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.
Skyline Tower, NYC’s tallest building outside Manhattan, tops out

Rendering: Binyan Studios.

October 14, 2019

Skyline Tower, NYC’s tallest building outside Manhattan, tops out

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Skyline Tower in Long Island City, Queens, has officially become the city's tallest building outside of Manhattan. The luxury condo tower has now topped out at 778 feet. As 6sqft recently reported, the 67-story building surpassed its neighbor and previous record-holder, the 673-foot-tall Citigroup Building, in September. Located at 23-15 44th Drive, the new Long Island City tower will offer about 800 studio to four-bedroom condominium apartments, priced between $500,000 and $4 million.
But it won't hold the title for long
WeWork’s private NYC elementary school, WeGrow, will close after current school year

Photo by Laurian Ghinitoiu courtesy of WeWork

October 14, 2019

WeWork’s private NYC elementary school, WeGrow, will close after current school year

By
Following a failed IPO and an impending takeover by Japanese parent company SoftBank amid an exodus of investors, office space sublease and coworking brand leader WeWork informed parents that the 2019-2020 school year would be the last for the newly-launched Manhattan elementary school, HuffPost reports. Rebekah Neumann, the co-founder of the company and wife of its recently-ousted CEO, Adam Neumann (and first cousin of Gwyneth Paltrow), had helmed the educational program for children ages three to nine, titled WeGrow, with a focus on education through play and interaction. The small New York City private school opened in 2018 with a tuition bill of between $22,000 and $42,000 a year. On the curriculum were yoga, dance and martial arts and weekly trips to an upstate farm to learn how to plant and harvest crops–in addition to fundamental courses, all with a heavy emphasis on creative expression and immersion in nature.
Find out more
Is this gorgeous two-bedroom Upper West Side co-op in the Dorilton a steal at $1.9M?

Images courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

October 11, 2019

Is this gorgeous two-bedroom Upper West Side co-op in the Dorilton a steal at $1.9M?

By
The gated side street entrance at the 12-story pre-war Dorilton at 171 West 71st Street on the Upper West Side is considered to be among the grandest in New York. The building, an official city landmark since the 1970s, has undergone a careful restoration that has brought its intricate façade and rich interior spaces back to their original Edwardian splendor; intricate wood molding, wainscoting and marble mantles can still be found in many apartments. This classic style gets an upgrade with modern good looks and comfort in this gracious two (with potential for more) bedroom unit. Starting with the fireplace and stained glass bay windows in the entrance foyer, the apartment radiates elegance and charm. Add a large landscaped terrace, and its $1.925 million ask seems like quite a bargain.
Check out this gorgeous Upper West Side home
Completed report announced following East Side Coastal Resiliency Project consultant review

Preliminary design of Corlears shared use path; via DDC.

October 11, 2019

Completed report announced following East Side Coastal Resiliency Project consultant review

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Borough President Gale A. Brewer and Council Member Carlina Rivera announced Thursday the completed report by independent consulting firm Deltares on the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project (ESCR). As 6sqft previously reported, the project was first developed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy and is intended to protect 2.2 miles of Manhattan’s East Side, between East 25th Street and Montgomery Street, from flooding and improve access to waterfront space. According to the city, the ESCR project would protect over 110,000 New Yorkers in the area.
Find out more and read the report
The East River prison barge, intended to be temporary, draws ire amid plans to close Rikers

Photo via Wiki Commons

October 10, 2019

The East River prison barge, intended to be temporary, draws ire amid plans to close Rikers

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The Vernon C. Bain Center, an 800-capacity floating jail in the East River, costs $24 million a year to operate and was supposed to be permanently shut down decades ago. Opened in 1992 to help with an overcrowded prison system due in part to the crack epidemic, the 625-foot-long motorless barge has been docked along New York City's shoreline since then, the New York Times reports. And as the city plans to shut down Rikers Island, overhaul the criminal justice system, and create more humane jails with fewer inmates, advocates say the barge has to go. The city has pledged to close the facility once the City Council votes on the prison reform plan; both Rikers and Bain would close by 2026.
What happened to 'temporary?'
Asking $650K, this renovated classic Village co-op boasts fine materials and attention to detail

Image courtesy of Douglas Elliman.

