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.

Met Museum will open a 3,500-square-foot science and art play space for young visitors

Rendering of 81st Street Studio, designed by KOKO Architecture + Design. Image courtesy of Brick Visual

June 13, 2023

Met Museum will open a 3,500-square-foot science and art play space for young visitors

By Michelle Cohen

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced it will open the 81st Street Studio, a free science and art play space for the museum's youngest visitors, on September 9. The newly-designed space will occupy a 3,500-square-foot area in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education at the Upper East Side museum; children aged 3 to 11 can enjoy interactive play to create new experiences and inspire exploration of the museum's vast collection.
More cool stuff for kids at the Met, this way

Events & Things To Do

Former North Fork general store is now a sweet little $595K beach cottage with separate studio

Photo credit: Brown Harris Stevens

June 12, 2023

Former North Fork general store is now a sweet little $595K beach cottage with separate studio

By Michelle Cohen

Formerly known as the Park Store, this charming cottage was the sole community general store in the Reeves Park Beach neighborhood of Long Island's Baiting Hollow from the 1940s to the 1980s. The compact one-bedroom-plus-sleeping-loft home, asking $595,000, has been renovated with many of its original details preserved. Located in a highly desirable Long Island Sound beach community, the property includes an equally compact separate studio.
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This elegant $1.6M Upper East Side co-op has hand-painted murals and classic pre-war details

Photo credit: Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty

June 9, 2023

This elegant $1.6M Upper East Side co-op has hand-painted murals and classic pre-war details

By Michelle Cohen

Live the timeless, classic Upper East Side life in this corner co-op at 901 Lexington Avenue. In addition to retaining the grandeur of its original 1907 design, interiors by renowned designer Suzanne Rheinstein render its elegance unique. Hand-painted hardwood floors and murals by Bob Christian are just a few of the timeless details that elevate this $1,600,000 home.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

The Westchester Colonial home of late fashion icon André Leon Talley asks $1.25M

Photo credit: Joe Kravetz at Laurel and Grand

June 8, 2023

The Westchester Colonial home of late fashion icon André Leon Talley asks $1.25M

By Michelle Cohen

The longtime Westchester home of André Leon Talley, the larger-than-life former Vogue creative director and fashion-world influencer who died in 2022, has just been listed for $1,250,000. According to the New York Times, Talley, who was the first Black creative director at Vogue, considered the White Plains property his "sanctuary" from rough-and-tumble city life. The home is currently owned by an LLC created by the designer–and longtime friend–Diane von Furstenberg to assure that Talley wouldn't lose the property after an ownership dispute. At the end of a long private drive, the classic four-bedroom 1854 home on one-and-a-half acres reminded Talley of the estates in his native city of Durham, North Carolina.
Leopard print carpets and classic proportions, this way

For $1.8M, this design lover’s upstate dream house uses color and texture to update history

Photo credit: Annabel Taylor of Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty/Gabriel Zimmer

June 7, 2023

For $1.8M, this design lover’s upstate dream house uses color and texture to update history

By Michelle Cohen

Situated on two verdant Columbia County acres, this circa-1789 Federal-style home's design takes a detour from the strict proportions that previously defined its Georgian rooms in an enchanting mix of curved walls and sophisticated color schemes. While keeping many of its architectural details intact, the current designer-owners of the Kinderhook, New York home, known as Orchard House, have in this way breathed colorful new life into this country retreat, asking $1,800,000.
More country dream house, this way

30+ ways to celebrate Pride Month in NYC

Photo by Anthony Quintano on Flickr CC

June 7, 2023

30+ ways to celebrate Pride Month in NYC

By Michelle Cohen

The New York City Pride March is back at full tilt for 2023, and the month of June promises to be a wall-to-wall celebration around what has grown to be the world’s largest Pride march since it was first held in 1970, bringing in an average of two million visitors annually. Here in the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement at the Stonewall uprising of 1969, the list of Pride events is seemingly endless. Heritage of Pride, the nonprofit organization behind New York City’s official LGBTQIA+ Pride celebration, offers a calendar to help navigate the month of June. Below, you'll find dozens of ways to participate.
Pride, parades and parties, this way

Events & Things To Do

This $8M Boerum Hill home was an abandoned Navy boarding house before a total designer renovation

Photos courtesy of Eytan Stern Weber at Evan Joseph Images

June 1, 2023

This $8M Boerum Hill home was an abandoned Navy boarding house before a total designer renovation

