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.

In 1923, scientists thought flying cars would solve NYC’s traffic snarls by 1973

A 1923 cover of Science and Invention magazine imagined the flying automobile of 1973. Image via Smithsonian.

July 23, 2018

In 1923, scientists thought flying cars would solve NYC’s traffic snarls by 1973

By Michelle Cohen

Back in May 6sqft reported on the futuristic, fantastic flying Uber; even in 2018, though it may have wings, so to speak, the idea is still one that belongs to the future. Back in 1923, it was predicted that by 1973, flying "helicars" would be buzzing travelers around New York City and the snarled traffic on the city's roads would be a thing of the past.
It sounds so simple

Scrabble is played in 22 languages around the world, but it was invented in Jackson Heights, Queens

Image: Matthew D. Britt via Flickr

July 23, 2018

Scrabble is played in 22 languages around the world, but it was invented in Jackson Heights, Queens

By Michelle Cohen

"Secret" details hidden in plain sight are pretty much the rule in New York City, and the “Scrabble” street sign in Jackson Heights is a fine example. The letters that make up the sign marking 35th Avenue where it meets 81st Street in the neighborhood’s historic district are–if you look more closely than you’d ever really look at a street sign–accorded numbered points below each letter, Scrabble tile-style. The sign honors the fact that the beloved geeky pastime–according to Hasbro, three out of every five American homes harbor a Scrabble board–was invented right here in Queens by the Poughkeepsie-born Alfred Mosher Butts in 1931. Butts was an architect, and as history tells us, an architect generally needed to find an alternate way to keep busy during the Great Depression.
A big hit at the church social

History

$970K Hamilton Heights condo has a sunny disposition and a farmhouse vibe

July 23, 2018

$970K Hamilton Heights condo has a sunny disposition and a farmhouse vibe

By Michelle Cohen

The interiors at this Upper Manhattan condo at 370 Convent Avenue are as tranquil as they are feminine, and as spacious as they are cozy. The corner apartment is on the 4th floor of a five-story pre-war condo with only two apartments per floor. It's asking $969,000, and while it doesn't currently have a craft room, it's roomy enough to find space for one, and it would certainly fit the surroundings.
Take the tour

$1.8M Flatiron loft has a solarium, terrace, and room for another bedroom

July 20, 2018

$1.8M Flatiron loft has a solarium, terrace, and room for another bedroom

By Michelle Cohen

This floor-through loft is indeed unique, as the listing claims. While the second-floor walk-up comes with over 1,000 square feet of interior space, it's the wrap-around terrace and magical greenhouse that set this Flatiron co-op apart from so many others. 6sqft brought news of the 41 East 19th Street loft's $5,000/month rental price back in February; now it's for sale, asking $1.8 million. In addition to all of the interesting architectural details and loads of sunshine, the apartment comes with an alternate floor plan that shows you how to carve out a three-bedroom home and still have room to spare.
Have a look around

Distinctive Homes

Yet another tall tower is headed for Long Island City

July 20, 2018

Yet another tall tower is headed for Long Island City

By Michelle Cohen

42-50 24th Street rendering via Dynamic Star Long Island City has been fertile ground for new skyscrapers for over a decade–and the biggest additions are still yet to come. Despite concerns over an apartment glut, developers are racing to send 60- and 70- story towers skyward, including the Durst Organization's Queens Plaza Park, United Construction's Court Square City View Tower, and Stawksi Partners' 43-30 24th Street. A newcomer to this party is a mixed-use tower from Dynamic-Hakim and Property Markets Group (PMG) set to rise at 42-50 24th Street, CityRealty reports.
Find out more

New Developments

See photos from Karla and James Murray’s ‘Storefront’ project on NYC’s mom and pop stores

July 20, 2018

See photos from Karla and James Murray’s ‘Storefront’ project on NYC’s mom and pop stores

By Michelle Cohen

6sqft has been closely following the progress of photographers James and Karla Murray‘s Seward Park art installation “Mom-and-Pops of the LES,” featuring four nearly life-size images of Lower East Side business that have mostly disappeared. The pair, who have spent the last decade chronicling the place of small neighborhood businesses in 21st century New York City, was chosen for the public art project by Art in the Parks UNIQLO Park Expressions Grant Program and ran a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the wood-frame structure’s build out. James and Karla will be having a free public exhibition of their photography for "Store Front: The Disappearing Face of New York" at The Storefront Project (@thestorefrontproject) at 70 Orchard Street from July 25-August 12, 2018, with an opening reception on Wednesday, July 25th from 6-9 PM.
Find out more about this cool project

