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.

A lofted upper level gives this $2.75M Chelsea condo extra living space

Photo credit: Scott Wintrow for The Corcoran Group

February 25, 2022

A lofted upper level gives this $2.75M Chelsea condo extra living space

By Michelle Cohen

This two-bedroom condo at 121 West 20th Street, asking $2,750,000, has classic Manhattan loft details like 15-foot ceilings, oversized windows, and cast-iron columns. A lofted mezzanine provides the second bedroom, plus office space and closets, and a new renovation adds a sleek kitchen, designer fixtures and finishes, and contemporary convenience.
Take the tour

Everything is for sale, including the $6.5M apartment, at this Upper West Side interior design exhibition

Dining table in rosewood with red under-painted inset glass top designed by Joaquim Tenreiro, Brazil, 1948, $125,000.00; “First Chairs” in rosewood and cane seat designed by Joaquim Tenreiro, Brazil, 1942, $80,000.00 for set of eight; “Vine” illuminated sculpture with hand-blown round soda glass globes and fifteen sockets designed and made by Jeff Zimmerman, USA, 2018, $125,000.00; Photo courtesy of frenchCALIFORNIA

February 24, 2022

Everything is for sale, including the $6.5M apartment, at this Upper West Side interior design exhibition

By Michelle Cohen

The Belnord at 225 West 86th Street is getting plenty of attention recently. The Upper West Side condo building stars as the fictional Arconia in Hulu’s "Only Murders in the Building" series. Now, a three-bedroom unit, on the market since October for $6,475,000, is having a turn in the spotlight as an international interior design showcase. The Belnord Project presents the home's interiors and art in a shoppable exhibition curated by frenchCALIFORNIA in partnership with Evan Snyderman of modern and contemporary design gallery R & Company.
Check out the design collaboration, room by room

Mayor’s budget comes up short on housing and homelessness, NYC advocates say

Mayor Eric Adams presents New York City’s $98.5 billion Preliminary Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. City Hall. Wednesday, February 16, 2022. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office via Flickr.

February 23, 2022

Mayor’s budget comes up short on housing and homelessness, NYC advocates say

By Michelle Cohen

Mayor Eric Adams released the city's preliminary budget for fiscal year 2023 last Wednesday, placing emphasis on public safety, employment, and aiding the plight of the city's youngest residents by addressing childcare and at-risk youth. While the mayor's safety-focused policy actions–prohibiting homeless people from sleeping in subway stations, for example–made headlines, advocates for equitable housing and the homeless say the proposed budget is a disappointment without a previously promised focus on those basic needs.
More on where the money's going, this way

For $1M, this historic Hudson bed and breakfast has lots of options beneath its mansard roof

All photos courtesy of Houlihan Lawrence

February 23, 2022

For $1M, this historic Hudson bed and breakfast has lots of options beneath its mansard roof

By Michelle Cohen

This eclectic 1865 Second Empire-style home–complete with mansard roof and widow's walk–is currently operated as Hudson City Bed and Breakfast in buzzy Hudson, NY. Asking $1,025,000, the 4,825-square-foot, six-bedroom, seven-and-a-half-bath home at 326-328 Allen Street has lots of appeal for anyone fond of architectural quirks, including an Italianate tower and one of the town's only accessible widow's walks with views of the surrounding Catskill Mountains.
Tour this historic Catskill home

Distinctive Homes

The contemporary curves of this $15.3M Village condo hold a family-sized home

Photo credit: Tim Waltman/Evan Joseph Images

February 22, 2022

The contemporary curves of this $15.3M Village condo hold a family-sized home

By Michelle Cohen

This 4,535-square-foot pre-war corner condo at 65 West 13th Street in Greenwich Village has the stylish contemporary lines of a gallery and the 12-foot ceilings of a loft, with sweeping city views. A renovation designed by Workshop/APD created a perfect canvas for an art collection–and a sprawling refuge for family living. Thanks to four bedrooms in separate wings, a playroom, den, and laundry room, living in the city doesn't have to mean giving up space–though it does mean parting with $15,300,000.
Take the grand tour

February 18, 2022

Paul McCartney sells Fifth Avenue apartment for $8.5M, at a $7M loss

By Michelle Cohen

Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney has just sold his Upper East Side co-op at 1045 Fifth Avenue for $8.5 million, The Real Deal reports. Sir Paul and his wife, Nancy Shevell, purchased the four-bedroom co-op in 2015 for $15.5 million. The duplex penthouse overlooking the Central Park reservoir was first listed in June for $12 million, then received another cut before going into contract in October.
More on this mid-century modern gem

