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.
March 23, 2018

This weekend, A trains get local, C skips stations, but the L is just fine

By
It's a good weekend to hit north Brooklyn as the L and G trains are refreshingly free of caveats and complications. The A and C lines are less refreshing with a mess of skipped stations on local trains and local service on express trains. Also, if you're headed past Church Avenue on the F to Coney Island, you're out of luck. Look to free shuttle buses for alternate service, or try the D, N or Q.
Read on for more information, if less clarity
Rent Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis’ former Meatpacking love nest for $13.5K/month
March 22, 2018

Rent Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis’ former Meatpacking love nest for $13.5K/month

By
Though the couple sold the Meatpacking pad at 66 Ninth Avenue for $3.8 million in 2015 and acquired a stately Clinton Hill mansion, this corner two-bedroom loft in the Porter House condominium is just as lovely at its new rental price of $13,500 a month, as the Post reports. The then-engaged couple (they're married now) sold the home in just five months.
Have another look
Amy Poehler and Will Arnett’s former West Village condo seeks new life as a $24K/month rental
March 21, 2018

Amy Poehler and Will Arnett’s former West Village condo seeks new life as a $24K/month rental

By
One-half of this colorful condominium at 1 Morton Square was once home to former couple Amy Poehler and Will Arnett. In happier times, the celeb pair owned a portion of this condo before selling it for $2.2 million in 2007. After being combined, the condo listed for sale again for $10 million in May 2015. Though it's still for sale–at a reduced $7 million–the spacious four-bedroom pad is seeking yet another incarnation as a high-priced rental, asking $23,999 a month.
Have another look
Watch the nor’easter unfold with this animated map, complete with webcams
March 21, 2018

Watch the nor’easter unfold with this animated map, complete with webcams

By
With the National Weather Service now predicting up to 18 inches of snow for NYC, this handy web app will make storm groupies happy with future and current weather conditions in animated form. It’s all here in the Ventusky web application, developed by Pilsen-based Czech meteorological company InMeteo in collaboration with Marek Mojzík and Martin Prantl. The fascinating app displays meteorological data from around the world so you can monitor weather development for any place on earth and waver between complete denial and the thrill of a good natural disaster ahead of–and during–today's Winter Storm Toby.
See what's coming
MTA releases new bus performance dashboard
March 20, 2018

MTA releases new bus performance dashboard

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Is "eternity" really a viable measuring unit when describing how long it takes to get to your destination via New York City bus? The MTA has created a new and unique bus performance dashboard that details customer-focused performance metrics for the city's bus routes, which, as 6sqft recently reported, are considered among the country's slowest. This new method of compiling and viewing data is part of the MTA’s plan to improve bus service across the city, and according to the MTA, no other transit system in the world offers the same level of detail in an online dashboard.
Find out more
Original Park Slope ‘brownstoner’ lists his Victorian wonderland for $4M
March 20, 2018

Original Park Slope ‘brownstoner’ lists his Victorian wonderland for $4M

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When Clem Labine bought the townhouse at 199 Berkeley Place in Park Slope for $25,000 back in 1966, Brooklyn was a very different place. Among the original wave of "brownstoners" who bought dilapidated townhomes to give themselves more living space and put years of sweat equity into restoring them, Labine, now 81, went on to found Old-House Journal (“Restoration and Maintenance Techniques for the Antique House”), and live in the painstakingly-preserved home for over 50 years (h/t Brownstoner). The Neo-Grec-style house was was built in 1883 along with 10 other homes. A much-subdivided rental SRO when Labine rescued it, it's now an impressive two-family home listed for $3.895 million.
Gaze at this well-preserved brownstone treasure
Empire State Building gets a new, nightly sparkling light show