Events & Things To Do

Second Avenue Subway’s next phase won’t be done until 2029

Photo via Flickr cc

July 20, 2018

Second Avenue Subway’s next phase won’t be done until 2029

By Michelle Cohen

According to new documents, the next leg of the extension of the Q line to 125th Street that comprises the second phase of the Second Avenue Subway will be done in 2029, the Daily News reports. And that completion date only holds if work is begun on time, in mid-2019, according to the same document from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Federal Transit Administration. The expected phase two completion date is nearly a decade after Governor Andrew Cuomo opened the first section of the project in 2017. That 2029 date refers to the time all construction equipment has left the site; MTA officials hope to begin running trains through the tunnels, bringing vital service to Harlem, in 2027.
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Transit

Check out artist Yayoi Kusama’s installation in an abandoned Rockaway train garage

Photograph by Pablo Enriquez

July 19, 2018

Check out artist Yayoi Kusama’s installation in an abandoned Rockaway train garage

By Michelle Cohen

6sqft previously reported on the arrival of “Narcissus Garden,” a site-specific installation made up of 1,500 mirrored stainless steel spheres by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama as MOMA PS1's third installment of“Rockaway!,” a free biannual public art program dedicated to the ongoing recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy. The completely mesmerizing installation is now on view from July 01-September 03, 2018 at Fort Tilden in the Gateway National Recreation Area, in a former train garage that once was an active U.S. military base. Kusama’s mirrored metal spheres reflect the industrial surroundings of the abandoned building and highlight Fort Tilden’s history. According to MoMA, the metal directs attention to the damage inflicted by Sandy in 2012 on the surrounding area.
More amazing images this way

Events & Things To Do

Scarlett Johansson checks out $8M oceanfront condo at celeb-studded Montauk resort

Scarlett Johansson image via Wikimedia Commons.

July 19, 2018

Scarlett Johansson checks out $8M oceanfront condo at celeb-studded Montauk resort

By Michelle Cohen

Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost have looking at beachfront properties in the Hamptons. According to the New York Post, Johansson and her man recently checked out a five-bedroom condo at Gurney’s in Montauk, in the resort's new 26-unit residential section which opened in 2016. The pair toured a pretty property priced at $7.95 million (reduced from $8.49 million, though it's still the most expensive of the eight available residences).
Make like a star and take the tour

New East Village Target store now open in Extell’s EVGB rental building

July 19, 2018

New East Village Target store now open in Extell’s EVGB rental building

By Michelle Cohen

It might seem like it's been there forever, but the new East Village Target store at 14th Street and Avenue A opened its doors this week ahead of a scheduled grand opening Saturday, July 21. The small-format chain icon occupies the corner spot in the EVGB ("East Village's Greatest Building") rental building that opened at 510 East 14th Street this year and is now stocked and ready to supply residents (the building is 50 percent leased according to a press release from developer Extell) and the rest of the 'hood with everything from cosmetics and cleaning supplies to apples and Amy's Bowls to the cheap-but-funky home goods the store is famous for. Also beer.
Already, complaints about the beer selection

Popular Articles

$3.7M Flatiron duplex boasts sophisticated interiors and a huge garden

July 18, 2018

$3.7M Flatiron duplex boasts sophisticated interiors and a huge garden

By Michelle Cohen

In a fortunate spot where the Flatiron district and Chelsea meet, this architect-designed two-bedroom duplex at 31 West 16th Street feels like a private house. A private entrance in the pre-war townhouse building leads to an interior where timeless details were created with an eye for design and for providing all the comforts of 21st-century city living. But what really makes this $3.65 million listing exceptional is the large, gorgeous garden in the rear.
Tour both floors

Distinctive Homes

City says 668-foot UWS supertall complies with zoning rules despite community protests

Rendering of 200 Amsterdam Avenue via SJP Properties/ Elkus Manfredi

July 18, 2018

City says 668-foot UWS supertall complies with zoning rules despite community protests

By Michelle Cohen

The city's Board of Standards and Appeals found Tuesday that a 668-foot-tall tower proposed for a zoning lot at 200 Amsterdam Avenue does, in fact, comply with zoning rules, The Real Deal reports. The decision gives developers SJP and Mitsui Fudosan the green light to proceed with development of a condominium tower on the site at 69th Street despite a growing body of community groups opposed to the project. The Committee for Environmentally Sound Development had challenged the Department of Buildings' approval of the project on the grounds that developers assembled an illegal zoning lot in the form of a 39-sided polygon 10 times larger than the actual building's planned footprint with the intent of building a larger tower.
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Formerly pink West Village townhouse returns for $7.8M with a period-perfect facade and sleek interiors

July 17, 2018

Formerly pink West Village townhouse returns for $7.8M with a period-perfect facade and sleek interiors