By Michelle Cohen

This 1920 Federal-style brick townhouse at 82 Dean Street in Boerum Hill was, in a former life, a boarding house for World War II Navy veterans. After being left vacant for half a decade, the building was stripped bare and brought back to life by a couple in search of a blank slate, according to a Curbed account of the multi-year renovation that yielded a designer home courtesy of the design firm Ashe + Leandro and Mercer Street Restoration. Asking $7,999,000, the home's interiors balance stunning design with comfort and ease of living; the renovation raised the ceilings and added an entire floor, a roof deck, a newly painted stucco facade, a custom bluestone stoop, and all-new windows.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

$1B office complex revamp of Chelsea’s historic Terminal Warehouse tops out

Rendering by COOKFOX

May 31, 2023

$1B office complex revamp of Chelsea’s historic Terminal Warehouse tops out

By Michelle Cohen

Terminal Warehouse, the newest reimagined workplace destination in the West Chelsea historic district, is nearing completion; a six-story addition atop the 130-year-old landmarked building recently topped out, as the New York Post first reported. The historic building, once home to the iconic 1980s and '90s nightclub Tunnel, is slated to become 1.3 million square feet of wellness-focused office and retail space, with an investment of over $1 billion. The project's developers, L&L Holding Company and Columbia Property Trust, along with architectural firm COOKFOX and New Line Structures, have made every effort to maintain the building's character as New York City's first major industrial facility with direct access to the Hudson River, streets, and rail lines.
Find out more, this way

British actor Kunal Nayyar just listed his Nomad penthouse for $2.8M

Photos by Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty unless otherwise noted

May 30, 2023

British actor Kunal Nayyar just listed his Nomad penthouse for $2.8M

By Michelle Cohen

The duplex penthouse owned by actor Kunal Nayyar–you may know him as Raj on "The Big Bang Theory," is now on the market asking $2,800,000. The one-bedroom condo in Nomad's Grand Madison at 225 Fifth Avenue has 11-foot ceilings for plenty of light indoors, and the covetable existence of a large patio and roof deck, high above Manhattan.
Get a closer look

This $4.75M North Fork waterfront estate brings theme park fun to a Victorian-style dream house

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

May 25, 2023

This $4.75M North Fork waterfront estate brings theme park fun to a Victorian-style dream house

By Michelle Cohen

This pale blue Italianate Victorian-style confection of a seven-bedroom North Fork mansion might fit right in at Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A., but the 10,000-square-foot home's stylized interiors and carefully groomed grounds make it look like a really fun place to live. After all, how many East End estates boast an indoor pool with a twisty water park slide? And if it looks a little bit like Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House–there's a reason for that, too. Asking $4,750,000, the home on nine acres of tidal pond at 13555 New Suffolk Avenue in Cutchogue may be filled with whimsy, but the included sugar sand beach across the street is a serious treasure.
Take the grand ole tour

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California dreamin’ in a unique Bay Ridge townhouse for $1.3M

Photo credit: Russ Ross Photography for The Corcoran Group

May 23, 2023

California dreamin’ in a unique Bay Ridge townhouse for $1.3M

By Michelle Cohen

This chic single-family townhouse may be in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, but the semi-detached home at 356 94th Street has a decidedly laid-back Cali vibe that's evident the moment its sky-blue-painted brick facade comes into view. The home's modern casement windows let the sunshine in and provide a preview of the considered and livable design within. Asking $1,279,000, the home spans three levels and includes a finished basement, a driveway, and a garage.
More Venice Beach in Brooklyn, this way

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This $5.4M Park Slope penthouse has the luxuries of city living–with a rooftop yard and parking

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow Photography and Leonard Lo Russo for The Corcoran Group

May 18, 2023

This $5.4M Park Slope penthouse has the luxuries of city living–with a rooftop yard and parking

By Michelle Cohen

This full-floor corner penthouse condo at 133 Sterling Place has the sleek interiors and views you'd expect from a $5,350,000 New York City apartment, with the full-house perks of parking and a huge roof terrace that doubles as an urban backyard. Inside are three bedrooms, two baths, and plenty of closets. It's the 1,800 square feet of outdoor space that make this Park Slope home extraordinary.
Take the tour

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Your guide to Morningside Heights: A college town in a city neighborhood

Tom’s Restaurant is a landmark in Morningside Heights thanks to Seinfeld. Photo by Scarlet Sappho on Flickr

May 17, 2023

Your guide to Morningside Heights: A college town in a city neighborhood

By Michelle Cohen

Bookended by Morningside and Riverside Parks on a high plateau in Upper Manhattan, Morningside Heights is tucked between the neighborhoods of Manhattanville to the north and Manhattan Valley to the south. The neighborhood's street boundaries are Morningside Drive to the east, 125th Street to the north, 110th Street to the south, and Riverside Drive to the west, with Broadway as its main commercial thoroughfare. Morningside Heights is also considered to be part of Harlem–with the Upper West Side just below. To use a bookend analogy is fitting: Morningside Heights is the largest student neighborhood in New York City; it is this distinction that provides the city neighborhood with its college town vibe.
What to do and see, and where to live in Morningside Heights