Via Empire State Realty Trust

March 20, 2018

Empire State Building gets a new, nightly sparkling light show

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Via Empire State Realty Trust If you're lucky enough to be blessed with Empire State Building sightlines, your views will, as of this week, include a five-minute sparkling light show every hour, on the hour, between sunset and 2 AM nightly. As Time Out New York reports, this latest addition to the iconic spire's light show repertoire joins a lighting tradition that began in 1932 and includes holiday flair–red, white, and blue lights on the Fourth of July, the green and orange of the Irish flag on St. Patrick’s Day–music-enhanced light shows, and color changes to salute occasions and organizations every night of the year.
See the skyline sparkle
Wunderbroker Ryan Serhant bought Jonathan Safran Foer’s perfect Brooklyn brownstone–at a discount
March 19, 2018

Wunderbroker Ryan Serhant bought Jonathan Safran Foer’s perfect Brooklyn brownstone–at a discount

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“Million Dollar Listing New York" star Ryan Serhant had recently taken over the listing for novelist Jonathan Safran Foer's gorgeous five-story Boerum Hill home, asking $8.995 million; the award-winning scribe first listed the home with Compass for $10.5 million last May. Now, according to The Real Deal, Serhant is the new owner of the 8,000-square-foot townhouse. Safran Foer bought the 1899 Greek Revival home at 374 Pacific Street for $5.4 million in 2014, so while the sale price represents a price chop, he didn't do too badly on the deal.
Take one last look
Coney Island boardwalk likely to be landmarked

Image:  Shinya Suzuki via Flickr

March 16, 2018

Coney Island boardwalk likely to be landmarked

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Image:  Shinya Suzuki via Flickr After repeatedly declining to protect the celebrated walkway–even as its wooden planks become increasingly replaced with concrete and plastic as a result of Superstorm Sandy repairs–the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has agreed to add the historic Coney Island Boardwalk to the agency's list of properties to consider for protected status, according to remarks made at a LPC hearing Thursday, Crain's reports. LPC chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said the boardwalk–its official name is the Riegelmann Boardwalk–could be protected as early as this spring or summer.
It could happen in time for summer
New photos show Zaha Hadid’s stunning 520 West 28th Street in all its completed glory

Photo: © Hufton+Crow

March 16, 2018

New photos show Zaha Hadid’s stunning 520 West 28th Street in all its completed glory

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6sqft last brought you photos of the amazing amenity spaces at Zaha Hadid's first New York City project, 520 West 28th Street. Now, Archinect reports that Zaha Hadid Architects have released new Hufton + Crow exterior facade images of the late starchitect's recently-completed High Line-adjacent condominium development.
More photos, this way
Crown Building penthouse may be in contract for $180M, beating NYC record by $80M

Penthouse rendering courtesy of Aman Resorts

March 16, 2018

Crown Building penthouse may be in contract for $180M, beating NYC record by $80M

By
Another Billionaire's Row sky mansion–this one with a piano lounge, two kitchens, a wraparound terrace, and two swimming pools spread out over five stories at 730 Fifth Avenue–is on its way to record-smashing glory, according to The Real Deal. Sources say an unknown buyer has spoken for the 12,536-square-foot residence in the actual crown of the Crown Building, to the tune of $180 million. If the sale closes, it will be the New York City's most expensive sale ever at $14,358 per foot (also a record), surpassing Michael Dell's $100.5 million penthouse atop Extell Development’s One57.
Check this place out
Tiffany Place jewel box-condo has a refined rustic vibe and a room of Tiffany blue
March 15, 2018

Tiffany Place jewel box-condo has a refined rustic vibe and a room of Tiffany blue

By
Fitting right in with the refined/quirky feel of Brooklyn's Columbia Street Waterfront, this two-bedroom corner condominium has been outfitted with pretty custom details that highlight the basics of the warehouse conversion at 29 Tiffany Place. Rustic bones and creative renovations make this spacious two-bedroom home appear anything but square.
Take a closer look
March 15, 2018

Banksy returns to NYC after five years with new rat street art

By
A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on Mar 15, 2018 at 5:01am PDT Elusive graffiti artist Banksy has graced the streets of New York City once again with a new bewhiskered art offering, this time a rat scurrying inside a clock on the side of a former bank at 101 West 14th Street; the building is slated for demolition in a few months. Banksy posted news of his newest addition via his Instagram account yesterday.
More to come?
MTA considers raising subway speed limits to reduce delays

Image: Wikipedia.

