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.

May 29, 2018

Catch a dream in this Catskills tipi for $145 a night, fireflies included

By Michelle Cohen

The Sioux definitely knew what they were doing when it came to creating year-round homes tucked away in awe-inspiring nature. The Bellfire Teepee in the Meeker Hollow in Roxbury, NY, available via Airbnb for $145 a night, is a magical way to appreciate those micro-living skills from long ago while stargazing on a 10-acre property bordering miles of forest. The owners of this cozy escape, a pair of Brooklyn expat artists, chose the location "with privacy and tranquility in mind." Their farmhouse is 500 feet away, so there's no need to feel lost in the woods, but you're nestled between a creek, maple trees and a wildflower field, just in case you actually want to feel lost in the woods.
See more of this magical getaway

Metro Region Explorer map gives you the facts on any spot in the Tri-State area

Map: NYC Planning Metro Region Explorer.

May 29, 2018

Metro Region Explorer map gives you the facts on any spot in the Tri-State area

By Michelle Cohen

As a beta project created by the NYC Department of City Planning, Metro Region Explorer enables you to explore population, housing, and employment trends within the Tri-State New York City Metropolitan Region. The map was developed as part of an ongoing commitment to providing better public access and as a way to better understand information about planning issues that affect the city as well as the region, as many planning challenges are interconnected with the realities of the larger area surrounding the city's core.
Explore the region

City Living

May 23, 2018

Study looks at the tallest buildings ever demolished and confirms 270 Park Avenue will top the list

By Michelle Cohen

Back in February, 6sqft reported that the Union Carbide Building at 270 Park Avenue–currently the JP Morgan Chase headquarters–was set to be the largest intentionally demolished building in history when plans move forward to replace the 700-foot-tall structure with a tower that will likely rise to over 1,200 feet. ArchDaily brings us a study done by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) that looks at the 100 tallest buildings ever to be demolished by their owners. The study, aptly titled, "Tallest Demolished Buildings," confirms that if the current plans move forward, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill's 270 Park Avenue would indeed become the tallest to go down–and the first over 200 meters in height.
Find out more

May 22, 2018

Go off the grid in a Catskills shipping container for $165 per night

By Michelle Cohen

Photo via Contanium listing on Airbnb Just think if it as a Vipp Shelter for the rest of us. This woodsy take on the tiny dwelling, "Contanium," available through Airbnb and situated in Saugerties, NY, is actually a shipping container, so you get to experience the trifecta of tiny house, off-the-grid living and inhabiting a shipping container, all at once. Offerings at this particular shipping container cabin sound almost like the amenities menu at a trendy Downtown condo: There's a wood stove, sofa bed, kitchenette, writing desk, record player, patio, fire ring, yoga platform, hot tub and hammock. The off-the-grid part means the power is solar, there's a composting toilet and gravity-feed water.
What you'll find within

May 22, 2018

Downtown Brooklyn gets another high-rise headed for 511 feet tall

By Michelle Cohen

The new hotspot for tall towers, Downtown Brooklyn, will be getting another contender, CityRealty reports. Revised permits show that a 43-story, 511-foot tower set to rise at 540 Fulton Street will contain 327 residential units along with retail and office space. The building's height is only about a foot shy of the former Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower–now condos–which held the title of Brooklyn's tallest high-rise from 1929 to 2009. The new tower will join Brooklyn's future tallest towers: 720-foot 138 Willoughby Avenue (Brooklyn Point),986-foot 80 Flatbush, and 1,000+ foot 9 Dekalb.
Find out more

New Developments

May 21, 2018

Asking $1.5M, this classic Upper West Side duplex has a magical private rooftop escape

By Michelle Cohen

Located on the top floor of a dreamy Upper West Side townhouse at 307 West 82nd Street, a block from Riverside Park, this two-bedroom duplex asking $1.475 million appears to be every inch the classic Manhattan co-op, from its blonde wood floors to subdued pale walls. But this uptown aerie speaks volumes in the form of a huge private wraparound roof terrace.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

