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.
Grand Hyatt, Trump’s first major Manhattan real estate coup, to be torn down for new office tower

Image: Jennifer Rotner via Flickr.

February 8, 2019

Grand Hyatt, Trump’s first major Manhattan real estate coup, to be torn down for new office tower

By
Developer TF Cornerstone and investment firm MSD Partners have announced plans to purchase and tear down the Grand Hyatt building adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, the Wall Street Journal reports. The hotel brand will eventually return to the site in a form different from the smoked glass-clad building that was Donald Trump’s first major Manhattan development. In its place will rise a mixed-use project that includes 2 million square feet of high-octane office space. The planned development is one of four new towers in the works as a result of a 2017 Midtown East rezoning aimed at encouraging new office buildings as well as infrastructure improvements in the east side business district.
The times they are a-changin' in East Midtown
Newark mayor points to flaws in NYC program that pays homeless people to leave for cheaper cities

Photo via Wikimedia

February 7, 2019

Newark mayor points to flaws in NYC program that pays homeless people to leave for cheaper cities

By
In a statement this week, Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka asked that New York City’s Special One-Time Assistance (SOTA) Program providing homeless shelter residents with free rent for a year if they are willing to leave NYC be re-evaluated due to "serious defects." A recent investigation by WNYC confirmed that some families ended up in "illegal and uninhabitable" apartments in Newark. As CBS New York reports, Baraka cited the fact that participants were coming to Newark under the program–which pays landlords a year's worth of rent upfront–and ending up in the aforementioned conditions, then being abandoned to become homeless again when the year was up.
Find out more
Subway riders could save up to 9 days a year under the MTA’s Fast Forward plan

Photo via Dan Phiffer on Flickr

February 7, 2019

Subway riders could save up to 9 days a year under the MTA’s Fast Forward plan

By
Last May, 6sqft reported on the release of the MTA's ambitious 10-year "Fast Forward" plan to modernize New York City's transit system featuring a state-of-the-art signal system, more accessibility, a new fare payment system and thousands of new subway cars and buses. Perhaps the most ambitious part of the plan is that work previously estimated to take nearly 50 years would be completed within the next decade. But just how much would these marvelous changes improve our daily commute? Transit advocacy organization Transit Center breaks it down for a few of the city's more sluggish examples to show us how much time we might get back to do better stuff than sit on the subway.
More time to wait in line for coffee
Lucy Liu’s $5.9M pair of Flatiron condos finds a buyer

Lucy Liu image: Wikimedia commons.

February 6, 2019

Lucy Liu’s $5.9M pair of Flatiron condos finds a buyer

By
TV Star Lucy Liu of CBS' "Elementary" has just put a pair of condominiums that span the third and fourth floors of a Flatiron District apartment building at 29 West 19th Street into contract, Variety reports. The homes have a combined total of more than 3,500 square feet of living space, and though they haven't been combined, we wouldn't be surprised if a new buyer merged the two modern-on-the-inside pads for an impressive duplex in an historic Manhattan brownstone with only five floors total. Both units have private elevator access, so getting between the two–priced together at $5.9 million or $3 million for each unit separately–is already a luxury endeavor. What's more, the building's penthouse is also for sale, which would top a trophy triplex off nicely.
Imagine the potential
City sees an unprecedented 37 percent drop in evictions
February 5, 2019

City sees an unprecedented 37 percent drop in evictions

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The mayor's office announced this week that New York City's residential evictions by marshals had declined by 37 percent since 2013, with approximately 18,000 evictions in 2018 compared to almost 29,000 evictions in 2013. In Manhattan, evictions are down 47 percent since 2013. What that means: Since 2013, more than 100,000 New Yorkers who might otherwise have faced evictions have been able to stay in their homes. And evictions decreased 14 percent in 2018 alone. Maps from the New York City Council show data on where the most evictions happen and allow you to search for a specific address in any borough to find out more.
Universal Access to legal aid, maps and more
Memorial honoring those stricken by illness after 9/11 to open May 30

Rendering by Moso Studio.

