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.
August 10, 2015

Facebook Co-Founder Lists His Elegant Bespoke Soho Loft for $8.75M

Among the first things you'll notice about this impressive loft at 30 Crosby Street, currently on the market for $8,750,000, is that at 4,100 square feet it's about the size of three normal-sized apartments. Currently owned by political and media power couple Chris Hughes (Facebook co-founder and publisher of the New Republic) and Sean Eldridge (financier and former congressional candidate), who bought it in 2010 for $4.8 million, the home's interiors–courtesy of an exhaustive bespoke renovation–are masculine, yet intimate, with spaces organized to consider the many facets of daily life. Surrounded by the quiet elegance of brick, wood, leather and marble, spaces for entertaining are separated from private living quarters–so party-throwers and peace-and-quiet-seekers can easily coexist. The converted Soho loft building is itself no stranger to large living, having had its share of celebrity residents including Alicia Keys, Courtney Love and Lenny Kravitz.
Take a look at the loft's bespoke and tailored interiors
August 7, 2015

Live in This Cool, Summery Duplex Located in an 1851 Church for $8,750

One thing we can say about this apartment currently for rent at 215 Degraw Street (a.k.a. 56 Strong Place) in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn: The listing broker likes it. She writes, and we quote: "...this incredible 3 bedroom 3 bath duplex offers more to one lucky renter than this writer can ever hope to convey." But she gives it a shot just the same, explaining that for a mere $8,750 a month, you can bag "The triple Crown of Rentals!" She says more, too, but let's take a look at what's causing all this excitement. First, Landmark at Strong Place is a circa 1851 Gothic Revival church that was converted into a 23-unit condominium in 2010. So already it's more interesting than your average apartment.
And there's more! (this way)
August 6, 2015

2 World Trade Center Could Be the Most Expensive Office Tower in the World

The Post reports that the construction of the Bjarke Ingels Group-designed 2 World Trade Center will come with a $4 billion price tag. The 2.8 million-square-foot downtown tower will top out at 1,340 feet, just 28 feet shy of One World Trade Center, which currently holds the title of the world's most expensive office building with construction costs coming in at $3.8 billion.
More details this way
August 6, 2015

Map of ‘Subway Deserts’ Shows Outer Boroughs Left High and Dry

Though we may already know there are places in NYC that we can't easily get to, transit data junkie Chris Whong lays it all out on a map that points out the city's lesser-served regions, at least by underground means. The interactive map shows all NYC land areas more than 500 meters (about .3 miles) from one of the city’s 468 subway stations–that’s about two avenue blocks or six or seven shorter street blocks (around a seven-minute walk) according to Google maps. A big blue dot blots out this radius surrounding the station; everything outside the dot, well, you’re hoofing it (or taking a bus, car or rickshaw).
Find out more
August 6, 2015

For $2.3M This Breezy Southern Cottage in the West Village Hides a Secret Garden

Tailored upholstery, rattan furniture, and mix-and-match pale floral chintz may convey a southern beach house feel, but the casual elegance of this 1,200-square-foot one-bedroom garden hideaway on a beautiful West Village block extends beyond the home's current decor. Subtle pre-war details like 11-foot ceilings, crown moldings, marble fireplaces and rich dark wood floors contrasted with bright white walls embody the pretty and casual island vibe. There's also central air for those balmy summer days. But what makes this home at 77 Horatio Street most irresistible is the magical 500-square-foot garden at the back, visible just beyond a balcony off the dining area through oversized glass patio doors.
Step inside this pretty downtown bungalow
August 5, 2015

First 1,000+ Foot Tower Outside Manhattan May Rise in Downtown Brooklyn

As the result of the $90 million acquisition of Brooklyn's landmarked Dime Savings Bank building by developers Michael Stern (111 West 57th) and Joe Chetrit, a new residential skyscraper in Brooklyn could nearly reach the height of the Empire State Building. The historic Neo-Roman building at 9 DeKalb Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn–next door to the famed Junior's Restaurant–comes with 300,000 square feet of development rights, which, combined with existing air rights next door at 340 Flatbush Avenue Extension (which the pair bought last summer for $43 million), could be used to build an adjacent tower of nearly 600,000 square feet. The likelihood of a tower that reaches between 1,000 and 1,200 feet has been mentioned by sources close to the deal.
find out more about the planned Brooklyn skyscraper
August 5, 2015

This Sweet $3M Village Co-op Is No Steal, but Its Location Is Stellar

Occupying the entire parlor floor of an elevator building on one of the loveliest blocks in Greenwich Village, this pre-war co-op at 38 West 9th Street may be sweet, but it's far from little; the same could be said of its $2.995 million ask. For that price you'll get two good-sized bedrooms, and, looking at the floor plan, there's plenty of room for a third with a little reconfiguration. There are also loads of charming and well-preserved architectural details in every room.
Take a look around
August 4, 2015

Are the City’s Bodegas Becoming a Thing of the Past?

