, heiresses and the adventurous lived large in city lofts, and while the artists needed the square footage for living and working, others enjoyed the idea of carving out living areas in a cavernous open space with ceilings so high you almost couldn't see them, and windows almost as big. It was a world of (private) freight elevators and DIY kitchens (the look of which today's high end kitchens emulate). This Flatiron loft at 10 East 18th Street offers a hangar-esque 2,700 square feet of living space accessed by private keyed elevator; exposed brick walls are lined with oversized windows and there are plenty of custom-built luxuries that are more professionally-crafted than DIY; though there's no floor plan, it's listed as having two bedrooms and 2.5 baths. There are also more modern comforts than you'd find in an old-school loft, such as a wine cooler, central air and a Bosch washer-dryer–and there's a totally 21st century price tag of $14,000 a month.
Take a look around this huge loft

Distinctive Homes

August 18, 2015

‘Exceptional Quirks’ and Reclaimed Materials Abound in This Historic Williamsburg Church Conversion

By Michelle Cohen

One of the neighborhood's oldest landmarks, the Saint Vincent De Paul Church at 167 North Sixth Street in Williamsburg's uber-trendy North Side was recently converted into 40 rental apartments known as the Spire Lofts. We know that converted churches get people's attention at the very least–but like many historic building conversions, they can be a disappointment. The apartments here don't try to be especially historic–but the interiors differ somewhat from the usual boilerplate rental "lofts" that tend to spring up like weeds in North Brooklyn. The building's recently-listed batch of two- and three-bedrooms ranges from $6,400 to $8,000 (the spoken-for one-bedrooms started at $4k), so they're pricey. The interiors are somewhat innovative, though. The listing promises "...modern details and state-of-the-art finishes [that] blend flawlessly with expertly salvaged materials, including original exposed brick, reclaimed Heart Pine pillars and beams, arched stained glass windows, custom steel work and exceptional quirks around every corner." On the down side, there's no floor plan and no mention of square footage.
Take a look at the loft-style interiors, this way

August 17, 2015

For $1.85M This Park Slope Floor-Through Has Pre-War Charm and Parkside Cachet

By Michelle Cohen

For some Park Slope buyers it might be enough that this 1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom co-op at 90 Prospect Park West is directly across from the 585-acre park. Of course, there are those three bedrooms, gorgeous pre-war bones, three exposures, custom built-ins and clean, updated interiors. But this prime Center Slope home also has that covetable Brooklyn perk: outdoor space, in the form of a sweet semi-private deck. Currently on the market for $1.85 million, the unit last changed hands in July of 2010 for $1.155 million, so the current ask would add up to a significant payday for the current owners. Another minor historic footnote: in the 1960s and '70s, the building's tenants purchased the then-rent-stabilized building and set up co-operative ownership–making it possibly the first co-op building in Brooklyn.
Take a tour

August 14, 2015

Elegant Brownstone in Sleepy South Slope Asks $2.65M

By Michelle Cohen

The Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenwood–with Park Slope to the north and Sunset Park to the south–has become a top choice for buyers priced out of other headline-stealing neighborhoods. It retains its somewhat sleepy old-Brooklyn feel, while enabling residents to stay in the loop with an ever-growing roster of amenities–including those in nearby Park Slope, Gowanus and Red Hook. The area is convenient, transit-wise; Prospect Park is its northeast border, and adjacent Green Wood Cemetery is one of the city's most treasured green spaces. South Slope itself has seen a precipitous price leap as it has gone from being a dodgy lower annex to merely a more laid-back option. And homes in Greenwood are no longer the "steal" they once were, but they are still expected to be considerably less costly than their northern counterparts. The row of stately four-story 19th century brownstones that includes 228 17th Street seems almost out of place among the eclectic mix of wood-frame, vinyl-sided and brick homes, larger townhouses and apartment buildings, some of them with modern renovations (plus the unavoidable march of new construction), that give both South Slope and Greenwood their laid-back feel. But variety is certainly welcome here. The home was first listed in April with Brooklyn Properties for $2.95 million, reduced to $2.750 million shortly thereafter, delisted in July, then listed anew in the able hands of Halstead at its current ask.
Take a tour

August 13, 2015

Marilyn Monroe and Milton Greene Conspired in This Upper East Side Townhouse

By Michelle Cohen

Back in 2006, this 3,500 square-foot four-story Upper East Side townhouse first surfaced on the rental market, and again three years later; in 2010, its owner attempted to find a renter for the winter holiday season (a portion of December) apparently without much luck. After bouncing through several different agencies, 127 East 78th Street landed at Sotheby's in 2011 with the intent of marketing the house as a summer rental for $25K; not much luck there either, as townhouse renters tended to want something more long term. A lesson seems to have been learned here, as there are no short-term stipulations mentioned in its new listing for $27,500.00 a month. What is mentioned is more interesting: The townhouse once belonged to famous fashion photographer Milton Greene–known for his collaboration with Marilyn Monroe on photo shoots as well as their joint film production company–and his wife, Amy. Marilyn considered the home a sanctuary among friends when she was in town. And though its interiors have likely been updated since Marilyn's day, the elegant Upper East Side enclave still retains the aura of an East Coast refuge for Old Hollywood.
Take a look around

August 12, 2015

Bay Ridge Home with ‘Architectural Drama’ Asks an Absurd $4.58M

By Michelle Cohen

The quiet old-school neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn is filled with grand and storied homes, from the elegant to the eclectic and, more than occasionally, the awkward. Overlooking the Brooklyn shore of the New York Harbor's Upper Bay, Shore Road is an architectural mashup of eras and styles, with everything from Deco-esque apartment buildings both plain and fancy to more than its fair share of large and luxurious dwellings that trade for equally luxurious sums. A $4,580,000 ask breathes some rarified air even in this crazy market, but the house itself fits well within a certain mid- to late-Bay Ridge-style, perhaps best described as an early '90s interpretation of a Catskills resort contained within a suburban home. This wouldn't be the first of its kind on Shore Road to command upwards of $4 million; while it's not the All Marble Everything house, which sold for the tidy sum of $4.4M in April, the house at 7529 Shore Road has charms of its own. The listing promises, "all the architectural drama you can imagine, yet warm and intimate feeling." And there's a wall-length aquarium.
Architectural drama, this way

August 11, 2015

Be Woody Allen’s Neighbor for $80K a Month in This Historic Upper East Side Townhouse

By Michelle Cohen

Trophy purchase, short-term refuge, or family home? Take your pick. This impressive and unique townhouse at 116 East 70th Street was previously owned by philanthropist George Soros’s ex, Susan Weber Soros, who bought the 5,688-square-foot home in 2012 for $22.5 million and proceeded to see it through a thorough renovation, updating infrastructure and interiors and installing every 21st-century comfort known to stratospherically-priced townhouse-owning man (or woman, as the case was). Post-renovation, the barrel-fronted, copper-clad townhouse changed hands in an off-market deal to an anonymous LLC for $31 million. The house was back on the market again for $33 million last February after only four months. With its price pared down to $28 million, it’s still seeking a buyer, but is now having a go at the rental market, too. The stunning single-family manse–all five floors of it–is being offered for $80,000 a month, which comes with the caché of calling Woody Allen your next-door neighbor.
Tour the house, this way

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