October 10, 2019

Asking $650K, this renovated classic Village co-op boasts fine materials and attention to detail

By
Bleecker Court at 77 Bleecker Street in the Village/Noho is mid-20th-century modernist in appearance, but it's a neighborhood classic. This "loft" apartment has benefitted from a recent gut renovation and, asking $650,000, is 21st-century-ready. The home's designer/owner created a magazine-worthy interior within the open, airy space, making the best of high ceilings and a wall of windows overlooking Mercer Street.
Look both ways
$1.75M Tribeca loft was once the Engine 29 firehouse

Images courtesy of Douglas Elliman

October 9, 2019

$1.75M Tribeca loft was once the Engine 29 firehouse

By
Images courtesy of Douglas Elliman This 1,500-square-foot classic loft co-op, asking $1.75 million, is in a neighborhood filled with lofts. What makes this Tribeca home at 160 Chambers Street a bit different is its former life as the Engine 29 firehouse. Loft lovers will be happy to note that though it has been recently renovated, 12-foot tin ceilings, exposed brick walls, hardwood floors and oversized windows remain. Currently a walk-up, the coop plans to install an elevator.
Get an inside view of this historic space
All the cool and spooky Halloween happenings in NYC this year

Image courtesy of the Central Park Conservancy.

October 9, 2019

All the cool and spooky Halloween happenings in NYC this year

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Some say Halloween is New York City’s favorite holiday. And while those who indulge in its fright-fraught fun may celebrate in different ways, there’s a scare out there for everyone. We’re all under the spell of the fabulous Village Halloween Parade, from its history to its most avid participants; if that doesn’t satisfy your craving for fright-week fun, peruse our list of Halloween happenings from family-friendly to extra freaky.
Find something to BOO
This $765K Brooklyn Heights co-op may be narrow, but a private garden offers the great outdoors

Image credit: VHT, courtesy of The Corcoran Group

October 8, 2019

This $765K Brooklyn Heights co-op may be narrow, but a private garden offers the great outdoors

By
Image credit: VHT, courtesy of The Corcoran Group Steps from the Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn Heights, this one-bedroom co-op at 73 Columbia Heights, asking $765,000, doesn't transcend the average New York City shoebox. But a magical 335-square-foot private garden just out back is an urban outdoor space with room to roam.
Check out the private garden getaway
Lottery opens for 399 units at newly-constructed East Harlem rental complex two blocks from Central Park

The building is near Central Park’s Conservatory Garden; Photo by Cultivar 413 / Flickr cc

October 7, 2019

Lottery opens for 399 units at newly-constructed East Harlem rental complex two blocks from Central Park

By
399 affordable units are becoming available at a newly constructed building at 1465 Park Avenue and 128 East 108th Street in East Harlem in the rental building known as The Carolina (formerly Lexington Gardens II). The 15-floor building also contains 4,000 square feet of retail space and 38,000 square feet of community space. A solid collection of amenities includes an on-site superintendent, a fitness center, landscaped courtyards, roof terraces, on-site laundry, bicycle storage and Amazon hub lockers. Qualifying applicants earning 30, 60, and 165 percent of the area median income can apply for units that range from $680/month studios to $3,316/month three-bedrooms. There are also eight project-based Section 8 units for which eligible residents pay 30 percent of income.
Find out how to apply
Chase Bank and vegan restaurant confirmed for former Union Square Coffee Shop location

Via alphabetjenn on Flickr

October 7, 2019

Chase Bank and vegan restaurant confirmed for former Union Square Coffee Shop location