The Times highlights the plight of the city's iconic local bodegas, tiny grocery-slash-beer-slash-whatever-the-local-patrons-need shops that have long been a colorful cornerstone of everyday life in the city's neighborhoods. Photographer Gail Victoria Braddock Quagliata even spent nine months pounding the pavements of Manhattan in a quest to photograph every single one of its bodegas. But many of these tiny shops have been scrambling to stay in business. The city's roughly 12,000 bodegas are losing customers. About 75 have closed this year according to the Times, many in uptown neighborhoods like Inwood, Washington Heights and Harlem. Though that proportion is small, many shop owners are concerned.
Read more on the plight of local bodegas
August 4, 2015

Soho Loft Has Plenty of Work Space Plus All the Comforts of Home for $9,500 a Month

An increasingly rare find these days, this quintessential artists' loft at 51 Greene Street in the heart of Soho is available for short- or long-term leasing for $9,500 a month. The sky-lit, sun-filled, top-floor space embodies the loft ideal, yet comes with many of the comforts loft-dwellers sometimes sacrifice for all that open space. Unlike some pre-war lofts, there's a private keyed elevator. Also unlike some live-and-work spaces, there's a second half bath, a washer/dryer, and (at least) two bedrooms. Perhaps best of all, there's a spacious private roof deck for gazing out on the downtown cityscape.
Check out the space, this way
August 3, 2015

Surge in City Construction Permits Hits Levels Not Seen Since 1963

If the city seems even more like one big construction site than usual, it's not your imagination. Building permits have risen to an historic peak, up by 156 percent over the last year, the Daily News reports, and an astounding 749 percent over the 2010 post-slump low. This new high–according to Department of Buildings Data and the New York Building Congress–includes permits for 52,618 new residential units over that time period.
Find out what's behind the boom
August 3, 2015

Summer Rental: This Upper East Side Townhouse with a ‘Dramatic’ Past Wants $25k for Five Weeks

This five-story townhouse at 50 East 64th Street between Madison and Park Avenues is available for rent, fully furnished, for five weeks only, from August 1 to September 7. The asking rent for that time is $25,000; according to the listing, it's "about half what this house would rent for on a conventional one year basis." Within its 6,000 square feet are 14 rooms and 1,500 square feet of outdoor space on three levels.  The recently-renovated home is as grand as it gets without going too far over the top; it's Upper East Side style sans velvet and chintz, opulence without clutter–though a wealth of decorator flourishes make it clear the interiors didn’t get this way by accident.
See what your month-long residence could look like
July 31, 2015

Luxurious Modernism and Eclectic Spirit Coexist in This Classic Soho Loft by DHD Interiors

We've highlighted a few projects from DHD Architecture + Interior Design before, and one thing we love about the firm’s work is their talent for combining classic spaces with modern ideals and adding unexpected twists. Their designs often feature clean, crisp lines, interesting lighting and open floor plans and integrate residents' multifaceted personalities. In this case, they work their eclectic magic on a Crosby Street loft located on a cobblestoned Soho block in that neighborhood's Cast Iron Historic District. Dating from 1882, the building, a former department store, was converted to a 10-unit condominium residence in 2001.
Step into this cool loft space...
July 31, 2015

Feasibility Study to Address Streetcars or Light Rail for Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront

In the ongoing discussion of expanding the city's mass transit options to underserved areas, we may be a step closer to addressing the need for transit along the Brooklyn and Queens waterfront–between Astoria, Red Hook and Sunset Park, according to CapitalNY. While many of those areas have transit to and from Manhattan covered, a north-west connection is needed (and relying on the G train doesn't help much). An advisory committee comprised of developers, transportation experts and civic organizers has formed to address this need. Recently, the consulting firm of HR&A Advisors (former employers of city planning commissioner Carl Weisbrod) was hired by the committee to study the feasibility of a streetcar service or a light rail line to connect Sunset Park to Astoria, connecting rapidly growing neighborhoods like Red Hook, Williamsburg and Downtown Brooklyn, as well as burgeoning business and industry hubs like Long Island City and the Brookyn Navy Yard.
Find out more
July 30, 2015

Historic Grandeur and an Architect’s Eye for Modern Design Meet in This Prospect Heights Townhouse

