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.
20 ways to celebrate the 2019 holiday season in NYC
December 3, 2019

20 ways to celebrate the 2019 holiday season in NYC

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If you're lucky enough to find yourself in New York City for the winter holidays, you'll find just about every kind of celebration imaginable from longtime traditions like the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, the Rockettes and the Nutcracker to movie classics in theaters and neighborhoods ablaze with lights. And if you're seeking a break from traditional festivities, there are plenty of creative and unconventional ways to enjoy the season.
and SantaCon ain't one
The 13 best Advent calendars of 2019

Image by Gerhard Gellinger via Pixabay

December 2, 2019

The 13 best Advent calendars of 2019

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Advent calendars–those countdown calendars with little doors or tabs that can be opened each day of the month–are a visual, hands-on way to deal with counting the days 'til Christmas. The idea falls somewhere between a card and a gift, with the added excitement of having each day be a chance to reveal a new bauble, bonbon, potion or prize. Both the ritual of finding out what’s behind the door–and getting to enjoy it–can be almost as fun for grown-ups as kids. Below are 12 cool countdown calendars stocked with treats from chocolates and tea to Marvel figurines and "Game of Thrones" socks (yes, really.)–and one DIY version you can fill with whatever you like.
cool advent calendars, this way
Huge $24M Beresford duplex with park-facing terrace was home to showbiz luminaries

Photo credit: Denis Vlasov for Sotheby’s International Realty

November 26, 2019

Huge $24M Beresford duplex with park-facing terrace was home to showbiz luminaries

By
This duplex at The Beresford at 211 Central Park West possesses one of Manhattan's finest Central Park-facing terraces. The sprawling Upper West Side co-op in the celebrity-studded classic Emery Roth-designed pre-war building was home to Broadway and screen talent Adolph Green (he wrote "Singin' In The Rain") and Tony Award-winning actor Phyllis Newman. In addition to the sprawling duplex and 600-square-foot terrace, $24 million will assure you dazzling panoramic views of the Park, Central Park South, and the city skyline. And next door, you'll find Jerry Seinfeld's place.
Take the tour
East Midtown Greenway, $100M link in a connected Manhattan waterfront loop, breaks ground

Rendering courtesy of Stantec

November 25, 2019

East Midtown Greenway, $100M link in a connected Manhattan waterfront loop, breaks ground

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The creation of the East Midtown Greenway (EMG), a 1.5-acre public space stretching from East 53rd to 61st Streets along the waterfront, got underway Friday. The project, to be completed by 2022, is part of the Manhattan Waterfront Greenway initiative to wrap the entire perimeter of Manhattan with accessible public spaces and safe bicycle paths. The midtown space will close one of the largest remaining gaps in the $250 million city initiative, announced by Mayor de Blasio in 2018, to connect 32 miles of Manhattan waterfront esplanade.
Find out more
When the big dinner is at your (tiny) apartment: How to host a holiday meal in a small space

Photo by Kelsey Chance on Unsplash

November 22, 2019

When the big dinner is at your (tiny) apartment: How to host a holiday meal in a small space

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Don't let apartment life stop you from hosting! Forget the turkey and tradition, or start one of your own with a November (or December) dinner to remember. You can even tackle the classic Thanksgiving, or have a low-key, festive "Friendsgiving." The key is to find your own collection of small-space, less-fuss entertaining ideas and go-to goods. Below, a few suggestions to get you started.
Ideas for a holiday feast, apartment-style, this way
This $9.8M West Village townhouse has historic charm, a literary past and retail opportunity

Photo credit: Dean DeCarlo courtesy of The Corcoran Group.

November 22, 2019

This $9.8M West Village townhouse has historic charm, a literary past and retail opportunity

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The single-family townhouse at 409 Bleecker Street in the West Village dates from 1860, and has had the same owner for over 40 years. The Italianate townhouse also had the good fortune of being located in one of the neighborhood’s many charming residential and shopping districts. The current owner is the widow of the late Donald E. Westlake (who also wrote under the pen name Richard Stark), a prolific American writer. The current retail tenant–trendy French fashion label Zadig & Voltaire–contributes $32,000 a month in rental income, which might make the home's $9.75 million ask seem quite worth it.
See more of this West Village gem
This classic Boerum Hill Italianate brownstone checks all of the boxes for $5M

Photo credit: DDreps, courtesy of Compass.

