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.
59-block Inwood rezoning vote draws protests from residents who fear its character will be lost

Inwood Hill Park; Image: Dana via Flickr.

August 9, 2018

59-block Inwood rezoning vote draws protests from residents who fear its character will be lost

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On Wednesday the City Council approved a rezoning plan for a 59-block section of Inwood, a neighbhorhood often referred to as the "last affordable neighborhood in Manhattan," the New York Times reports. The plan was approved last week by the city's zoning subcommittee and the Land Use Committee. The Inwood rezoning is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to rezone neighborhoods across the city as part of the push to create and preserve 300,000 affordable housing units by his goal date of 2026. Inwood is the fifth neighborhood–including the also-controversial East New York and East Harlem–to be approved for rezoning under the plan.
Find out more
21-story Union Square tech hub gets green light from City Council despite community concerns

Rendering via NYCEDC

August 8, 2018

21-story Union Square tech hub gets green light from City Council despite community concerns

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The New York City Council voted Wednesday to approve plans to build a new tech hub on city-owned land at 124 East 14th Street near Union Square. As Crain's reported, last Thursday the building received the go-ahead from the zoning subcommittee that was reviewing the development of the 21-story building that supporters expect will be a resource for the "tech-for-good" community and provide jobs for lower-income workers. The project is being developed jointly by the city's Economic Development Corp. and developer RAL Development Service; it is expected to open in 2020. The proposed tech center, which the mayor hopes will nurture budding entrepreneurs in the technology field and bring over 600 jobs to New Yorkers, is planned at the site of a P.C. Richard & Son store, in an area already filled with new developments with more on the way.
Not everyone is excited, however
News anchor Cynthia McFadden’s UES townhouse, once home to director Elia Kazan, asks $6M
August 8, 2018

News anchor Cynthia McFadden’s UES townhouse, once home to director Elia Kazan, asks $6M

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Built in 1899, this Carnegie Hill townhouse at 174 East 95th Street has another history claim: It has been home to some serious and dedicated behind-the-camera luminaries. The four-story townhouse was for a time the address of controversial Oscar-winning stage and screen director Elia Kazan ("On the Waterfront," "East of Eden" and many more). The 4,240-square-foot, four-bedroom home is currently owned by veteran TV journalist Cynthia McFadden, who is now the senior legal and investigative correspondent for NBC News. A fine example of an Upper East Side townhouse, the home has been renovated with care using fine fixtures and finishes while preserving its 19th century grandeur.
Take the tour
Queens shows how diversity is driving NYC’s economic boom

Elmhurst’s Chinatown. Image: Wiki Commons.

August 7, 2018

Queens shows how diversity is driving NYC’s economic boom

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Recent economic snapshots issued by the state comptroller show that New York City has continued to experience record economic expansion in the past three years. This growth has been led by notable gains in the economies of Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx (Staten Island's report is expected later this year), which since the 1990s have seen an economic boost from a large increase in their immigrant populations, Crain's reports. The revitalization of these immigrant-rich areas has led to an uptick in the number of businesses as well as sales and job growth. Unemployment is at its lowest rate since 1990. Queens, the borough that is home the city's most diverse population and becoming more so, is clearly one to watch.
More jobs, great food
Asking $735K, this little slice of a West Village co-op is big on options
August 7, 2018

Asking $735K, this little slice of a West Village co-op is big on options

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This sweet little one-bedroom co-op at 82 Horatio Street in just about the most perfect part of the historic West Village has plenty of pre-war charm, a wood-burning fireplace, and a sparkling new renovation. It doesn't have lots of extra living space, and it's asking $735,000, but there's plenty of potential: subletting is allowed upon closing–rare for a co-op–and there are no issues with financing, pieds-a-terre, or any other creative ideas involving in-demand downtown Manhattan property.
Suck it in and take the tour
This $1.4M Westchester estate was inspired by Versailles
August 6, 2018

This $1.4M Westchester estate was inspired by Versailles

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Though it has been, according to the listing, completely renovated for modern living by architect/designer David Easton, this three-bedroom home on eight acres–known as Folie Du Lac–got its inspiration from Versailles and "recalls the romantic 18th century," complete with reclaimed materials imported from France including antique limestone flooring, 18th century paneling and speckled mirrors. The Waccabuc, NY estate is on the market for $1.4 million.
Folie Du Lac, this way
Rent this chic East Hampton house with a pool and outdoor fireplace for $12K/week
August 3, 2018

Rent this chic East Hampton house with a pool and outdoor fireplace for $12K/week

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This three-bedroom East Hampton rental on a half-acre of landscaped greenery could be the perfect place to spend an end-of-summer getaway week (h/t Curbed). Dressed to the nines in on-trend decor and fun, fine finishes, this vacation home comes complete with heated pool, grill and outdoor fireplace for $12,000 a week in season or $40,000 a month ($20K after Labor Day).
More cute rooms, this way
Lower Manhattan’s Marriage Bureau building may become new jail tower as Rikers replacement