February 4, 2019

Memorial honoring those stricken by illness after 9/11 to open May 30

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As 6sqft previously reported, after the rescue and recovery effort for the September 11th attacks ended, an estimated 400,000 people were exposed to life-threatening toxins, and since then, nearly 70,000 first responders and more than 14,000 survivors enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program. Last May, 9/11 Memorial & Museum president Alice Greenwald revealed the official design for Memorial Glade, a monument to all those who have lost their lives or are sick due to these related illnesses. The New York Post now reports that work is underway at Liberty and West streets.
Find out more about Memorial Glade
Trader Joe’s is ending grocery delivery in Manhattan
February 4, 2019

Trader Joe’s is ending grocery delivery in Manhattan

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Grocery mecca Trader Joe's has been posting signs in its Manhattan stores to let shoppers know it will end delivery service as of March 1, the New York Post reports. The quirky discount chain store known for its unique grocery items and clever crowd-control strategies cites escalating service costs as the reason for what a West Side Rag reader called an "unspeakable tragedy." To be fair, the California-based chain is known for encouraging thrifty shoppers to buy in bulk, making the need for schlepping assistance a real concern.
Find out more
Urban Archive invites New Yorkers to submit photos for their new crowdsourced history project

Image courtesy of Urban Archive. Photo credits, clockwise from top left: 1, 2, Museum of the City of New York; 3, 4, Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation; 5, Museum of Chinese in America

February 1, 2019

Urban Archive invites New Yorkers to submit photos for their new crowdsourced history project

By
Technology nonprofit Urban Archive has been creating new connections 
between people, places, and historical institutions for several years based on New York City's architecture, culture, and unique stories, and they've just launched a new initiative. My Archive is a citywide project that tells the story of NYC through crowd-sourced histories and photographs–and it's an opportunity for regular New Yorkers to add their own history to the map. Throughout the month of February, you can submit your own photos for a chance to have them added to a collection of personal histories captured on city streets across the five boroughs–and included in the UA app.
Find out how to submit your photos
14 fun and offbeat ways to spend Valentine’s Day 2019 in New York City

Image courtesy of Dumbo.is

February 1, 2019

14 fun and offbeat ways to spend Valentine’s Day 2019 in New York City

By
Like Mother's Day, there's something to be said for the idea that every day ought to be Valentine’s Day, candy and flowers included. But if February's second week has you scrambling for a worthy celebration, it might be the perfect time to try something a little bit different. Take a look below for some Valentine-focused events–from skating and shopping to science and sewage–and lots of other ways to get heart-shaped this V-Day.
Details, this way
Downtown Brooklyn’s Willoughby Square Park project is officially dead

Rendering: Economic Development Corporation.

January 31, 2019

Downtown Brooklyn’s Willoughby Square Park project is officially dead

By
It appears that residents at Downtown Brooklyn's new Brooklyn Point development won't be getting their "beautifully landscaped one-acre oasis" after all. Plans to add a new park atop a high-tech parking facility on Willoughby Street across from City Point in Downtown Brooklyn are officially off the table, Brooklyn Paper reports. The plan was set in motion a decade ago under the Bloomberg administration. City officials said Wednesday that a deal with the developer chosen for the job back in 2013 failed to close.
Find out more
New report says Bushwick tops the list for heat violations

Photo courtesy of Roman Kruglov’s Flickr

January 31, 2019

New report says Bushwick tops the list for heat violations

By
As frigid temperatures descend on NYC once again, real estate database provider Localize.City has produced a report showing which (non-NYCHA) buildings and neighborhoods have racked up the most heat violations in recent years. Bushwick, Brooklyn tops the list, followed by Van Nest in the Bronx. Read on to find out if your neighborhood–or building–made the list–and find out what you can do if your building has no–or not enough–heat.
Find out more
$4M Flatiron penthouse is the perfect mix of old and new with a timeless rooftop paradise
January 30, 2019

$4M Flatiron penthouse is the perfect mix of old and new with a timeless rooftop paradise

By
Overlooking the Flatiron district, this penthouse co-op at Folio House is in a historic Beaux-Arts building. And though it has classic loft bones and a Fifth Avenue address, this downtown aerie has an up-to-the minute renovation with no detail spared. And its best feature, a gorgeous landscaped roof garden, is a timeless addition to top-floor city living.
READ MORE
St. Mark’s Comics to close after 36 years

Google Street View of St. Mark’s Comics

January 30, 2019

St. Mark’s Comics to close after 36 years

By
After 36 years as a cultural anchor of what was once an alternative lifestyle mecca, St. Mark's Comics will be closing up shop at the end February. As Gothamist reports, the cluttered and beloved icon is among the rear guard of an exodus in recent years–Trash & Vaudeville and Kim's Video have also vacated the neighborhood-defining strip–that basically ends an era on St. Mark's Place.
Read on
In 19th-century NYC, sleigh carnivals took over parks on snow days