November 21, 2019

This classic Boerum Hill Italianate brownstone checks all of the boxes for $5M

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At 20 feet wide, renovated in 2016 and complete with options for rental income and indoor-outdoor entertaining, the four-story townhouse at 355 Pacific Street is offering all the benefits of brownstone living in a pretty package. Built in 1869, this quintessential row house–it was featured on the 2016 Boerum Hill House and Garden Tour–on a postcard-perfect landmarked Boerum Hill block is asking $4,999 million. Inside are lots of original details and 21st-century amenities–including many wine fridges. There's also that covetable Brooklyn bonus of a backyard complete with mood lighting and a fire pit.
Take the townhouse tour
City’s Soho/Noho report addresses affordable housing, zoning, and small business success

Image: Steven Pisano via Flickr.

November 21, 2019

City’s Soho/Noho report addresses affordable housing, zoning, and small business success

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The Department of City Planning (DCP), along with Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Council Member Margaret Chin, released on Wednesday the Envision Soho/Noho report, a comprehensive summary of findings and recommendations that address issues and guide future plans for downtown Manhattan's Soho and Noho neighborhoods. The report represents the result of a six-month-long community engagement series on the two historic neighborhoods, aimed at addressing their unique challenges in the 21st century. Contained in the report is a detailed summary of the engagement process that presents the perspectives of participants, as well as recommendations for guiding future plans for improving quality of life, addressing housing concerns, and supporting the unique mixed-use character of these neighborhoods.
More from the report, this way
This resort-like $9.5M Hamptons home has an indoor/outdoor pool off the kitchen

Photo credit: Evan Joseph/Compass

November 20, 2019

This resort-like $9.5M Hamptons home has an indoor/outdoor pool off the kitchen

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This Water Mill waterfront home at 38 Cobb Isle Road could easily be a glittering international resort, complete with gorgeous indoor pool and spa right off the kitchen. The pool becomes an outdoor pool in warm weather, and the house itself is on Mecox Bay with the views you'd expect, surrounded by water. Asking $9,495,000, the home, designed by renowned Southampton-based architect Mark C. Matthews, spans 6,150 square feet and has six bedrooms; there's a gym and full bath above the garage, which could become a guest suite.
More waterfront getaway, this way
This $2M boho-chic Crown Heights row house would make a great apartment alternative

Photo credit: Rise Media, courtesy of Compass.

November 20, 2019

This $2M boho-chic Crown Heights row house would make a great apartment alternative

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This two-story row house in Crown Heights at 996 Saint Johns Place has plenty of space for family and friends without being too much house to handle. Asking $1.975 million, the barrel-fronted limestone facade looks out over a small front garden, and there's lots more room in the back for al fresco activities. Interiors have been lovingly restored without being too fancy, and lots of old details remain.
Take the townhouse tour
Get a new look at Hudson River Park’s Pier 97 after $38M revamp

Images: !melk/Hudson River Park Trust

November 19, 2019

Get a new look at Hudson River Park’s Pier 97 after $38M revamp

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Hudson River Park's northernmost pier is being transformed from a concrete strip to nearly two acres of green space with an esplanade and other amenities, Curbed NY reports. Renderings from design firm !melk, who is working with the Hudson River Park Trust on the revamp of Pier 97, located off 12th avenue and 57th Street in Hell's Kitchen, show a verdant respite from the city and din of the nearby West Side Highway. The vision for the new space at the gateway to Hudson River Park will consist of a series of connected spaces with walkways, sculptural canopies and a playground, with an elevated "belvedere" overlooking the river.
More renderings, this way
This $849K Gramercy co-op has two bedrooms and plenty of options for more

Photo credit: Jake DiPietro, Courtesy of Compass

November 19, 2019

This $849K Gramercy co-op has two bedrooms and plenty of options for more

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This charming fifth-floor pre-war co-op just two blocks from Union Square, asking $849,000, has plenty of room to expand beyond its current two bedrooms. Situated around a central kitchen, the apartment even comes with instructions (in the form of alternate floor plans, shown in the gallery below). On a quiet landmarked townhouse block in the heart of Gramercy, the Beaux-Arts co-op building at 210 East 17th Street is a well-maintained walk-up.
Have a closer look
This $2.7M Village duplex across from Film Forum is great for movie buffs

Images courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

November 18, 2019

This $2.7M Village duplex across from Film Forum is great for movie buffs

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This two-floor co-op at 200 West Houston Street, asking $2.695 million, may be on a busy Village thoroughfare, but its location across from the critic favorite Film Forum movie theater–and screening-room-ready lower level–might make it the perfect spot for someone who wants to immerse themselves in film. There's room to configure the space differently (it's currently set up as a one-bedroom), and each level has a separate entrance.
Take the tour
Will restored details and a flawless renovation land $3.5M for this Bed-Stuy brownstone?