80 Centre Street; image: Wikimedia Commons.

August 3, 2018

Lower Manhattan’s Marriage Bureau building may become new jail tower as Rikers replacement

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Last year, Mayor de Blasio announced his support of closing the jail on Rikers Island after protests from activists and public officials over the conditions at the aging complex. In the ensuing months, the focus turned to possible replacements for housing the jail's 5,000-plus inmates over the next decade. Now, the New York Daily News reports, the city is considering 80 Centre Street for a towering detention center as part of the plan.
The building now houses the city's Marriage Bureau
Proposed ‘arcade railway’ below Broadway would aid 1860s gridlock

Broadway Arcade Railway, 1884, New York Transit Museum, via Wikimedia Commons

August 3, 2018

Proposed ‘arcade railway’ below Broadway would aid 1860s gridlock

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Post-Civil War, pre-subway New York City had–surprise–a traffic problem. The number of horse cars and stages that clogged the streets was growing at an alarming rate. Among the proposed solutions was a railway that would be built beneath Broadway, branching out to the east and west at 23rd Street all the way up to the northern tip of Manhattan. The idea was gaining political support, but not everyone was onboard with the idea.
So what happened?
Joe Torre’s upstate lake house with a waterfront terrace asks $1.4M
August 2, 2018

Joe Torre’s upstate lake house with a waterfront terrace asks $1.4M

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Beloved former Yankees manager Joe Torre has just put his Putnam County lakefront home up for sale asking $1.39 million, the New York Post reports. Torre, who is now MLB’s chief baseball officer, led the Yanks to four World Series titles. Built in 1936, his shingled, ranch-style lakeside home at 318 West Lake Boulevard in Mahopac, NY offers a definite break from the dugout in the form of stunning panoramic views from every room, a waterfront dining room, and a guest cottage.
More pictures this way
$2.1M Park Slope townhouse has a backyard paradise and expansion options
August 1, 2018

$2.1M Park Slope townhouse has a backyard paradise and expansion options

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This cheerful yellow brick townhouse at 235 8th Street in the heart of Park Slope looks like a pretty good deal for the neighborhood at $2.1 million. Interiors have been updated in a clean and contemporary style, with plenty of charm and original details remaining. Though it's currently being used as a single-family home, it's a legal two-family and can be expanded to more than double its size with remaining FAR on the 100-foot-deep lot. Currently on that same lot is a garden oasis that would make it hard to spend a moment indoors on warm-weather days.
Take the tour
An archive of 24,000 documents from Frederick Law Olmsted’s life and work is now available online

Early designs for Central Park. Image courtesy of the National Park Service, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.

August 1, 2018

An archive of 24,000 documents from Frederick Law Olmsted’s life and work is now available online

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When thinking of influential creators of New York City’s most memorable places, it’s hard not to imagine Frederick Law Olmsted near the top of the list. Considered to be the founder of landscape architecture–he was also a writer and conservationist–Olmsted was committed to the restorative effects of natural spaces in the city. Perhaps best known for the wild beauty of Central and Prospect Parks, his vast influence includes scores of projects such as the Biltmore estate, the U.S. Capitol grounds and the Chicago World’s Fair. In preparation for the bicentennial of Olmsted’s 1822 birth, the Library of Congress has made 24,000 documents providing details of Olmsted’s life available online, Smithsonian reports. The collection includes journals, personal correspondence, project proposals and other documents that offer an intimate picture of Olmsted’s private life and work. The collection is linked to an interactive map at Olmsted Online showing all Olmsted projects in the United States (and there are many). You can search the map according to project name, location, job number and project type.
Explore the documents and map
LPC landmarks Philip Johnson’s AT&T Building at 550 Madison
July 31, 2018

LPC landmarks Philip Johnson’s AT&T Building at 550 Madison

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This morning the Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate the AT&T building at 550 Madison Avenue as an individual landmark. Designed by Philip Johnson and completed in 1984, the world’s first postmodern skyscraper originally served as the AT&T headquarters. A decade later, Sony moved in and it became known as the Sony Tower. Recently, a growing roster of preservationists and architects have been urging the LPC to landmark the building after plans surfaced showing significant changes to its architecture.
So what happens now?
1.5M Midtown duplex has every season covered with a roof deck and a wood-burning fireplace
July 31, 2018

1.5M Midtown duplex has every season covered with a roof deck and a wood-burning fireplace

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This two-bedroom condominium at The Armory at 520 West 42nd Street may not have its own rooftop bocce court, but it has spring and summer sussed with a large private rooftop terrace for gardening, barbecuing, and entertaining. In colder months, head indoors where a working fireplace awaits, and watch the snow fall through big greenhouse windows. The Hell's Kitchen home is asking $1.499 million.
Get a closer look
This 1946 map shows how Native American trails became the streets of Brooklyn
July 30, 2018