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. (1875). “New York, – On the road – the moment of triumph – an incident of the sleighing season in Central Park.” Photo courtesy of NYPL

January 29, 2019

In 19th-century NYC, sleigh carnivals took over parks on snow days

By
Ephemeral New York brings us a particularly charming example of how New Yorkers found a reason to socialize even in frozen conditions two centuries ago. Sleigh carnivals turned out scores of joyriding city folk who wanted to show off their new super-light rides. James Stuart wrote in his 1833 UK travel memoir, "Three Years in North America," that after a heavy January snow, “the New York carnival began, and the beautiful light-looking sleighs made their appearance. Even the most delicate females of New York think an evening drive, of 10 or 20 miles, even in the hardest frost, conducive to their amusement and health.”
Sleigh bells ring
Private heart-shaped island with Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes can be yours for $12.9M
January 29, 2019

Private heart-shaped island with Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes can be yours for $12.9M

By
Perhaps the perfect gift for your Modernist Valentine, this private island in Carmel, NY (15 minutes by air from Manhattan via rooftop helipad) has an interesting backstory and boasts a Frankly Lloyd Wright-designed house that rivals his iconic Fallingwater. 6sqft reported on the property when it was previously listed in 2017; Curbed reports that it's back on the market for $12.9 million. In addition to the amazing home featuring Wright’s signature cantilevering and outdoor terraces outside and massive stone boulders within, the 11-acre, heart-shaped property known as Petre Island boasts a Wright-designed guest cottage.
Take a spin around the island
New images of SHoP’s skinny supertall at 111 West 57th Street show facade progress

Progress images of 111 W57th Street; photo © Paul Clemence.

January 28, 2019

New images of SHoP’s skinny supertall at 111 West 57th Street show facade progress

By
Even before reaching its final height of 1,428 feet tall, SHoP Architect’s Midtown supertall 111 West 57th Street, which surpassed 1,000 feet a few months ago, wowed us with views from the tower’s 64th, 72nd, and 73rd floors. Upon completion, the Billionaires’ Row tower will become the tallest residential building in the world, taking the title from 1,396-foot 432 Park Avenue, (until 1,500-foot Central Park Tower tops out). With a super slender frame (a ratio of 1:24), 111 West 57th Street is also set to become one of the skinniest skyscraper in the world. The new year brings new progress–and new photos showing the 86-story tower's intricate terra cotta and bronze facade making its way skyward.
Terracotta and bronze: going up!
For $995K, this two-bedroom East Village co-op has a lot of potential–and a lot of stairs
January 28, 2019

For $995K, this two-bedroom East Village co-op has a lot of potential–and a lot of stairs

By
It’s worth noting that there aren't too many sixth-floor walk-ups in NYC, but this sunny pre-war co-op is one of them. If that’s not a problem for you, the lovely two-bedroom at 71 East 3rd Street in the East Village could be quite a steal for under a million. It's back on the market for $995,000 after changing hands for $975,000 in 2016. The floor plan’s a little odd (it appears that two smaller apartments have been combined), but it’s your space to configure any way you’d like and there are plenty of options–and the building has a gorgeous roof deck. The apartment's interior features stylish, modern updates to compliment exposed brick and classic details.
Hey, it's nice up here
Thomas Heatherwick’s Hudson Yards sculpture awaits public opinion for official name
January 25, 2019

Thomas Heatherwick’s Hudson Yards sculpture awaits public opinion for official name

By
Thomas Heatherwick’s 150-foot-tall, honeycomb-shaped climbable public art installation at Hudson Yards is set to open for public climbing in March along with the complex's Shops and Restaurants on March 15. Known for some time as "The Vessel," the bronzed steel and concrete structure has no official title as of yet. As for the former moniker, a Related representative told 6sqft in an email, "It was always a placeholder until the public experienced it. We’re excited to have the public help us with a name."
READ MORE
Taylor Swift prevails in broker lawsuit over $18M townhouse