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

February 18, 2022

Sprawling Upper West Side pre-war ‘classic seven’ with city and river views asks $3.9M

By Michelle Cohen

It's the kind of jumbo pre-war classic co-op that has launched nearly a century of Manhattan fantasies–on the Upper West Side, no less. Asking $3,895,000, the 15th-floor apartment at 90 Riverside Drive, on the market for the first time in 50 years, has the pre-war size and city and river views that look just as enviable in the 21st century.
Tour this uptown classic

Distinctive Homes

New interactive map highlights 400+ arts organizations led by people of color in NYC

Screenshot of Map courtesy of HueArts NYC

February 17, 2022

New interactive map highlights 400+ arts organizations led by people of color in NYC

By Michelle Cohen

HueArts NYC, a coalition of over 400 New York City arts groups founded, led, and serving Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, and all People of Color (POC), launched an interactive digital map and directory of the city's POC-led arts and culture landscape. The map accompanies a report with key findings and recommendations for the city's policymakers and arts donors to address the city's cultural equity gap, including a call to create a $100 million fund to support POC-led arts groups.
Find out more

For $850K, this artist-renovated upstate Gothic farmhouse has a basement apartment and a barn

Photo credit: Todd Norwood/Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty

February 17, 2022

For $850K, this artist-renovated upstate Gothic farmhouse has a basement apartment and a barn

By Michelle Cohen

While we may not yet have reached the days of "last chance for upstate under $1 million," charming and chic getaways in the Catskills and Hudson Valley region are as hot as it gets. Some homes in the region have more than location going for them, and this adorable 1870s Gothic farmhouse is definitely one of those. With a thoroughly modern renovation by an artist resident and plenty of historic charm, the Wappingers Falls farmhouse, asking $850,000, comes with two acres, a basement/ground floor apartment with a separate entrance, and a rustic red barn.
Historic meets creative, this way

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Screen films in your living room with the NYC skyline as a backdrop at this $3.85M Village penthouse

Photo credit: Compass/Michael J. Franco

February 16, 2022

Screen films in your living room with the NYC skyline as a backdrop at this $3.85M Village penthouse

By Michelle Cohen

This "Gold Coast" duplex atop a co-op loft building at 30 West 13th Street has the Lower Manhattan skyline views you'd expect from a Greenwich Village penthouse. Inside, the contrast between dark, luxuriant finishes and clean white walls makes the pre-war space feel fresh as well as authentic. Asking $3,850,000, the two-floor home offers two bedrooms and two full baths. There's also a private roof deck, built-in speakers, recessed lighting, a washer/dryer, central A/C–and a home cinema system with a retractable screen.
Take the tour

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Former illegal Upper West Side hotel will become apartments for homeless and low income residents

By Michelle Cohen

As part of a larger plan to create much-needed affordable housing, Mayor Eric Adams has expressed his support for converting hotels to residential units. In the first such attempt by his administration, Adams announced on Monday plans to convert what had been an illegal hotel at 258 West 97th Street on the Upper West Side into 80 new units of housing primarily for formerly homeless and low-income New Yorkers.
More on illegal hotels and new housing

$2.8M Dumbo loft solves work-life balance with side-by-side home offices

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

February 15, 2022

$2.8M Dumbo loft solves work-life balance with side-by-side home offices

By Michelle Cohen

In the iconic Clocktower Dumbo at 1 Main Street, this 1,655-square-foot loft condo is the perfect home base for your life and your work. The $2,825,000 one-bedroom-plus loft boasts two separate compact office spaces, a flex room that's large and lined with closets, and plenty of storage throughout, in addition to a huge kitchen-dining-living room and a gracious primary suite. For inspiration, large steel-framed windows offer the neighborhood's unbeatable views of the Brooklyn Bridge, East River, and Manhattan skyline.
A very short commute, this way

Park in your garage & take the elevator upstairs at this $5M Kips Bay townhouse

All photos courtesy of Compass

February 14, 2022

Park in your garage & take the elevator upstairs at this $5M Kips Bay townhouse

By Michelle Cohen

It's a rare home in the middle of Manhattan that allows you to bypass the inconvenience of city parking; this brick single-family townhouse at 453 Second Avenue in Kips Bay does just that, with its own curb cut and private garage. And there's an elevator, so you don't even have to deal with vertical townhouse stair-climbing. Asking $4,995,000, the four-story townhouse has been given a thoroughly modern renovation from top to bottom with four bedrooms, three separate outdoor spaces, and tons of living and entertaining space.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

New York City’s housing experts have a wish list for Mayor Adams

Mayor Eric Adams announces his housing leadership team in the rotunda at City Hall on Sunday, January 30, 2022. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office via Flickr.