March 15, 2018

MTA considers raising subway speed limits to reduce delays

By
New Yorkers love to complain about the slowness of the subway, but what sometimes seems like a snail's pace is as likely due to speed limits imposed to keep the system safe as it is to crumbling infrastructure and antiquated signals, according to new info released by the MTA. The New York Post reports that after a series of tragic accidents in the 1990s and 2000s, speed limits were lowered throughout the system. Now, a new initiative is investigating ways of keeping subways safe as well as picking up speed.
Find out more
MTA hit with federal lawsuit over lack of wheelchair accessibility

Elevator at the Lincoln Center subway station, via Wiki Commons

March 14, 2018

MTA hit with federal lawsuit over lack of wheelchair accessibility

By
The MTA has found itself on the wrong end of a lawsuit by the feds for failing to make its subway stations wheelchair-accessible. On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney  Geoffrey Berman joined a lawsuit accusing the agency of not adding assistance for disabled riders when renovating stations, the New York Post reports. The suit began in 2016 when a civic agency in the Bronx accused the MTA of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by not creating wheelchair access at the Middletown Road station. The suit should come as no surprise; as 6sqft previously reported, fewer than 1/4 of New York City's subway stations are fully wheelchair-accessible–only 117 out of 472. In fact, NYC ranks the least accessible out of the country’s ten largest metro systems–all of LA’s 93 stations and DC’s 91, for example, are fully accessible.
Find out more
Nomad’s current tallest tower tops out: See new photos
March 13, 2018

Nomad’s current tallest tower tops out: See new photos

By
We’ve watched the tower-to-be at 277 Fifth Avenue rising skyward over the past year on its way to a heady– though brief–moment as the tallest spire in Nomad, and now, CityRealty reports, the 55-story building is now topped out at 663 feet. Designed by Rafael Viñoly, the building's understated façade consists of striped masonry bands with four open-air clerestories offering some of the loftiest private outdoor spaces in Manhattan. Though the new tower may only be the 79th tallest in the city, its central Fifth Avenue location will grant its residents singular wide-angle views across the Manhattan skyline and beyond. Photoblogger Field Condition helped to celebrate the topping-out by capturing these impressive views from within the tower's frame.
See new photos and find out what's to come
This map shows you the vacant lots in NYC that were sold by the city for $1

Image via onedollarlots.org

March 12, 2018

This map shows you the vacant lots in NYC that were sold by the city for $1

By
If you live in New York City, and you're hoping to own–or trying to buy–property, you might not want to hear about vacant lots being given away for $1. But this is really a thing: An interesting little map courtesy of the One Dollar Lots project by 596 acres shows us where in New York City, according to Untapped Cities, city-owned lots of land have been sold to developers for $1 since the current mayor took office in January 2014. These $1 deals often happen as token transactions as part of a development incentive for prospective buyers, who will eventually need to prove they possess plans and the means to carry out their vision.
Investigate the map, this way
MTA $1M Genius Transit Challenge winners suggest faster trains and robot workers to fix subway hell
March 12, 2018

MTA $1M Genius Transit Challenge winners suggest faster trains and robot workers to fix subway hell

By
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced the winners of the agency's MTA Genius Transit Challenge; eight winners will split a $1 million prize for their ideas and concepts on how to upgrade the city's creaky and complaint-riddled subway system. The contest is part of an effort to bring the subway's capacity and reliability up to speed. The challenge is a joint venture between the MTA and Partnership for New York City. The challenge received over 400 submissions from around the world.
Check out these genius ideas
Amid HUD delays, city launches ‘Where We Live NYC’ process to fight segregation and unequal access

Image: NYC HPD

March 9, 2018

Amid HUD delays, city launches ‘Where We Live NYC’ process to fight segregation and unequal access