By Michelle Cohen

Built in 1826, the four-story townhouse at 39 Barrow Street resembles many of the neighborhood's historic gems with its brick facade and traditional black shutters. You'd never know that sometime between its construction and 2010 when it was purchased for $4.125 million by the son of a pharmacy mogul bent on renovation, the house was a quirky pale pink stucco standout with bright lemon-yellow trim. We don't know who bestowed the Lilly Pulitzer treatment, but in previous listings it bore a rather charming resemblance to a Palm Beach palazzo. With that era long over, the home's facade is now the picture of 19th century correctness; inside, however, Reed Morrison Architects have transformed the house into a showcase of contemporary sleekness and modern convenience. The turnkey home is once again on the market, this time for $7.775 million.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

City announces $100M plan to modernize freight distribution infrastructure

Aggregate barge on Newtown Creek. Photo Credit: Mitch Waxman via NYCEDC

July 17, 2018

City announces $100M plan to modernize freight distribution infrastructure

By Michelle Cohen

Mayor Bill de Blasio and the city’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) announced on Monday the launch of a plan for investing in updated transportation options for New York City businesses and dividing distribution among the five boroughs. Freight NYC is a $100 million plan to overhaul the city’s aging freight distribution systems through strategic investments to modernize maritime and rail assets and create new distribution facilities. The plan hopes to create 5,000 jobs as well as a more sustainable and resilient supply chain network.
Find out more

‘Baby Trump’ blimp is coming to NJ

Donald Trump is a big baby and full of hot air. Image courtesy of Michael Reeve via Flickr.

July 17, 2018

‘Baby Trump’ blimp is coming to NJ

By Michelle Cohen

If you followed the protests that accompanied President Donald Trump's visit to London and Scotland last week, you may have noticed a giant, inflatable, diaper-clad version of the POTUS floating above. Now, thanks to a New Jersey activist and a successful GoFundMe page, the irascible dirigible will be gracing our shores next month, Gothamist reports. The big blimp is headed across the pond and is expected to rise near Trump's Bedminster, NJ golf club in August.
Find out more

Policy

Asking $740K, this big, bright Morningside Heights co-op has character but could use another bathroom

July 16, 2018

Asking $740K, this big, bright Morningside Heights co-op has character but could use another bathroom

By Michelle Cohen

Usually when we think of bringing an architect to a viewing, it's because the property is in serious need of TLC. This two-bedroom, one-bath co-op at 509 west 122nd Street near Columbia University in the heart of Morningside Heights is move-in ready, with pre-war details and a modern remodel. But the bath is somewhat exiled on a complicated path to any bedroom on the floor plan, the living and dining rooms and the kitchen that serves them don't seem to be on speaking terms–and inspiration from a pro can't hurt. And while it won't kill anybody, at the very least this pretty co-op's new owner should throw away the floor plan and wing it. At least there's an elevator.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

The New York bagel: The ‘hole’ story from history and chemistry to where you’ll find the good ones

Image via Wikimedia Commons

July 16, 2018

The New York bagel: The ‘hole’ story from history and chemistry to where you’ll find the good ones

By Michelle Cohen

A few international symbols of New York City–like the tough cabbie, the expensive apartment and the pizza-snatching rat–need no explanation and are too scary to think about except when absolutely necessary. Others, like the humble-yet-iconic bagel, possess New York City cred, but when asked, most people can’t quite come up with a reason. Bagels weren’t invented in New York, but the party line is that if they're made here, they’re better than anywhere. Some say it’s the water; others chalk it up to the recipe, the method, ethnic preference or all of the above. What’s the story behind the New York bagel? Who are the true bagel heroes? What makes a great bagel great? And those frozen bagels? Blame Connecticut.
Bagel squirrel vs. Pizza rat

Beautiful design details and some unexpected curves make this $1.5M Nolita duplex a sunny sanctuary

July 13, 2018

Beautiful design details and some unexpected curves make this $1.5M Nolita duplex a sunny sanctuary

By Michelle Cohen

Good design can lift the spirits, which is why this stylish condominium at 259 Elizabeth Street is more than just easy on the eyes. The two-bedroom-plus-office duplex, asking $1.545 million, is filled with lovely custom details and designs, from bespoke Calico wallpaper in a bohemian version of spun gold to the solarium that comprises a bedroom's outer wall.
Bask in the glow

Distinctive Homes

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen finally sell their One Madison pad after price chop to $14M

July 13, 2018

Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen finally sell their One Madison pad after price chop to $14M

By Michelle Cohen

Even if golden couple Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen have left the neighborhood for a $20 million five-bedroom spread at Robert A.M. Stern’s 70 Vestry in Tribeca, a buyer was happy enough to snatch up their Flatiron pad at 23 East 22nd Street after a price chop. As 6sqft previously reported, the New England Patriots’ quarterback and the Brazilian-born supermodel seemed to be getting serious about selling when they cut the asking price to $13.95 million; the apartment is now spoken for and off the market, according to the New York Observer. The couple bought the 48th-floor unit for $11.7 million in 2014 and put it on the market for $17.25 million in 2016–with no takers until now.
Get one last look