Images courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

November 18, 2019

Will restored details and a flawless renovation land $3.5M for this Bed-Stuy brownstone?

By
Brownstone-obsessed Brooklyn developers Dahill & Bunce have put their obsession to work in this 20-foot-wide Bed-Stuy townhouse, which, after a design-savvy renovation, they've served up for sale at a notable-for-the-neighborhood $3.495 million. The meticulous renovation puts all the right airy, livable modern finishes into place while preserving plenty of details that distinguish the 1882 Neo-Grec townhouse at 158 Halsey Street. The resulting three-bedroom triplex–plus garden apartment–totals about 4,000 square feet. The house has an extension which puts it at a rare 60 feet deep, and there are five private outdoor areas throughout.
More sexy brownstone interiors this way
The top NYC holiday markets and pop-up shops of 2019

Photo courtesy of Grand Bazaar

November 18, 2019

The top NYC holiday markets and pop-up shops of 2019

By
New York is a city of shoppers, and though the retail landscape may be undergoing a sea change, there’s still a lot to be said for perusing yards of beautiful baubles and quirky crafts you won't find online in the company of other shoppers and plenty of good cheer. There’s no shortage of holiday markets this season, with one in practically every corner of town; and each one is unique in its own way. The big Manhattan markets–at Union Square, Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, and Columbus Circle–get points for sheer volume, but some of the best finds can be had at smaller, more intimate neighborhood affairs. And they all sparkle with winter wonderland delights from ice skating and music to drinks, food, workshops, tarot readings, nail art, and family fun to keep shoppers' spirits bright.
Find out where to get the goods
Runway Rink lands at landmark TWA Hotel’s tarmac for daily skating and ice shows

Photo courtesy of TWA Hotel.

November 15, 2019

Runway Rink lands at landmark TWA Hotel’s tarmac for daily skating and ice shows

By
Yet another cool way to experience the Eero Saarinen-designed TWA Hotel at JFK Airport arrives this month: Starting November 30, a custom 56-by-44-foot Runway Rink will be open for ice skating on the hotel's tarmac surrounding the 1958 Lockheed Constellation Connie airplane-turned-cocktail-lounge. In addition to sharpening your figure-8 skills, you can catch nostalgic ice skating shows and chill with frosty beers, sno-caps and more.
Winter wonderland, this way
City Council votes to make Hart Island, nation’s largest public cemetery, more accessible

Photo of Hart Island  by David Trawin on Flickr

November 15, 2019

City Council votes to make Hart Island, nation’s largest public cemetery, more accessible

By
On Thursday, the New York City Council approved legislation that transfers ownership of Hart Island, the nation's largest public cemetery where over 1 million people are buried, to the city's Parks Department. The 101-acre island off the coast of the Bronx contains a potters field that has been the final resting place for destitute New Yorkers as far back as the Civil War. The island is currently operated by the Department of Correction (DOC), with Rikers Island inmates paid $1 an hour to bury bodies there. This week's vote comes after a years-long fight to end the onerous process required of visitors who wish to pay their respects to loved ones buried there; its intent is to make the island more accessible to the public and improve its dilapidated conditions.
Find out more
East River flood protection plan gets the green light from NYC Council

Rendering courtesy of the Department of Design and Construction

November 15, 2019

East River flood protection plan gets the green light from NYC Council

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The $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR), designed to protect a section of Manhattan's east side from flooding, was approved on Thursday in a full City Council vote. The vote is the final City Council approval of the project, which passed the city's land use committee earlier this week and is the culmination of a long and at-times controversial process. As 6sqft previously reported, the project was born in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and was designed to flood-proof over two miles of Manhattan’s east side between East 25th Street and Montgomery Street and improve waterfront access to waterfront space. According to the city, the ESCR project would protect over 110,000 New Yorkers.
Find out more
For $2.4M, this classic pre-war condo in Midtown is dressed to impress

Photo credit: Real Arch Media, courtesy of Compass

November 14, 2019

For $2.4M, this classic pre-war condo in Midtown is dressed to impress

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Located in the massive four-building Parc Vendome condominium complex that spans nearly a full city block in Midtown West, this designer-renovated home at 340 West 57th Street is worthy of any hyperbole bestowed upon it. On the 14th floor, with the pre-war building's highest ceilings (according to the listing) that reach 16 feet, this 1,165-square-foot, one-bedroom home is dressed to impress and asking $2,395,000.
More impressive interior goodness, this way
Live on two glorious floors of an Upper East Side French Gothic mansion for $4M

Photo credit: Donna Dotan, courtesy of Compass.