This $13.5M Tribeca condo designed by Thierry Despont is a 21st-century version of Don Draper’s pad

Photo credit: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 15, 2023

This $13.5M Tribeca condo designed by Thierry Despont is a 21st-century version of Don Draper’s pad

By Michelle Cohen

Peerless in form and function, this dazzling condominium residence at 111 Murray Street was designed by world-renowned French architect and designer Thierry Despont. Asking $13,500,000, the Tribeca trophy home, with its open city and water views and magazine-worthy renovation, is the perfect setting for an updated rendition of "Zou Bisou, Bisou" against the glittering Manhattan skyline.
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$8M Flatiron co-op feels like a custom contemporary house in the middle of New York City

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 11, 2023

$8M Flatiron co-op feels like a custom contemporary house in the middle of New York City

By Michelle Cohen

With 4,100 square feet of living space and five bedrooms, this nine-room co-op at 6 West 20th Street in Manhattan's Flatiron district could easily be a custom-built family home in the suburbs, if it weren't in the middle of a vibrant Manhattan neighborhood. Asking $7,950,000, this renovated loft residence designed by West Chin Architects even has the layout of a modern house, with large rooms arranged around a central gallery.
See more, this way

Distinctive Homes

This $2.5M loft in a former East Village synagogue once belonged to photographer William Wegman

Photo credit: Rachel Kuzma for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 9, 2023

This $2.5M loft in a former East Village synagogue once belonged to photographer William Wegman

By Michelle Cohen

Now on the market for $2,500,000, this East Village loft at 431 East 6th Street is one of three in a building with a history that's in keeping with its colorful downtown neighborhood. Available for the first time in 40 years, the apartment, belonging to model and interior designer Maria Von Hartz, represents the latest incarnation of what was once an abandoned synagogue. The building, which is a tenancy-in-common property, was purchased in the 1980s by a group of artists who transformed the abandoned house of worship into beautiful loft homes. Among these artist-owners was celebrated photographer William Wegman of whimsical Weimaraner fame.
Take a look inside

Distinctive Homes

NYCxDESIGN 2023: What to see and do at New York City’s annual celebration of design

Photo: © 6sqft

May 8, 2023

NYCxDESIGN 2023: What to see and do at New York City’s annual celebration of design

By Michelle Cohen

NYCxDESIGN: The Festival, New York City's official celebration of design, returns to the city from May 18 to May 25. This major international design event, now in its 11th year, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to celebrate globally renowned creative accomplishments, discover new ideas, and inspire through design. Anchored by several major industry fairs, including ICFF and WantedDesign, the festival is packed with independent shows, open studios, and exhibitions that inspire audiences and showcase new talent. The annual festival promises to be an opportunity to discover the newest and most exciting contributions in furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories–many of which you'll be seeing in magazines, blogs, and showrooms for years to come–and an opportunity to get ideas for your own living space. Read on for a few highlights.
NYCXDesign Festival 2023 highlights, this way

At $25M, Chelsea’s most expensive townhouse will set a new record

Photo credit: Brown Harris Stevens

May 8, 2023

At $25M, Chelsea’s most expensive townhouse will set a new record

By Michelle Cohen

This four-story townhouse at 334 West 20th Street, asking $25,000,000 set a neighborhood record when it changed hands in 2021 for $22,500,000, according to the Wall Street Journal. Chelsea's priciest townhouse is on track to outdo its previous record if it fetches its current ask. From the cellar gym to the elevator to the sprawling rooftop terrace, AD100 firm Gachot made use of every inch of usable space in a redesign that turned the home into a modern Manhattan mansion while preserving its historic elegance.
Tour this modern Manhattan mansion

Distinctive Homes

Mike Myers lists five-bedroom High Line penthouse for $20M

Photo courtesy of Will Ellis/COMPASS

May 5, 2023

Mike Myers lists five-bedroom High Line penthouse for $20M

By Michelle Cohen

Another of comedian and actor Mike Myers' fabulous homes is for sale. This 5,600-square-foot penthouse adjacent to the High Line at 505 West 19th Street in West Chelsea, asking $20,000,000, has two terraces and five bedrooms, with designer interiors courtesy of Thomas Juul Hansen, the building's architect. According to the Wall Street Journal, the “Shrek” star purchased the home for $15.35 million in 2017.
Take the penthouse tour

All aboard a charming $2M three-bedroom townhouse flat in historic Brooklyn Heights