May 17, 2018

Live inside a windmill in Montauk for $1.9M

By Michelle Cohen

Property in Montauk–where billionaires live in trailer parks–just isn't like other places. For example, this windmill house was built in 1928 by Arthur W. B. Wood, an architect who was enamored of–you guessed it–windmills. Though the windmill that's part of the six-bedroom home at 162 Fairview Avenue isn't a real, functional windmill, it is the only windmill house in Montauk. And it's currently on the market for $1.9 million.
Get a closer look

May 17, 2018

MTA documents reveal that 4,000 L train riders will be displaced during shutdown

By Michelle Cohen

The latest fear to raise its ugly head in what will admittedly be a major inconvenience–that is, the 15-month shutdown of the L line starting in April of 2019–is the very limited number of trains that will be able to pick up the slack heading across the Williamsburg bridge. The topic surfaced at last night's Town Hall meeting, when, according to the Village Voice, a concerned citizen by the name of Sunny Ng voiced his concerns about how many more trains could fit on the bridge.
Can of worms: Open!

May 17, 2018

$5.5M converted firehouse could be Long Island City’s most expensive sale

By Michelle Cohen

A listing broker for this 1848 former local firehouse told the Wall Street Journal that its $5.5 million asking price was “aspirational,” but the neighborhood certainly has changed since its owner purchased the three-story, 3,500 square-foot converted townhouse in 1981 for $115,000. Long Island City turned fancy and this Federal-style firehouse got an architect-led overhaul that gave it three bedrooms, a 17-foot vaulted ceiling, a home office/library, a garden, a terrace, a garage, an elevator, and a sliding glass wall.
Hop in the elevator, take the tour

May 16, 2018

$1.2M East Village condo has a cool blue kitchen and a roof deck with a view

By Michelle Cohen

This one-bedroom East Village "penthouse" condo at 72 East 3rd Street, asking $1.19 million, is on the market for the first time in 20 years, but it has a fresher look than any we've seen in a while. On a block with lots of neighborhood history and plenty of charm, it has recently gotten a stunning custom renovation and comes with a private roof deck with unrestricted Empire State Building views.
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

Quirky nautical-themed Brooklyn Heights flat where Norman Mailer wrote his novels lists for $2.4M

By Michelle Cohen

Not only did Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Norman Mailer write several of his well-known novels including “The Executioner’s Song” and “Ancient Evenings” while living on the top floor of this landmarked 1840 townhouse at 142 Columbia Heights, the author transformed the space to resemble a ship, complete with a double-height glass and wood atrium and a smooth wood ceiling that recalled a sailboat's curves. This unique property, now on the market for $2.4 million, spans 1,636 square feet, and features multiple outdoor terraces with sweeping views of Manhattan, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. The sale also includes a separate one-bedroom unit on the third floor.
But there's more

May 15, 2018

Bright interiors and a condo-equivalent price make this $1.5M Kensington townhouse a must-see

By Michelle Cohen

With a pale Scandinavian vibe and sunlight around every corner, this modestly-sized single-family home at 268 East 9th Street in Kensington has been thoughtfully renovated for modern life. Three exposures, a skylight, a quaint–and rare–front porch and a large fenced backyard add to the country-in-the-city feeling.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

May 14, 2018

Smoking ban inside co-op and condo units picks up steam in NYC buildings

By Michelle Cohen

Though banning cigarette smoking in apartment building common areas is nothing new, New York City's co-op and condo buildings have been voting to keep residents from lighting up even inside their own units, the Wall Street Journal reports. Co-op and condo lawyers say the sentiment in favor of clean, green air is growing, and tolerance for neighbors who smoke is at an all-time low. At the Century condominium at 25 Central Park West, a smoking ban went into effect in March after a two-thirds vote was achieved following a long–sometimes bitter–campaign.
Find out more

