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.

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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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

July 9, 2018

Architectural history meets West Village charm in this $950K duplex co-op

By Michelle Cohen

On its own, the fact that the landmarked five-story tenement building at 244 West 4th Street was designed in 1884 by John B. Snook, the architect responsible for the original Grand Central Station, wouldn't likely be enough to entice a buyer. Fortunately, the covetable West Village neighborhood and the thoroughly livable two-floor, one-bedroom layout of this pretty co-op asking $948,000 would be sufficiently convincing even without its historic bragging rights.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

ODA reveals playful facade, outdoor space for former Jehovah’s Witnesses’ site in Dumbo

Rendering of 80 Adams Street courtesy of BH3 Partners

July 6, 2018

ODA reveals playful facade, outdoor space for former Jehovah’s Witnesses’ site in Dumbo

By Michelle Cohen

In the latest news from CityRealty, a new rendering of the exciting design for a 10-story, 165-unit building that will rise at the former Jehovah's Witnesses-owned property at 80 Adams Street has been revealed. Buyer Jeffrey Gershon of Hope Street Capital closed on the $60 million purchase of what was a single-story garage in November. ODA New York was listed on the permits, which meant we were likely to see an innovative design; now that design is here in rendering form.
More details this way

July 6, 2018

City says Trump can’t claim $48K tax break on his NYC apartment

By Michelle Cohen

New York City has said no to a $48,000 break President Trump has been receiving on the annual tax bill for his Trump Tower condo after inquiries by the Daily News into his eligibility. The News reports that the city says the president was set to get $48,834.62 knocked off his condo taxes for the tax year beginning July 1 via the city's condominium abatement, which is available for condo and co-op owners on their primary residence. Tax rules state that only “the dwelling unit in which the owner of the dwelling unit actually resides and maintains a permanent and continuous physical presence” is eligible for the savings, and Trump hasn't kept a “permanent and continuous physical presence” in the Midtown pad since he moved to the White House in January of 2017.
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Policy

July 6, 2018

Jesse Tyler Ferguson trades up to a $3M Chelsea pad

By Michelle Cohen

6sqft recently noted “Modern Family” star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita's listing of their 900-square-foot one-bedroom Gramercy Park co-op for $1.5 million. Three months on, the New York Post reports that the pair have advanced to a bigger, blingier home in the new D'Orsay condominium at 211 West 14th Street. All signs point to that unit being a 1,402-square-foot two-bedroom pad that was listed at $2.995 million and sold for $3.05 million according to city records. The boutique Chelsea condo building boasts interiors by internationally acclaimed designer Jacques Garcia, known for the decor at Hotel Costes in Paris and NYC's NoMad Hotel.
Have a look

Three Harlem and Bronx subway stations to get upgrades for the first time in 114 years

Image via Wiki Commons

July 5, 2018

Three Harlem and Bronx subway stations to get upgrades for the first time in 114 years

By Michelle Cohen

The MTA Board has approved an $88 million contract to Citnalta/Forte with Urbahn/HAKS for work at three of the city's subway stations in Harlem and the Bronx after nearly a century of wear and tear. The 145 Street, 167 Street and 174-175 Street stations will be getting modernizing, structural and functional repairs beginning in July. MTA New York City Transit will be addressing needed upgrades for the nearly 20,000 subway customers on the Concourse B,D and Lenox 3 lines.
Find out when the stations will be closed for repairs

Transit

Cuomo announces $10M in infrastructure and arts upgrades for the South Bronx

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

July 5, 2018

Cuomo announces $10M in infrastructure and arts upgrades for the South Bronx

By Michelle Cohen

We've been keeping up with the booming development plans unfolding in the South Bronx, from a massive waterfront complex in the works to the city's first soccer stadium. Today Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced specific plans for a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) award that underscores the momentum happening in what he called "the heart of the bustling Bronx." The strategic investments are part of the governor's ongoing efforts to revitalize the Bronx and create more opportunities in the Bronx Civic Center Downtown neighborhood. The funds will be used for 12 transformational projects in the South Bronx.
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Policy

Jackie Gleason’s circular “mothership” mansion in Westchester is on the market for $12M

Jackie Gleason photo via Wikimedia Commons

July 3, 2018

Jackie Gleason’s circular “mothership” mansion in Westchester is on the market for $12M

By Michelle Cohen

"Honeymooners" star and comedy legend Jackie Gleason kept an architecturally remarkable round house in Westchester County, using it as an escape while filming the iconic sitcom; now it's for sale as part of an estate listed for $12 million, the New York Post reports. Gleason was a UFO lover who referred to the home, which is circular inside and out as "The Mothership."
Have a look a-round

Stars and stripes highlight new-old-fashioned style in this $10.5M Brooklyn Heights brownstone