You’re never far from the outdoors in this $5.8M Flatiron penthouse with four terraces and a roof deck

July 12, 2018

You’re never far from the outdoors in this $5.8M Flatiron penthouse with four terraces and a roof deck

By Michelle Cohen

Landscaped decks and terraces are always a luxury in the city, and this penthouse at 29 West 19th Street between the Flatiron district and Chelsea has so much private outdoor space in the form of four terraces and a roof deck that you're just steps from al fresco no matter which room you're in. And while 2,242 square feet of indoor space is a lot of living room, it's the 1,700+ square feet of outdoor space that sets this three-bedroom duplex penthouse, asking $5.8 million, apart.
Tour the great outdoors

Distinctive Homes

Plans for New York City’s first soccer stadium focus on the Bronx, again

Yankee Stadium. Image: pingnews.com via Flickr

July 12, 2018

Plans for New York City’s first soccer stadium focus on the Bronx, again

By Michelle Cohen

New York City Football Club, the Major League Soccer franchise owned by the Yankees and an investment group led by Abu Dhabi billionaire royal Sheik Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahayan, who also owns Manchester City Football Club, may have found a site for its own home stadium after a five-year search. The focus is on a site in the Bronx near Yankee Stadium, which is where the team's owners had wanted to build the stadium in 2013, as 6sqft previously reported. This time around, the stadium would be part of a multibillion-dollar 20-acre development along East 153rd Street and River Avenue between Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Terminal Market and would also include a park, a hotel and soccer and sports-focused conference center, shops, office space, a school and as many as 3,000 affordable apartments, according to the New York Times.
More details, this way

An on-trend renovation and high-floor light elevate this $550K East Village walk-up

July 11, 2018

An on-trend renovation and high-floor light elevate this $550K East Village walk-up

By Michelle Cohen

Apartments on some of Alphabet City's most charming streets, such as this $549,000 fifth-floor co-op at 323 East 8th Street, have the good fortune of being steps from some of Manhattan's loveliest public gardens and Tompkins Square Park as well as great bars, cafes and restaurants in every direction. Those charms often offset the sacrifices of tiny, un-renovated properties–or, on the other end of the spectrum, overpriced sleek–often also tiny–new construction. This cute co-op may be a hike up the stairs, but a stunning and stylish renovation and top-notch fixtures and finishes make it more home than crash pad.
More exposed brick, this way

Distinctive Homes

LPC sends Morris Adjmi’s proposal for East Village gas explosion site back to the drawing board

Rendering by Morris Adjmi Architects

July 10, 2018

LPC sends Morris Adjmi’s proposal for East Village gas explosion site back to the drawing board

By Michelle Cohen

Almost three years after an explosion caused by an illegal tap into a gas main at the corner of Second Avenue and East Seventh Street destroyed three buildings at 119-123 Second Avenue and killed two people, new renderings have been revealed of Morris Adjmi Architects' proposed seven-story, 21-unit condo that would replace the circa-1886 tenements that once stood there. As it's within the East Village/Lower East Side Historic District, it needs approval from the Landmarks Preservation Commission. After reviewing the plans this afternoon and deciding that the proposal is "close, but not quite there," they've sent Adjmi and Yaniv Shaky Cohen’s Nexus Building Development Group back to the drawing board over concerns regarding the windows, storefront, and coloring. Neighbors and those affected by the tragedy are also calling for a commemorative plaque to be incorporated into the design.
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MAP: See city owners vs. renters, block by block

Renters and owners in Manhattan. Map by Ryan McCullough

July 10, 2018

MAP: See city owners vs. renters, block by block

By Michelle Cohen

New York has been called a city of renters and with good reason. The real estate rent vs. own breakdown here is far different than that of other parts of the country, for a multitude of complex reasons. But it's also interesting to take a look at neighborhoods within the city. Ryan McCullough of Mapbox and Tippecanoe, the map geeks responsible for whizzing up this view of the U.S.A., was motivated to dig deeply into this particular data. The result was Owners vs. Renters, an interactive dot map showing every single homeowner and renter in the United States. You can zoom in on a major city hub and to see where more residents tend to be homeowners and where more people rent.
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$475K Yorkville co-op may be small, but it has a dreamy back garden

July 10, 2018

$475K Yorkville co-op may be small, but it has a dreamy back garden

By Michelle Cohen

This pre-war one-bedroom co-op at 330 East 90th Street in the Upper East Side is laid out railroad-style and somewhat lacking in excess square footage. But the $475,000 ground-floor space has the rare city bonus of a private planted garden and deck with room for furniture and a grill. And besides being just a few blocks from the Q train, the apartment's interiors are as charming as they are cleverly functional.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

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