May 14, 2018

This $1.4M East Village co-op has a private terrace and sits on a magical block

By Michelle Cohen

This utterly charming "penthouse" on the third/top floor of a pale mint green townhouse at 262 East 7th Street has the good fortune of being on one of the neighborhood's most beloved blocks. This particular corner of Alphabet City–across from the Gaudi-esque Flowerbox Building condo and home to a landmarked row of rare historic townhomes–is one those New York City secrets hidden in plain sight. Asking $1.35 million, this two-bedroom co-op doesn't skimp on modern style or comfort. And there's the added bonus of a lovely private terrace.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

May 11, 2018

$3M Park Slope townhouse has a Japanese-inspired tea room and garden

By Michelle Cohen

This somewhat unusual four-and-a-half-bedroom Park Slope townhouse at 641 Warren Street was converted to a single-family home from a three-family dwelling by the building's current owners. Renovations were done with an emphasis on quality and practicality, and elements of their Japanese heritage were integrated throughout including a "chashitsu," or traditional tea ceremony room, with tatami mats, a patio and a kitchen preparation area overlooking a garden that boasts Japanese maple, fruiting peach, and willow trees and bamboo.
Take the floor-by-floor tour

Distinctive Homes

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen get serious about selling Flatiron pad with price drop to $14M

Tom Brady image via Wikimedia Commons; Gisele Bundchen image via Wikimedia Commons

May 10, 2018

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen get serious about selling Flatiron pad with price drop to $14M

By Michelle Cohen

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen have relisted their full-floor condo in the sleek One Madison tower at 23 East 22nd Street for $13.95 million, the New York Post reports. The New England Patriots quarterback and the Brazilian-born supermodel bought the 48th-floor unit for $11.7 million in 2014 and put it on the market for $17.25 million in 2016 when they headed further downtown to a $20 million five-bedroom spread at Robert A.M. Stern’s 70 Vestry.
Still looking good

Antonio Banderas lists sultry Central Park West Prasada pad for $8M

Image of Antonio Banderas: Wikimedia Commons

May 9, 2018

Antonio Banderas lists sultry Central Park West Prasada pad for $8M

By Michelle Cohen

Antonio Banderas has just listed his park-front co-op in the Prasada at 50 Central Park West for $7.95 million. The actor purchased the nine-room co-op for $3.995 million in 2005, with his wife, Melanie Griffith, according to the Wall Street Journal. The couple divorced in 2016 and Banderas, who is starring in the upcoming “Life Itself” with Olivia Wilde and Oscar Isaac, kept the stylish Upper West Side home.
More sexy apartment pics, this way

May 8, 2018

Historic Greenpoint bank building lists for $6.5M with lots of options

By Michelle Cohen

The former Greenpoint Mechanics and Traders Bank, built in 1895, is now on the market for $6.5 million along with the many opportunities this unusual building presents. Designed in the Renaissance Revival style composed of large red brownstones, red brick and ornate terra cotta detailed accents with massive arched windows on the third floor, 144 Franklin Street is a 5,760-square-foot landmarked three-story mixed-use building with a full height basement. The property is zoned for up to six office spaces on the ground floor and regular basement use, with residential use on second and third floors.
Find out more about this unusual opportunity

Image courtesy of nyc.gov/zerowaste

May 8, 2018

DonateNYC helps achieve zero waste dorm move-out

By Michelle Cohen

When spring arrives at New York City's 140 colleges and universities, departing students generate literally tons of waste each year on their way out of dorms and off-campus housing. Students leave behind unwanted items that can be reused or recycled. That's when the city's DonateNYC program steps in, offering resources and guidelines for a zero waste dorm move-out
Find out more