February 14, 2022

New York City’s housing experts have a wish list for Mayor Adams

By Michelle Cohen

Shortly after taking office last month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams introduced the team that will take the lead on affordable housing strategy, headed by Jessica Katz as the city’s chief housing officer. The announcement came not a moment too soon; rents and home prices continue to rise beyond the reach of many, while homelessness and eviction threats are a growing concern. In a city where the topic of housing is never far from view every day, New Yorkers are looking to the new mayor to address the issues they feel must change. 6sqft asked individuals and organizations involved in the city's housing and real estate sectors to offer an important "wish list" item they would like to see Adams address during his time in office.
A housing wish list from NYC to Mayor Adams, this way

For $4.65M, this Upper West Side ‘classic seven’ is a designer’s dream

Photo credit: Yale Wagner and Shade Degges for Sotheby’s International Realty

February 11, 2022

For $4.65M, this Upper West Side ‘classic seven’ is a designer’s dream

By Michelle Cohen

The pre-war details and gracious proportions at this three-bedroom co-op at 210 West 90th Street are perfectly complemented by the flawless renovation it received at the hands of Gramercy Design. Built in 1915, the Astor Court co-op is an Upper West Side icon, and this thoroughly livable apartment, asking $4,650,000, adds 21st-century comfort to its old New York charm. Adding even more to its appeal, the home's furnishings can be included in the sale for a higher price.
See more of this beautifully designed co-op

Distinctive Homes

February 10, 2022

See inside two Upper East Side penthouses designed by Deborah Berke

By Michelle Cohen

Two Yorkville penthouses at 40 East End Avenue, designed by renowned architect and Yale School of Architecture Dean Deborah Berke, are ready to entice Upper East Side buyers with dazzling views, sprawling spaces, and luxurious finishes–not to mention the Lightstone building's impressive amenities. Asking $12,935,990, Penthouse 15 is a 3,645-square-foot full-floor residence with 850 square feet of amazing wrap-around terrace space. For $9,985,990, Penthouse 17 spans 3,237 square feet with a few terraces of its own. Both have four bedrooms, direct elevator access, white oak flooring, and skyline views.
Dazzling penthouse views this way

Live with or without walls in this $2.7M Chelsea duplex loft

Photo credit: Real Estate Production Network for The Corcoran Group

February 9, 2022

Live with or without walls in this $2.7M Chelsea duplex loft

By Michelle Cohen

There aren't as many authentic pre-war lofts as there used to be, and they're getting harder to find. This 1,884-square-foot condo duplex at 121 West 20th Street in Chelsea looks a lot like the real deal, from 14-foot ceilings and original iron columns to impossibly tall windows. Asking $2,695,000, the two-story space has an open layout, but comes with an alternative plan for creating bedroom privacy while still enjoying plenty of lofty living space.
Explore the loft options

Distinctive Homes

This $6M Brooklyn Heights house has historic interiors and a ‘secret’ subway tunnel next door

Photo credit: DDreps

February 8, 2022

This $6M Brooklyn Heights house has historic interiors and a ‘secret’ subway tunnel next door

By Michelle Cohen

The stately 19th-century row house at 60 Joralemon Street is everything a lover of historic homes could want. Asking $5,999,000, the 3,280-square-foot single-family townhouse has the necessary modern upgrades covered, and its historic interiors have been preserved and enhanced with details that would be right at home in the Brooklyn Heights dwelling's earliest days. In addition to plenty of period charm, the tidy brick townhouse has a neighbor with a secret: Next door at number 58 is one of 6sqft's previously featured "underground and secret NYC attractions," in the form of a concealed New York City subway vent.
Take the tour and find out about what's next door

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Open your own art gallery, school, or private club in this $29.5M Upper East Side mansion

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

February 7, 2022

Open your own art gallery, school, or private club in this $29.5M Upper East Side mansion