We've featured the work of this home's current owners–principals at WE Design–before, including the architects' previous home, and this latest oeuvre (or possibly magnum opus) is yet another impressive example. Though the luck of having a great house to begin with helps, this 4,100-square-foot, four-story beauty at 390 Sterling Place, on what is arguably the prettiest street in prime Prospect Heights, hits all the high notes after an amazing renovation. For lovers of historic homes there are pristine original details at every turn. For modern interior design fans the renovation has meant the latest and greatest in appliances and fixtures (including central A/C and "new everything") and a perfectly on-trend clean and modern look throughout. At $4.25 million, it's a big price tag, but the location is super-prime–and so is the home.
Tour this grand and gorgeous home, this way
July 30, 2015

Bidding Wars and Over-Ask Sales on the Rise in Brownstone Brooklyn Neighborhoods

Homes in brownstone Brooklyn neighborhoods have been selling over the asking price and bidding wars are becoming even more commonplace, according to DNAinfo. In the second quarter of 2015, for example, homes in Prospect Heights and Park Slope were selling for 4 percent over their asking price–the highest percentage seen in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
Find out where to expect bidding wars
July 29, 2015

$1.75 Million Bed-Stuy Townhouse in a Future Historic District Has Location, Space and Charm

For anyone looking to bet on Bed-Stuy–not a bad idea, we hear–this classic three-family townhouse at 44 Macon Street could be a fine opportunity. While the $1.75 million ask for this 2,720 square-foot, 13-room home might have been unheard-of even five years ago, anything this charming under $2 million in brownstone Brooklyn is going to get some attention these days. The multi-family layout gives you lots of options–while still getting the 1-3 family tax break. Currently set up as an upper duplex with two floor-through apartments below, there is one catch: There's a tenant in place in the garden apartment, which won't be delivered vacant; this should certainly be considered, but that leaves three floors, all tastefully renovated with a laid-back, loft-like aesthetic, to do as you please.
Check out this classic Bed-Stuy bet, this way
July 28, 2015

$4.4M for Turnkey Updates and Designer Flair in an Historic Brooklyn Heights Townhouse

All told, $4.4 million isn't really a lot to ask for a four-story townhouse in prime Brooklyn Heights–in fact, the longtime sales record-holder, Truman Capote's former home at 70 Willow Street, sold for $12.5 million back in 2012 and was recently bested by the $15.5 million sale of a Cobble Hill townhouse. And this landmarked home at 73 Joralemon Street is no fixer-upper; quite the opposite. A top-to-toe, no-expense-spared redesign was just completed, helmed by designer Nick Olsen. Not only were the home's interiors transformed with dramatic flair, modern updates took place throughout: new windows were installed, stairs replaced and hardwood floors refinished; all mechanicals were replaced including central heating and air.
Take a look inside, this way
July 27, 2015

Entertain on Three Levels in This $2.5M Modern Chelsea Loft

While most lofts offer a spacious open interior, this recently-listed $2.5 million Chelsea triplex extends vertically as well; a stylish recent renovation gets creative with windows and skylights to maximize light flow throughout all three floors. The 1,797-square-foot, two-bedroom condo at 251 West 19th Street–known as Chelsea 19, the classic loft building was built in 1910 and converted to condos in 2002–is just the spot for a three-story soiree (or a well-divided live-and-work space).
Check out all three floors...
July 21, 2015

BIG Ideas: Bjarke Ingels Talks 2 WTC and Why Today’s Skyscrapers Lack Confidence

Helping to kick off the 2015 New York Times Cities for Tomorrow conference, Danish architect Bjarke Ingels—principal of Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the firm responsible for 2 World Trade Center, Google HQ in Mountain View (with Thomas Heatherwick), the Dry Line and the pyramid-shaped “Via,” AKA 625 West 57th Street, among many others—talked “social infrastructure” with New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman. The baby-faced “starchitect 2.0” was his usual quotable and slightly mischievous self, yet, as always, provided plenty of insight on the topic at hand. Well-known for his suggestion that “Architecture at its best is really the power to make the world a little bit more like our dreams," Ingels offered his views on the ideal workspace design, what makes a memorable skyscraper and what some of his toughest challenges have been, in addition to speaking to the architect’s role in the social evolution of modern cities.
Find out the highlights and watch a video of the discussion
June 29, 2015

The High and Low: A House at the Top

Though townhouses, row houses, and wooden houses exist in NYC in lower density areas like Brooklyn and Queens, in Manhattan, there’s often nowhere to build but up. It follows that those who enjoy the conveniences of modern condos sacrifice the feel of a free-standing house, and vice-versa. Penthouse living provides a rare exception; if you’re the top dog, you can basically build what you want, and the highest surface becomes your backyard and front porch. Penthouse bulkheads take a variety of shapes, with the most elaborate ones resembling nothing so much as a modernist masterpiece hovering above it all. In a few notable cases, this allowance is taken more literally than usual. The handful of log cabins, wood houses and such are curiosities atop the city’s tall buildings. The pair of lofty dwellings below exemplifies this good fortune. The first, a glass-walled rectangle above one of Tribeca’s most coveted converted industrial buildings removes the need for a Palm Springs retreat, though the $22.5 million price tag is definitely New York City-sized. The second, at $4.45 million, is more average-penthouse-priced, but the East Village home is definitely unique–its top floor resembles a country cottage.
See more of these have-it-all rooftop pads this way…
June 22, 2015