City Living

May 8, 2018

TV news anchor Dan Abrams lists 1830s West Village townhouse triplex for $8.8M

By Michelle Cohen

ABC news anchor and media entrepreneur Dan Abrams is selling his 3,300-square-foot home in the Village. The three-story property at 150 Waverly Place is part of a seven-unit condo made up of two neighboring 1830s-era Greek Revival townhouses. According to the Wall Street Journal, Abrams, who is chief legal analyst for ABC News, host of A&E’s “Live PD” and the publisher of Mediaite and its sibling sites, first lived in the building in 2004 as a renter, then bought a three-bedroom duplex for $2.175 million. He purchased the adjacent duplex–which included a private garden—in 2009 for $1.645 million.
Imagine the possibilities

‘Sex’-y NYC cupcake shop Magnolia Bakery to open 200 franchise locations across the U.S.

Image: Shiny Things via Flickr

May 7, 2018

‘Sex’-y NYC cupcake shop Magnolia Bakery to open 200 franchise locations across the U.S.

By Michelle Cohen

We know “Sex and the City” did wonders for pink martinis, Manolos and Cynthia Nixon’s political career. And we’re pretty sure the cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery have the NYC-centric series to thank for its ability to expand worldwide. The popular pastries are, we're told, gobbling up the market in Dubai, Kuwait, Tokyo, Mexico City and Seoul, and closer to home in (besides New York City) Los Angeles, Chicago and now Boston. But like Ms. Nixon, the company isn't content to rest on its laurels. The Wall Street Journal reports that the Bleecker Street original will be plying its sweet treats in as many as 200 new franchises in the U.S. in the next five years
How many cupcakes is too many?

May 7, 2018

A sunroom turns the private roof deck atop this $3.4M Tribeca loft into an all-season paradise

By Michelle Cohen

This beautifully-designed penthouse loft at 50 Walker Street in Tribeca has a few secrets hidden within its classic loft proportions. The most impressive of the $3.35 million co-op's features is a massive 1,500-square-foot landscaped roof terrace accessed through a window-wrapped solarium, all with jaw-dropping lower Manhattan views.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

May 4, 2018

Quaint Tudor house in the Upper West Side’s ‘hidden’ Pomander Walk asks $2.5M

By Michelle Cohen

As one of New York City's many hidden-in-plain-sight secret addresses, Pomander Walk is a gated 1920s community of Tudor-style mini-homes resembling an English village nestled right in the middle of Manhattan's Upper West Side. The brightly-painted home at 265 West 94th Street, asking $2.5 million, is a rarely-available opportunity to live in this unique village-in-the-city community.
Get a closer look

Cynthia Nixon’s Rent Justice for All platform would extend rent stabilization and boost tenant protection

Cynthia Nixon image; image

May 4, 2018

Cynthia Nixon’s Rent Justice for All platform would extend rent stabilization and boost tenant protection

By Michelle Cohen

Cynthia Nixon, the "Sex and the City" actress-turned-Democratic gubernatorial candidate, has unveiled a Rent Justice for All platform that would bolster protection for tenants statewide. Curbed reports that Nixon, who is running against Governor Andrew Cuomo as a Democratic candidate, announced Rent Justice for All, a series of measures intended to address the growing burden placed on New York's renters, of which there are many: Nixon said in a statement, “Half of our state residents are renters, and under Governor Cuomo, New York’s renters have been left behind.”
Find out more

May 3, 2018

$4M Flatiron duplex was 19th century starchitect Richard Morris Hunt’s studio

By Michelle Cohen

This $3.925 million combined sale in an historic Flatiron building is a unique opportunity for more than one reason. The 1870s Italianate townhouse at 28 East 21st Street, now a co-op, served as the studio of architect Richard Morris Hunt, whose designs include the Met as well as the Biltmore estate, The Breakers and other notable Gilded Age properties. It's also a chance to acquire an 1,850-square-foot duplex with three bedrooms plus a dreamy townhouse backyard complete with flowering dogwood and magnolia trees and a 250-square-foot artists' studio in the heart of the Flatiron district.
Take the tour

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