By Michelle Cohen

This palatial five-story, 19th-century brownstone at 13 Monroe Place in Brooklyn Heights is a study in meticulously preserved historic detail integrated into a crisp, livable setting of all-American decor. After an 18-month renovation, the nearly 6,000-square-foot Yankee Doodle Dandy of a home appeared in Swedish Elle Decor, Paris Vogue, and MilK Magazine. Asking $10.5 million, the legal two-family dwelling is currently being used as a single-family home, complete with deck, backyard, gym, media room, and six bedrooms.
Tour this traditional tour-de-force

Distinctive Homes

Get your NYC subways, buses and ferries sorted for the Fourth of July

Photo via Anthony Quintano/Flickr

July 3, 2018

Get your NYC subways, buses and ferries sorted for the Fourth of July

By Michelle Cohen

It happens on every holiday, but a midweek July 4th promises to add an extra layer of confusion to the tourists, crowds and screwy schedules that will inevitably hit the city's public transit system. We hope we can help you get your itinerary dialed in by giving you the low-down on changes to NYC subway, bus and ferry service on the 4th, so you can get to and from that optimal spot to watch the fireworks. The good news: The MTA will be offering extra rail service on Tuesday, July 3 and Wednesday, July 4. The possibly good/bad/mixed news: The MTA’s railroads, subways and buses will operate on weekend schedules...and then some.
More holiday transit schedules, decoded

July 2, 2018

The picnic-perfect terrace at this $10M Tribeca penthouse feels like a slice of Paris

By Michelle Cohen

We can imagine errant children in this worth-every-bit-of-$9.995 million Tribeca duplex penthouse being sent, for punishment, to the room without a terrace. The listing for 41 Warren Street in Tribeca calls it "Parisian perfection" in reference to the authentic Parisian wrought-iron balconies that wrap the apartment's many terraces; a hat tip to the Scandinavian countries is in order for the wood-paneled sauna. And 3,000 square-feet of chic, subtly luxurious interiors would be worthy of envy under any flag.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

Image: NYC Design Awards.

July 2, 2018

With funding and plans, revamp of Philip Johnson’s New York State Pavilion moves slowly forward

By Michelle Cohen

Designed by starchitect Philip Johnson for the 1964-65 World's Fair to embody the architectural essence of Space Age futurism, the New York State Pavilion, has, in the ensuing decades, become what amNY called a "hulking 54-year-old relic of the World’s Fair," though it has never lost its modernist cachet and has gained value as an historic ruin of sorts. Recently, talk of restoring the pavilion beyond its current inglorious purgatory slowly appears to be moving toward actual plans with funding attached. City officials and preservationists have secured $14 million for specific repairs and improvements to the pavilion.
Find out more

Architecture And Design

June 29, 2018

Kushner Cos. blame Jersey City’s ‘anti-Trump’ sentiment in lawsuit over stalled $900M project

By Michelle Cohen

Old rendering of One Journal Square via KABR Group A partnership headed by Charles Kushner filed a lawsuit in federal court in Jersey City Wednesday, blaming the mayor's "political animus" toward all things Trump–and, therefore, Kushner–for sending the company's residential complex into default earlier this year. According to the New York Times, the suit claims that Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop issued a default against the $900 million development in order to "appease and curry favor with the overwhelmingly anti-Trump constituents of Jersey City.”
More political animus, this way

Real Estate Trends

June 28, 2018

Private 63-acre Connecticut island is on the market for the second time in a century asking $120M

By Michelle Cohen

Not only is Great Island in Darien, CT, the largest private island to be offered for sale on the East Coast, but before it was listed in 2016 for $175 million, this iconic property hadn't been offered for sale or changed hands for more than a century. Purchased in the early 1900s by baking powder tycoon William Ziegler, the estate that lies just 50 miles north of New York City has remained in the family ever since. It's asking $120 million this time around.
Have a look at this unusual island property

June 27, 2018

Landmarks approves Frick expansion plan despite protests from preservationists

By Michelle Cohen

All renderings courtesy of Beyer Blinder Belle and Selldorf Architects On Tuesday the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the most recent plan submitted by the museum for the expansion and renovation of the 1914 Gilded Age mansion it calls home in a 6 to 1 vote with one abstention, the New York Times reports. Three prior attempts by the museum in a quest to gain more space for exhibitions and programs were turned back amid vocal protests by neighborhood advocates and preservationists. The revised plan submitted by the project's architects Beyer Blinder Belle and Annabelle Selldorf includes the decision to restore the museum's original gated garden, which had been a point of controversy with those opposed to the project.
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June 27, 2018

Derek Jeter lists lakefront ‘castle’ with four kitchens and a Statue of Liberty replica for $15M

By Michelle Cohen

While owning a waterfront castle might seem presumptuous even for the former Yankee captain and current Miami Marlins owner, this 50,000-square-foot upstate compound on four acres at 14 Lake Shore Road in Greenwood Lake, NY, was more than just a random luxury buy. Tiedemann Castle, as it is known, has a family history for Jeter: According to the New York Post, his grandfather Sonny Connors, adopted son of John and Julia Tiedemann, who purchased it in 1952, was raised on the property. Jeter bought the estate 15 years ago for $425,000, so even after being "lovingly restored, with unparalleled attention to detail," the current $14.75 million price tag is a hefty hike.
More astounding vistas this way