By
Last fall 6sqft reported rumors that late-night Union Square model-spotting icon The Coffee Shop would be replaced with three new restaurants and possibly a Chase Bank. In June, Jeremiah's Vanishing New York confirmed the rumors after learning that an application by the bank to open a branch on the 16th Street and Union Square West corner was approved by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Now, Gothamist tells us that the bank will be joined by fast-casual vegan spot by CHLOE, shooting down rumors that an Outback Steakhouse was moving in. The two spots are planning to open in December.
Find out more
Townhouse? Loft? This $599K co-op off Central Park West has elements of both
October 7, 2019

Townhouse? Loft? This $599K co-op off Central Park West has elements of both

By
Even if this one-bedroom co-op at 22 West 76th Street were just another pre-war loft-like home, its location on one of the Upper West Side's prettiest blocks just seconds from Central Park would make it a find at $599,000. The fact that it sits within an elegant historic limestone townhouse with a gracefully curving front makes it even more unique.
Explore this cozy, quirky home
+POOL’s public art installation in the East River illuminates water quality

Rendering of + POOL Light. Designed by PlayLab and Family New York. Image courtesy Friends of + POOL

October 4, 2019

+POOL’s public art installation in the East River illuminates water quality

By
Designed by PLAYLAB, INC. and Family New York in collaboration with Floating Point, a new project from the team behind the +POOL concept makes it possible for anyone to visualize water conditions in NYC's Harbor using a light installation and an interactive website. The 50-foot x 50-foot plus-shaped "+POOL Light" is installed at the Seaport District at Lower Manhattan's Pier 17, continuously changing color based on the condition of the water in which it floats, from great for swimming to not-so-great. The installation debuted last night and will be on view until January 3rd.
Find out more
A smart renovation made this $1.35M Upper West Side pre-war co-op feel like a 21st century home
October 4, 2019

A smart renovation made this $1.35M Upper West Side pre-war co-op feel like a 21st century home

By
With a rustic look, a fresh renovation and pre-war bones, this bright, sunny two-bedroom co-op at 345 West 70th Street on the Upper West Side has the best of all apartment worlds. The move-in-ready space, asking $1.35 million has "smart house" comforts with open southern views. Sweet-spot design details include loft-like 10-foot beamed ceilings, wide plank pale grey hardwood floors, exposed brick, and lots or storage.
See more, this way
Behold photos of Williamsburg’s new commercial office development 25 Kent, now complete

Photo credit: Ty Cole

October 3, 2019

Behold photos of Williamsburg’s new commercial office development 25 Kent, now complete

By
25 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg's first ground-up commercial office development in over 50 years, is now complete. The building spans a full city block and was designed by architects Hollwich Kushner (HWKN) and Gensler and to provide "a social campus for innovators, startup founders, and tech leaders." As 6sqft previously reported, the eight-story building holds 500,000 square feet of office space along the Williamsburg waterfront as well as retail at ground level and underground parking, with millennial-friendly rooftops and terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Many more photos of 25 Kent, this way
The 2019 Open House New York Weekend schedule is here!

Photo courtesy of Open House New York

October 2, 2019

The 2019 Open House New York Weekend schedule is here!

By
The annual Open House New York Weekend is around the corner, and the calendar and guide to tours, events, and access to typically off-limits sites have been released. OHNY Weekend is Friday, October 18, Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20. Highlights include new sites like Pier 35 eco-park , the TWA Hotel, The Spur High Line (the last section of the original High Line rail structure to be converted into public space) and 277 Mott, a new core and shell project by Toshiko Mori Architect with a twisting facade that appears to shift as pedestrians approach. There are also featured sites like the Brooklyn Navy Yard and special curated series like Factory Fridays and Open Studios. Tools to help you plan your weekend include an event guide, an interactive map showing where "open access" sites and events are located throughout the five boroughs, and an itinerary planner.
Some highlights to look for during OHNY 2019 this way
Over 200 FDNY firehouses will welcome open house visitors this weekend

Image: Wikimedia cc

October 1, 2019

Over 200 FDNY firehouses will welcome open house visitors this weekend

By
If you–or your favorite fire truck-loving kid–would like a behind-the-scenes look at where New York's bravest get to work, keep your calendar open this weekend: On Saturday, October 5th, and Sunday, October 6th, the FDNY will be hosting their fifth annual citywide open house.  More than 200 firehouses and EMS stations will open their doors to the public from 11:00am to 1:00pm or 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
Find a participating firehouse near you, this way
Karlie Kloss lists cool and compact West Village townhouse for $2.75M

Photo credit: Donna Dotan courtesy of Compass.