By Michelle Cohen

The 14,500 square-foot Upper East Side mansion at 53 East 77th Street is currently being used as a showroom by Dalva Brothers, world-renowned dealers in 18th-century French furniture and decorative arts. Currently asking $29,500,000, the property has been in the Dalva family since 2008. The massive multi-use townhouse has previously been a single-family mansion as well as home to Cello eatery, Funk and Wagnalls library, and a recording studio.
Wander the rooms of this Upper East Side mansion

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Enjoy effortless brownstone living at this $2.15M Cobble Hill condo

Images courtesy of Rachel Guzma/REPN for The Corcoran Group

February 4, 2022

Enjoy effortless brownstone living at this $2.15M Cobble Hill condo

By Michelle Cohen

All the work has already been done inside this pristine home within a 25-foot-wide historic Cobble Hill brownstone at 211 Warren Street. The two-bedroom, two-bath condominium, asking $2,150,000, has carefully-chosen fixtures and finishes, plenty of closet space, gracious rooms, central air, and a washer/dryer.
Get a closer look

For $3.4M, three East Hampton cottages add up to a waterfront paradise

Photo courtesy of Douglas Elliman

February 3, 2022

For $3.4M, three East Hampton cottages add up to a waterfront paradise

By Michelle Cohen

This charming collection of three cottages on well-tended grounds is situated on the open waters of Gardiners Bay. Asking $3,350,000, the chic little homes at 115 Gerard Drive in East Hampton offer stylish interiors with every modern comfort and unforgettable water views.
Get a closer look at this laid-back Hamptons retreat

Distinctive Homes

eBay exec’s color-filled $5M Village loft is an instant mood boost

Photo credit: Rise Media – Celeste

February 3, 2022

eBay exec’s color-filled $5M Village loft is an instant mood boost

By Michelle Cohen

With pops of color and pop art everywhere you look, Bradford Shellhammer's Greenwich Village loft at 34 West 13 Street makes it hard to be anything but cheerful. The eye-popping–yet-stylish decor is no surprise; the entrepreneur, who founded the Fab shopping site among other projects, is well-known for his playful design eye. This two-bedroom loft, asking $4,950,000 and offered for the first time as a resale, is a fine example.
Take a whirlwind tour

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$12M Park Slope townhouse with four terraces, a garage, and gym was formerly eight apartments

Photo credit: Travis Mark

February 2, 2022

$12M Park Slope townhouse with four terraces, a garage, and gym was formerly eight apartments

By Michelle Cohen

One in a row of 12 Romanesque Revival townhouses that line the street across from Prospect Park, this graceful five-story Park Slope brownstone at 608 Fifth Street is the result of a $6 million renovation by its owners, design pros The Brooklyn Home Company. The home's covetable attributes befit a mansion with an asking price of $11.995 million, including multiple terraces, a rooftop kitchen, a basement gym, a rebuilt central spiral staircase, and a private garage with a full glass wall. According to the Wall Street Journal, the landmarked home was built in its current grand style at the turn of the 20th century and converted in the 1940s into an eight-unit apartment building.
Tour this Park Slope beauty

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NYC’s first skate park in a residential development is open at Waterline Square

Photo credit: Jonathan Robles

February 1, 2022

NYC’s first skate park in a residential development is open at Waterline Square

By Michelle Cohen

Remember when having a group of teenagers with skateboards hang out at your building was considered a bad thing? Times have changed, skateboarding is an Olympic sport, and Waterline Square's skate park, complete with a custom mural by a local artist, is open. Located in the Upper West Side condo and rental complex's 100,000-square-foot amenity center, the Waterline Club, the skate park offers a half-pipe and mini ramp, plus hang-out space with seating. The new amenity is the first of its kind in a New York City residential development.
More photos, this way

Architecture And Design

For $4M, an Upper East Side condo with a designer pedigree

Photo credit: Tim Waltman

February 1, 2022

For $4M, an Upper East Side condo with a designer pedigree

By Michelle Cohen

Situated a block from Central Park, this four-bedroom condo at the aptly-named Gatsby at 65 East 96th Street is a design vision at every turn. Asking $4 million, it's the epitome of classic pre-war style, offering not just four bedrooms and three and a half baths, but also a spacious separate living room, dining room, library, a home office, and formal entry foyer. According to Mansion Global, this sprawling combination of two adjacent units is currently owned by designers Gina and James de Givenchy. The latter is the nephew of Hubert de Givenchy, who founded the fashion house that bears his name.
More gorgeous Givenchy pad, this way

All articles by Michelle Cohen

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