June 26, 2018

242-square-foot West Village “Wee Cottage” is asking $550K

By Michelle Cohen

6sqft previously featured this unique West Village studio for its clever design back in 2014, when its owners, Jourdan Lawlor and Tobin Ludwig, turned the 242-square-foot pied-a-terre at 352 West 12th Street into a marvel of Swiss Army knife-like usefulness with brilliant design and custom solutions. The pair, who bought the charming co-op for just $270,000, christened it "The Wee Cottage" and invested about $33,000 in a renovation that became the stuff of micro-apartment legend, having been featured in numerous publications and heaped with accolades (Refinery29 named it the Coolest Tiny Apartment in NYC, for example, and it's an Instagram favorite). They rented it out for $3,000 a month in 2016, and now it's for sale asking $500,000.
Take a tiny tour

Distinctive Homes

June 26, 2018

$12M Soho loft was inspired by an opulent Parisian hotel and an art gallery past

By Michelle Cohen

This three-bedroom loft at 69 Wooster Street is the kind you don't often see in today's world of sleek designer spaces. Until 2014, it was the longtime home and personal gallery of prominent art collectors Eileen and Michael Cohen, who had lived there since Soho was, well, Soho. The current owner is a fashion designer who just finished a multi-year renovation adding a layer of one-of-a-kind opulence to an already dramatic space. The home, now on the market for $12 million, has been featured in Architectural Digest and other design publications, and we can see why, with everything from tin ceilings and exposed brick to gold-clad columns, dripping crystal chandeliers, a mirrored wall, and plenty of leather accents.
Don't miss the gold bathtub

June 26, 2018

MAP: Where to watch the 2018 Macy’s July 4th fireworks

By Michelle Cohen

The patriotic party-planners behind the Macy's Fourth of July live fireworks extravaganza happening next Wednesday evening have made sure to provide their usual thorough and handy guide suggesting prime spots for experiencing the world-famous pyrotechnics show. Get the 411 on official viewing points and use the interactive neighborhood finder to make sure you're well-situated when things go boom.
Get all the info, this way

14th Street to become an all-day ‘busway,’ get new bike lanes during L train shutdown

L train photo via Wiki Commons

June 26, 2018

14th Street to become an all-day ‘busway,’ get new bike lanes during L train shutdown

By Michelle Cohen

6sqft previously reported on the city's plans to provide alternatives to the L train during the 2019 shutdown for repairs in the Canarsie Tunnel under the East River and the reaction of community groups affected by the planned changes. A coalition of West Side neighborhood groups fearing disruptions from buses, bike lanes and other changes sued the agencies tasked with implementing the L train alternatives. Now the New York Daily News reports that according to court documents, 14th street will become a "busway" for 17 hours each day–among other strategies–to limit car traffic during the shutdown.
Find out more details

June 25, 2018

$750K brownstone aerie on the Upper West Side has classic Manhattan charm–and an elevator

By Michelle Cohen

This quintessential brownstone apartment on the top floor at 140 West 74th Street might not be what comes to mind when you think of penthouse living, but 10-foot ceilings, tons of exposed brick, and plenty of pre-war charm–coupled with a perfect spot on the Upper West Side–could make this co-op studio a top choice for a Manhattan pied-a-terre. A price of $749,000 and the fact that it's not a walk-up help make the case, as does the view of the tree-lined West 70s from a wall of windows.
Take a look around

Distinctive Homes

June 22, 2018

This $950K two-bedroom co-op is the picture of East Village tranquility

By Michelle Cohen

Asking just a hair under $1 million, this bright, charming co-op at 224 East 7th Street--on one of the neighborhood's most charming corners--is a not-too-shabby 850 square feet, and pretty chic to boot.
More East Village charm, this way

Distinctive Homes

Portrait banners from Ai Weiwei’s NYC ‘Fences’ project available for sale to benefit refugee charities

Ai Weiwei banner 2, outside trump tower; Photo Timothy Schenk, courtesy Public Art Fund, NY

June 22, 2018

Portrait banners from Ai Weiwei’s NYC ‘Fences’ project available for sale to benefit refugee charities

By Michelle Cohen

Nearly a year ago, artist Ai Weiwei's project, “Good Fences Make Good Neighbors,” commissioned by the Public Art Fund, covered New York City with installations and banners in reference to the current international refugee crisis. Though the works are no longer on display, their message remains even more pressing. In commemoration of World Refugee Day on June 20, the Public Art Fund and eBay for Charity put Ai’s project back into public reach with the sale of limited-edition original portrait banners drawn from those made by the artist (h/t Surface). There are six banners in all, and sales benefit USA for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Fund’s mission to promote accessible art.
How much are they, and how do I get one?

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