Photo credit: Russ Ross Photography

May 4, 2023

All aboard a charming $2M three-bedroom townhouse flat in historic Brooklyn Heights

By Michelle Cohen

Though this three-bedroom co-op at 167 Clinton Street in the heart of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District might be a standard railroad flat, it's definitely in the first-class section: The one inconvenience of the room-after-room layout–having to walk through every room to get to the others–has already been remedied with a closet-lined hallway in the bedroom wing. Situated on the suitably grand parlor floor of a mid-1800s townhouse, there's plenty of space in this charming residence, asking $1,995,000, that spans the length of the main townhouse plus its rear carriage house.
Take the room-by-room tour

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British Consulate’s Midtown East penthouse, asking $7M, hits the auction block starting at $2M

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 3, 2023

British Consulate’s Midtown East penthouse, asking $7M, hits the auction block starting at $2M

By Michelle Cohen

This 6,000-square-foot full-floor residence in the Beekman Regent condominium at 351 East 51st Street, currently asking $6,995,000 (down from $8,500,000 in 2021), may provide an opportunity for auction lovers: The penthouse with city views and five bedrooms is headed for online auction by the British government, with bids starting at $2,000,000. The penthouse has functioned as the British Consul General in New York's residence, so it's a given that its flexible floorplan and nearly 10-foot ceilings would add up to the perfect space for lavish parties and regal receptions.
Take a look inside

$25M Upper East Side carriage house was once J.P. Morgan’s garage

Photo credit: MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

May 2, 2023

$25M Upper East Side carriage house was once J.P. Morgan’s garage

By Michelle Cohen

This 25-foot-wide carriage house at 118 East 83rd Street has 7,500 square feet of living space, a private garage, a roof deck and terraces, an elevator–and an interesting New York City story. Situated on a leafy Upper East Side block lined with carriage houses, this particular one has several distinctions. Built in 1908, it was originally owned by the J.P. Morgan family and served as the noted financier's garage and staff quarters. Constructed at the dawn of the automobile era, the building was among the first to be built specifically to hold cars. After a complete renovation by the current owners, this four-story home is a modern mansion with peerless amenities–including a private garage–now listed for $25,000,000.
Find out more

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This $12.5M penthouse spans the entire floor of a 1930s Upper West Side hotel

Photo courtesy of Evan Joseph

May 1, 2023

This $12.5M penthouse spans the entire floor of a 1930s Upper West Side hotel

By Michelle Cohen

The building that began life as a "skyscraper church" and home to the storied Manhattan Towers Hotel at 2166 Broadway was converted to 113 co-ops–and one massive penthouse–in 1980. That penthouse–a rooftop villa with the interiors of a modern farmhouse mixed with a loft–is now on the market for $12,500,000. With a wrap-around terrace and a solarium, the sprawling five-bedroom co-op is blessed with unobstructed 360-degree views of Central Park, the Hudson River, the Midtown skyline, and the George Washington Bridge from every window as well as its dazzling outdoor spaces. A multi-level loft-like floor plan comprises the entire top floor, for endless space in addition to peerless views.
Discover this unusual aerie

Distinctive Homes

SHOP THE LISTING: Full-floor Red Hook condo with a Mediterranean vibe and two terraces

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow

April 28, 2023

SHOP THE LISTING: Full-floor Red Hook condo with a Mediterranean vibe and two terraces

By Michelle Cohen

This 1,800-square-foot full-floor Brooklyn condo at 96 King Street, asking $2,950,000, offers three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. Organic architectural details like arched doorways and unique textures, shapes, and colors combine to give the newly-minted home a sunny, modern Mediterranean feel. Two terraces provide outdoor space for enjoying summer evenings in this lively and eclectic neighborhood; the three-unit building offers private parking for the car you’ll need for life in Red Hook. If you’re loving the interior design of this home, we’ve sourced a few key pieces that are identical or similar to the items in the listing photos. So you can get the look–without having to move.
Shop the listing, this way

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This $4.9M unicorn of a Williamsburg townhouse has a guest suite, garage, art studio, and roof deck

Photo courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 27, 2023

This $4.9M unicorn of a Williamsburg townhouse has a guest suite, garage, art studio, and roof deck

By Michelle Cohen

If you've got $4,900,000, you don't have to choose between an artist's loft and a townhouse with room for guests or tenants, or between city living and having a garage. This rare north Brooklyn townhouse at 394 Union Avenue in the heart of Williamsburg offers two floors of townhouse living with plenty of flexibility. There's garage parking, a huge art/music studio, a guest suite with its own kitchen, and plenty of outdoor terrace space for entertaining.
Get a closer look

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