September 30, 2019

Karlie Kloss lists cool and compact West Village townhouse for $2.75M

By
Model Karlie Kloss is selling her chic and petite West Village townhouse co-op at 151 Charles Street, the Wall Street Journal reports. The three-story, two-bedroom-plus-den home was just listed for $2.75M. Though it's a co-op, the triplex has all the perks of townhouse living–a front garden, a second-floor terrace, high ceilings, and skylit bedrooms to name a few–in addition to supermodel cachet and a prime West Village spot.
Tour Karlie's townhouse, this way
Report suggests looking to zoning to speed up subway accessibility; map shows which lines lag

Photo via Carl Mikoy / Flickr cc

September 30, 2019

Report suggests looking to zoning to speed up subway accessibility; map shows which lines lag

By
Despite recent progress–and a federal lawsuit–only 23 percent of New York City's 493 subway and Staten Island Railway (SIR) stations are fully ADA-accessible, a statistic which puts the city dead last among the country’s 10 largest metro systems for accessibility of its transit stations. The MTA has made a commitment to funding accessibility in its much-discussed Capital Plan, but hundreds of stations are still without without plans for ADA access. On Friday Speaker Corey Johnson and the City Council released a report showing that the use of zoning tools to incentivize or require private development projects to address subway station access could speed up progress toward the goal of system-wide ADA access–and simultaneously cut public expense. The report, and an interactive map, show the current system, future plans and what the use of zoning tools could accomplish.
Find out more
Get to know Bay Ridge in the Urban Archive scavenger hunt

Photo: NYC Department of Records courtesy of Urban Archive.

September 27, 2019

Get to know Bay Ridge in the Urban Archive scavenger hunt

By
A scavenger hunt can be a great way to get to know a new neighborhood–or discover things about its history that you might never have learned. Join Urban Archive, the Historic Districts Council, and the New York City Department of Records for a scavenger hunt using the Urban Archive app in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn on Sunday, October 6th.
Start hunting, this way
Mod Montauk retreat with surf-inspired interiors asks $1.95M

Photo credit: Nicole Franzen.

September 27, 2019

Mod Montauk retreat with surf-inspired interiors asks $1.95M

By
A mere five minutes from Ditch Plains beach, this surf-inspired Montauk house at 48 South Federal Street was designed by Studio Robert McKinley, known for interiors with laid-back style, including the venerable Surf Lodge. This fetching four-bedroom, 4,000-square-foot getaway on a half-acre hilltop lot has a heated pool outside and lots of light and space indoors. It's the kind of move-in ready summer spot that seems well worth its $1.95 million ask.
Take a tour of this beachy retreat
Archtober 2019: Top 10 events and program highlights
September 27, 2019

Archtober 2019: Top 10 events and program highlights

By
Archtober is an annual architecture and design festival consisting of tours, events, films, lectures and exhibitions celebrating New York City's love affair with the built environment. During the month of October, a full calendar of events puts a focus on the importance–and the future–of architecture and design. Organized by the Center for Architecture, over 80 partner and sponsor organizations across the city add their voices to the festival. Now in its ninth year, Archtober offers something for everyone—from the arch-intellectual with a love for concept to the armchair designer with a thing for waterways, parks or sustainable design—in the 100+ event roster. Below, we pick 10 intriguing highlights from this year’s offerings.
Celebrate architecture and NYC at these cool events
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