By
While the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) continues to sidle away from its job of preventing housing discrimination, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) in partnership with the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) have stepped up with a comprehensive fair housing planning process to head off segregation in New York City. The city announced today the launch of Where We Live NYC, a fair housing plan to fight segregation and unequal access. The plan outlines a process to study, understand, and address patterns of residential segregation and how these patterns impact access to opportunity, including jobs, education, safety, public transit and health. The plan will include extensive community participation and provide data and policy analysis that will culminate in the release of a public report that outlines measurable goals and strategies for fostering inclusive communities, promoting fair housing and increasing access to opportunity.
Tell us more!
Waiting list opens for 840 more affordable units in Hudson Yards rental complex
March 9, 2018

Waiting list opens for 840 more affordable units in Hudson Yards rental complex

By
Adding to yesterday's announcement of the waitlist launch for affordable apartments at TF Cornerstone's 455 West 37th Street, a waiting list is now open for 840 more units in the Hudson Yards/Midtown West development just across the avenue at 505 West 37th Street. Similarly, the affordable units are available for households earning 40 percent of the area median income or between $22,903 and $38,160, and range from $613/month studios to $801/month two-bedrooms. Residents can enjoy amenities like a 24-hour attended lobby, an on-site resident manager, a sun terrace, a fitness center, party rooms and a laundry room (additional fees may apply in some cases).
Find out whether you qualify
Matt Lauer finds no buyers for 22-acre Hamptons estate, chops $5M off asking price
March 9, 2018

Matt Lauer finds no buyers for 22-acre Hamptons estate, chops $5M off asking price

By
Former NBC anchor Matt Lauer seems to be having trouble selling his "spare" Sag Harbor house–one of three Hamptons homes he owns with his likely soon-to-be ex-wife Annette Roque–which the disgraced ex-"Today Show" co-host is currently listing at $12.75 million, according to the Observer. Lauer first listed the 25-acre estate at 2301 Deerfield Road for $18 million in July of 2016. The asking price was shaved by $1 million that September, and then again in June 2017 to $14.9 million. The 8,000-square-foot, six-bedroom shingle-style house comes with a huge gunite pool and pool house, tennis court and gorgeous landscaped grounds and was designed by architect Daniel Romualdez with interiors by Muriel Brandolini; but the answer still seems to be no, thanks.
Would you want to give this guy 12.75 million?
Waitlist opens for affordable units at Hudson Yards district rental, from $613/month
March 8, 2018

Waitlist opens for affordable units at Hudson Yards district rental, from $613/month

By
The lottery is now open for a waitlist for affordable rental apartments at TF Cornerstone's 455 West 37th Street in the Hudson Yards district in West Midtown. The units are available for households earning 40 percent of the area median income or between $22,903 and $38,160, and range from $613/month studios to $801/month two-bedrooms. Amenities at the 23-story building include a 24-hour attended lobby, an on-site resident manager, a sun terrace, a fitness center, party rooms and a laundry room (additional fees may apply in some cases).
Find out whether you qualify
Taylor Swift says broker lawsuit in $18M townhouse buy is unfounded

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

March 8, 2018

Taylor Swift says broker lawsuit in $18M townhouse buy is unfounded

By
As 6sqft previously reported, downtown Manhattan real estate investor Taylor Swift was recently sued by Douglas Elliman for allegedly stiffing a broker on the commission for an $18 million Tribeca townhouse  at 153 Franklin Street that she bought this past fall. Now, according to The Real Deal, the pop star's management company Firefly Entertainment filed a motion to have the brokerage’s $1 million suit dismissed. Firefly claims the lawsuit is “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.
What's the story here?
Is New York City housing getting more affordable?

Image: Wikipedia

March 8, 2018

Is New York City housing getting more affordable?

By
According to a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, New York City housing may, in fact, be consuming less of our hard-earned dollars. Housing costs are responsible for an increasingly smaller chunk of New Yorkers' monthly budget, a new U.S. Census Bureau survey shows. The survey, conducted every three years, points to a record amount of new housing and a rental vacancy rate that's the third-highest since the survey first began in 1965. The Census Bureau survey found that the number of housing units had increased by 117,000 since 2011, a number that includes over 35,000 more rental apartments and 15,000 condos due to arrive in 2018 and 2019.
Really?
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