This 1946 map shows how Native American trails became the streets of Brooklyn

By
While we take for granted the paths and roads we use on a daily basis, it's interesting to find out how they came to be. It's not a new concept that paths worn by the comings and goings of early dwellers and subsequent settlers in a particular area became roads, streets and thoroughfares, often with names that reflect their beginnings. Brooklyn Heights Blog (via Viewing NYC) shares some insight into Brooklyn's familiar roads that began as Native American trails on a 1946 map titled "Indian Villages, Paths, Ponds and Places in Kings County."
Peruse the map
Cozy Chelsea co-op with a ’70s vibe asks $975K
July 30, 2018

Cozy Chelsea co-op with a ’70s vibe asks $975K

By
This one-bedroom co-op at 250 West 15th Street in Chelsea shows off its considered design and just enough of an of-the-moment look and laid-back 1970s feel for us to almost overlook its compact size and slightly odd layout. The turn-key apartment is priced to sell at less than a million–and a wood-burning fireplace with an exposed brick hearth and drawers galore can't hurt its chances.
Have a seat by the fire
The New York City subway in fascinating facts and figures
July 30, 2018

The New York City subway in fascinating facts and figures

By
When it comes to New York City’s subway system, you may think you know the letters (A,B,C,D,E,F,G,J,L,M,N,Q,R,S,W,Z) and numbers (1 through 7), all too well. But a few of the fun facts and staggering stats that add up to the seventh busiest public transit system in the world might surprise you. From the longest route (the A line is 31 miles) to the world's highest rapid transit station at Smith-9th Streets (it's 88 feet above street level), there are plenty of figures that even the most well-versed New Yorker likely doesn't know.
More stuff you never knew about the subway
$2M Soho co-op packs three bedrooms and a terrace into a stylish full-floor home
July 27, 2018

$2M Soho co-op packs three bedrooms and a terrace into a stylish full-floor home

By
This full-floor, three-bedroom apartment at 118 Sullivan Street is on a classic stretch of Soho that combines commercial and nondescript with expensive and charming in a way few downtown Manhattan neighborhoods do. The co-op itself, asking $2 million, conveys the same un-fancy classic chic, with spacious rooms, three bedrooms, and an elegant patio.
Step in, stay awhile
For $10K/month, this West Village duplex is a tranquil townhouse retreat
July 27, 2018

For $10K/month, this West Village duplex is a tranquil townhouse retreat

By
In the enviable Abingdon Square enclave, above a neighborhood shop and next door to iconic Rebel Coffee, this bright and cozy aerie at 21 8th Avenue is a certain kind of West Village dream. Asking $9,995 a month, the home is comprised of the top two floors in a charming brick townhouse. As the building's only residential unit, it's tucked above a quiet village boutique.
Take the tour
‘The New L’ luxury shuttle service promises to solve L train shutdown, snacks included

Photo via The New L Train

July 27, 2018

‘The New L’ luxury shuttle service promises to solve L train shutdown, snacks included

By
As the doomsday clock ticks down the minutes to the dreaded L train apocalypse–the line is being shut down between 8th Avenue in Manhattan and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn for Hurricane Sandy repairs starting in April of 2019–the powers that be have been telling us to take the bus, take the bus and take the bus or ride a bike. But Gothamist reports that a service called The New L hopes to keep us out of commuter hell by offering ultra-luxe commuter vans with professional chauffeurs at the wheel plus wi-fi, breakfast bars, and phone chargers.
And how much will it cost us?
For $16K a month, this unique Lincoln Square loft has a double-height plant wall in the living room
July 26, 2018

For $16K a month, this unique Lincoln Square loft has a double-height plant wall in the living room

By
This four-bedroom pre-war duplex would be unusual for its double-height living room alone, but the soaring internal space is graced with a stunning living wall feature that you definitely won't find in the average Upper West Side living room. You can rent this cool space–originally an artists' loft when the Atelier at 33 West 67th Street was constructed in 1903–for $16,450 a month.
Take the tour
This fall, 1,000 New Yorkers will perform an ‘opera’ on the High Line

Photo byLiz Ligon via Mile Long Opera.

July 26, 2018

This fall, 1,000 New Yorkers will perform an ‘opera’ on the High Line

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For five consecutive nights from October 3-7, 2018 "The Mile-Long Opera: a biography of 7 o’clock," will bring together 1,000 singers from across New York for free performances on the High Line. The project is a collaboration between architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer David Lang, with words and lyrics by acclaimed poets Anne Carson and Claudia Rankine. The free collective choral work shares personal stories, gathered through first-hand interviews with hundreds of New Yorkers about city life.
Find out more
Test out townhouse life at this newly restored Harlem mansion for $13,000/month
July 26, 2018

Test out townhouse life at this newly restored Harlem mansion for $13,000/month

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This renovated, turn-key townhouse at 133 West 122 Street in Harlem combines 4,745 square feet of gorgeous historic details with the space and convenience of a modern mansion in one low-commitment rental opportunity for $12,950 a month. This uptown stunner was built in the 1880s by architect Francis Kimball; a recent renovation by David Mann brings contemporary chic and 21st-century comfort to the home's five bedrooms and five stories of living space, all while highlighting historic details like stained glass transoms, inlaid floors, and a whopping seven decorative fireplaces.
Tour this stunning Harlem mansion
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