Google Street View of 153 Franklin Street; Taylor Swift via Wiki Commons

January 25, 2019

Taylor Swift prevails in broker lawsuit over $18M townhouse

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Some good news for Taylor Swift: According to The Real Deal, Manhattan federal court judge Jesse Furman has dismissed the lawsuit that Douglas Elliman had leveled against the pop star/welcome ambassador/real estate investor claiming she'd stiffed a broker on the commission for an $18 million Tribeca townhouse at 153 Franklin Street that she bought in October of 2017. Swift's management company, Firefly Entertainment, filed a motion to have the brokerage’s $1 million suit dismissed, claiming the lawsuit was “the latest in a long line of lawsuits” by Elliman and that the real estate agency had little if any involvement in the townhouse deal.
Details, this way
For just $279K, this classic Bronx co-op is renovated, bright, and across from Yankee Stadium
January 23, 2019

For just $279K, this classic Bronx co-op is renovated, bright, and across from Yankee Stadium

By
Baseball fans take note: In addition to being surrounded by parks in a classic pre-war building with renovated interiors and plenty of amenities, this one-bedroom at 811 Walton Avenue in the Bronx is just across the street from Yankee Stadium. Asking $279,000, this cozy co-op in the aptly-named Yankee Arms been refreshed, renewed, modernized and architecturally optimized while retaining its pre-war bones.
Have a closer look
Rebranded WeWork opens an on-demand workspace and cafe in Flatiron

Images courtesy of The We Company; Photography by Dave Burk.

January 23, 2019

Rebranded WeWork opens an on-demand workspace and cafe in Flatiron

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Recently re-branded as the We Company, the juggernaut formerly known as WeWork has introduced Made By We, an "on-demand workspace," event space, retail shop and cafe at 902 Broadway in the Flatiron district. Manhattan's largest private office tenant adds the new retail and no-membership-required co-working concept to a growing list of conquests that includes the landmarked Lord & Taylor building which they've tapped starchitect Bjarke Ingels to restore and co-living (WeLive) and childhood education (WeGrow) ventures as well as their better-known co-working brand.
More We this way
Hudson Yards will ‘officially’ open on March 15

Rendering courtesy of Related/Oxford.

January 23, 2019

Hudson Yards will ‘officially’ open on March 15

By
Though it seems hardly a week can go by without a flurry of news from Manhattan's newest instant neighborhood, Hudson Yards, the west side mega-project–the largest private development in the nation's history–developed by Related Companies and Oxford Propertied Group now has announced that Friday, March 15th will be its official opening date. In addition to a grand opening celebration, the Public Square and Gardens and the neighborhood's centerpiece, Thomas Heatherwick's "Vessel," are set to open on that date; more importantly, The Shops and Restaurants at Hudson Yards will be officially open.
Off to quite a start
Huge food and music complex coming to FiDi’s 28 Liberty

Image: Wikimedia Commons

January 22, 2019

Huge food and music complex coming to FiDi’s 28 Liberty

By
A massive new venue will be serving up food and entertainment on the ground floor of 28 Liberty Street–originally named One Chase Manhattan Plaza–the New York Post reports. Legends Hospitality will be opening a 35,000-square-foot space, designed by noted architect Jeffrey Beers, that will feature live music and a restaurant. The property's historic Noguchi rock garden will be incorporated into the new venue.
Food, music, film, this way
On the Upper East Side, Emery Roth’s First Hungarian Church of New York may become a landmark

Google Street View of the church

January 22, 2019

On the Upper East Side, Emery Roth’s First Hungarian Church of New York may become a landmark

By
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has voted in favor of giving a calendar spot in the landmark designation process to the First Hungarian Reformed Church of New York, one of few religious properties designed by the noted New York City architect Emery Roth–himself a Hungarian immigrant. The church is also significant for its importance to the Hungarian-American community that settled in the Upper East Side's Yorkville neighborhood.
Find out more
Four historic districts in Sunset Park will get landmark consideration

Photo via Flickr cc

January 22, 2019

Four historic districts in Sunset Park will get landmark consideration

By
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) voted today to calendar the designation of four historic districts in Sunset Park, Brooklyn consisting of Sunset Park North, Central Sunset Park, Sunset Park 50th Street, and Sunset Park South, representing the Brooklyn neighborhood's most cohesive and intact concentrations of high-quality architecture. The neighborhood's preservation organization, Sunset Park Landmarks Committee, requested consideration for historic district status in 2014.
more on Historic Sunset Park, this way
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