November 13, 2019

Live on two glorious floors of an Upper East Side French Gothic mansion for $4M

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This rare condo conversion in a Gilded Age mansion on the Upper East Side sits just across from Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Designed by C.P.H. Gilbert, 3 East 78th Street was built in 1899 as a six-story, 35-foot-wide private residence and converted to condominiums in 1964, keeping its ornate French Gothic limestone looks intact. The lush apartment within, asking $3,995,000, is a grande dame of a duplex spanning the mansion's fourth and fifth floors, with an elevator to get you there.
Tour this elegant Upper East Side home
$1.1M Noho duplex is a futuristic white box

Photo credit: Warchol Photography, Courtesy of Compass.

November 12, 2019

$1.1M Noho duplex is a futuristic white box

By
Located in Noho's nondescript-modernist Bleecker Court at 77 Bleecker Street, this unique home was designed in 2003 by architect and educator Diane Lewis for an art-world client who wanted, according to the listing, "a cross between Mies van der Rohe and Barbarella." She definitely achieved that goal, creating a downtown apartment that's perfect for anyone with collections to archive and display or who is seeking a sleek, pristine home that does a lot in a small space. It's asking $1,075,000.
More views of this modern architectural wonder
For $807K, light, pattern, and color wake up this two-bedroom Morningside Heights co-op
November 11, 2019

For $807K, light, pattern, and color wake up this two-bedroom Morningside Heights co-op

By
Situated within the amenity-filled Morningside Gardens co-operative complex, this two-bedroom home at 70 La Salle Street in Morningside Heights was renovated less than a year ago. The result is a cheerful and chic mix of color, pattern, and well-configured space that's highlighted by an abundance of natural light. With ceilings of over nine feet tall and floor-to-ceiling windows, this corner unit, asking $807,000, maximizes space with plenty of closets in addition to large and livable rooms.
Take the tour
$90/night Chelsea listing on Airbnb turns the spotlight on NYCHA housing

Queensbridge Houses. Photo credit: Metro Centric via Wikimedia Commons

November 11, 2019

$90/night Chelsea listing on Airbnb turns the spotlight on NYCHA housing

By
The New York Times recently told of a pair of visitors from Boston who signed up for a sweet Airbnb deal on a Chelsea pad for $90 a night–and were surprised to have it turn out to be a seventh-floor unit in the neighborhood's 11-building NYCHA Fulton Houses complex. The would-be guests noticed that "something seemed off," starting with the roach trap next to the bed. The travelers tipped off the company, who refunded their money, and their story quickly became internet history as yet another way homestay platforms are being taken advantage of and another log on the fire of the debate that rages over what to do about it.
Airb-n-beware?
13 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season

Photo by Rommel Demano for God’s Love We Deliver

November 11, 2019

13 places to volunteer in NYC this holiday season

By
The winter holiday season is a time of overflowing bounty for so many. While giving thanks and exchanging gifts, it's a fine opportunity to share the wealth, good cheer–and extra time off–with fellow New Yorkers in need. There are hundreds of ways to volunteer from now through the New Year (and beyond), and we've rounded up 13 ways to help this year, from meal delivery to serving Thanksgiving dinner to preparing your own putlock dish.
The list, this way
The city introduces a new branding initiative to unite NYC’s public markets

Photo of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market by Leonard J. DeFrancisci via Wikimedia Commons 

November 11, 2019

The city introduces a new branding initiative to unite NYC’s public markets

By
The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) last week unveiled a new brand strategy for the city's network of six public markets, which includes a multilingual ad campaign, a dynamic new website and social media presence, direct mail campaigns and more, all of which are designed to consolidate a network of historic markets under one city-wide brand. It's all part of the organization's comprehensive initiative to promote NYC's public markets--including Essex Market, the Bronx's Arthur Avenue Market, and Williamsburg's historic Moore Street Market--as "world class destinations for both local residents and tourists."
See what's in store
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