The High and Low: Architecturally Distinct Modern Townhouse in Brownstone Brooklyn

Townhouses are having a moment. Manhattan’s most lavish single-family homes are top-ticket trophies for the superwealthy. And families who've outgrown their apartments, investors banking on rising rents, and a celebrity or two, are snapping up brownstones on leafy Brooklyn blocks. But a handful of more adventurous buyers -- seeking space and privacy and possessed of some architectural vision -- chose the less-traveled road of creating modern-design homes on the decidedly un-trendy historic blocks of brownstone Brooklyn many decades ago. On the market now is the rare pair below. The first, more of a compound than merely a house, has a creative pedigree and architectural icon status (and a $13 million price tag). This combination of a 1892 school building and the townhouse next door sits among the impressively ornate 19th-century mansions of Fort Greene and boasts an un-missable modern extension and peerless minimalist interior, not to mention sheer size. The second is a more modest home–for a relatively more modest $3.5 million–but is also a unique modern dwelling with a laid-back and livable interior on a coveted tree-lined block of historic Brooklyn Heights.
See more of these unique modern homes this way
June 16, 2015

New Hues and Fab Collabs Update a Pair of Classic Mid-Century Lamps

Though the worlds of furniture and interior design, like architecture, are often focused on innovation—the future, the new, the next—the best designs rise to the top year after year. This was more evident than ever as we beheld the countless cool and innovative design offerings at last month's ICFF, many of which we’re sure we’ll be seeing everywhere soon. Among the most memorable were a pair of classics that are far from new but no less brilliant.
See more of these cool and colorful classics
June 15, 2015

Beastie Boy Mike D’s Brilliant Brooklyn Townhouse Can Be Yours for $5.7M

Back in 2013, news that Michael Diamond—a.k.a. Beastie Boy Mike D—and his wife, Tamra Davis, had acquired a townhouse on a beautiful tree-lined Cobble Hill block and given it a creative and modern—yet totally livable—redesign led to a spate of articles showcasing the cool and quirky pad, including a New York Times house tour aptly titled "Licensed to Grill." All the attention likely led to Diamond's recent side project helping his architect friends design a new-construction townhouse in nearby Boerum Hill that recently sold for just under $5 million. Now the original Cobble Hill Beastie house at 148 Baltic Street is on the market for $5.65 million, funky custom toile wallpaper and all.
Tour the delightfully decorated townhouse, this way...
June 1, 2015

The High and Low: Waterfront Living on Beekman Place

While neighborhoods may seem to become hot-or-not at the drop of a hat, waterfront property retains its mystique through the ages. Open river and bridge views are a rare and covetable amenity that can’t be brought in with high-end consultants or approximated by joining a gym on the next block. These two homes on Beekman Place, an East Side enclave of pre-war apartment buildings and stately townhouses that has long been considered the essence of understated Manhattan elegance, form part of an enviable row of buildings along the East River possessed of waterfront living on one side and Manhattan excitement on the other. The tree-shaded block-long street near the United Nations and Peter Detmold Park, minutes from bustling Midtown, is often overlooked, yet no less magical should you find yourself on it–the New York Times recently called it, "about as far off the beaten path as one can get in Manhattan." On the market now are a $13 million duplex, complete with a raised deck that elevates the view to peerless, and a 12th-floor gem on the same short street asking a more palatable $1.5 million, also with panoramic river views and a smaller, but no less lovable deck from which to watch the ships pass in the night–or day.
Get an eyeful of these waterfront vistas this way
May 19, 2015

The High and Low: Sweet Bohemian Cottage with Dreamy Private Garden

Spring has finally arrived, and our spring fever has been replaced by a yearning to dine al fresco, savor morning coffee in the sunshine and—for the gardening-inclined—start hitting the dirt. For lucky city folk with private garden space, there's a just-right element: You get to enjoy the flowers but you don't have to mow the grass. These new-to-market charmers have all the boxes checked when it comes to the European-style cottage vibe with whitewashed walls and loads of DIY potential. They've also got enchanted gardens you won't want to step out of 'til the snow starts falling. The first, in south Park Slope, a block from the park, is a three-story townhouse with income potential and plenty of vintage details, listed for $1,800,000. The second, a two-bedroom garden duplex co-op in Clinton Hill for $895k, is as adorable as it is unusual inside and out, and the garden looks to be pure magic.
Read on for these two springtime finds