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.

This $8M Boerum Hill home was an abandoned Navy boarding house before a total designer renovation

Photos courtesy of Eytan Stern Weber at Evan Joseph Images

June 1, 2023

This $8M Boerum Hill home was an abandoned Navy boarding house before a total designer renovation

By Michelle Cohen

This 1920 Federal-style brick townhouse at 82 Dean Street in Boerum Hill was, in a former life, a boarding house for World War II Navy veterans. After being left vacant for half a decade, the building was stripped bare and brought back to life by a couple in search of a blank slate, according to a Curbed account of the multi-year renovation that yielded a designer home courtesy of the design firm Ashe + Leandro and Mercer Street Restoration. Asking $7,999,000, the home's interiors balance stunning design with comfort and ease of living; the renovation raised the ceilings and added an entire floor, a roof deck, a newly painted stucco facade, a custom bluestone stoop, and all-new windows.
Take the tour

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Rendering by COOKFOX

May 31, 2023

$1B office complex revamp of Chelsea’s historic Terminal Warehouse tops out

By Michelle Cohen

Terminal Warehouse, the newest reimagined workplace destination in the West Chelsea historic district, is nearing completion; a six-story addition atop the 130-year-old landmarked building recently topped out, as the New York Post first reported. The historic building, once home to the iconic 1980s and '90s nightclub Tunnel, is slated to become 1.3 million square feet of wellness-focused office and retail space, with an investment of over $1 billion. The project's developers, L&L Holding Company and Columbia Property Trust, along with architectural firm COOKFOX and New Line Structures, have made every effort to maintain the building's character as New York City's first major industrial facility with direct access to the Hudson River, streets, and rail lines.
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British actor Kunal Nayyar just listed his Nomad penthouse for $2.8M

Photos by Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty unless otherwise noted

May 30, 2023

British actor Kunal Nayyar just listed his Nomad penthouse for $2.8M

By Michelle Cohen

The duplex penthouse owned by actor Kunal Nayyar–you may know him as Raj on "The Big Bang Theory," is now on the market asking $2,800,000. The one-bedroom condo in Nomad's Grand Madison at 225 Fifth Avenue has 11-foot ceilings for plenty of light indoors, and the covetable existence of a large patio and roof deck, high above Manhattan.
Get a closer look

This $4.75M North Fork waterfront estate brings theme park fun to a Victorian-style dream house

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

May 25, 2023

This $4.75M North Fork waterfront estate brings theme park fun to a Victorian-style dream house

By Michelle Cohen

This pale blue Italianate Victorian-style confection of a seven-bedroom North Fork mansion might fit right in at Disneyland's Main Street U.S.A., but the 10,000-square-foot home's stylized interiors and carefully groomed grounds make it look like a really fun place to live. After all, how many East End estates boast an indoor pool with a twisty water park slide? And if it looks a little bit like Nashville's Grand Ole Opry House–there's a reason for that, too. Asking $4,750,000, the home on nine acres of tidal pond at 13555 New Suffolk Avenue in Cutchogue may be filled with whimsy, but the included sugar sand beach across the street is a serious treasure.
Take the grand ole tour

Photo courtesy of The Williamsburg Hotel

May 24, 2023

NYC’s best rooftop hotel pools offering day passes

By Michelle Cohen

Coming soon: Full-time sun and swimsuit season. Some lucky apartment dwellers count a private pool among their building’s amenities. Otherwise, your local options include public pools or pricey pool clubs and gyms. One way to hack summer in NYC is to snag a day pass to a pool atop one of the city’s trendy hotels. Usually reserved for hotel guests, some hotels allow visitors to pay by the day–often with poolside restaurant and bar privileges. Some venues host events like pool parties with DJs, live music, and drink specials. Read on for cool pools with day rates. Many hotel pools will open on Memorial Day weekend. Pools may be reserved for private events, or rates and access information may change; be sure to check in with the venue before finalizing your plans.
Everyone in the pool

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California dreamin’ in a unique Bay Ridge townhouse for $1.3M

Photo credit: Russ Ross Photography for The Corcoran Group

May 23, 2023

California dreamin’ in a unique Bay Ridge townhouse for $1.3M

By Michelle Cohen

This chic single-family townhouse may be in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, but the semi-detached home at 356 94th Street has a decidedly laid-back Cali vibe that's evident the moment its sky-blue-painted brick facade comes into view. The home's modern casement windows let the sunshine in and provide a preview of the considered and livable design within. Asking $1,279,000, the home spans three levels and includes a finished basement, a driveway, and a garage.
More Venice Beach in Brooklyn, this way

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This $5.4M Park Slope penthouse has the luxuries of city living–with a rooftop yard and parking

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow Photography and Leonard Lo Russo for The Corcoran Group

May 18, 2023

This $5.4M Park Slope penthouse has the luxuries of city living–with a rooftop yard and parking

By Michelle Cohen

This full-floor corner penthouse condo at 133 Sterling Place has the sleek interiors and views you'd expect from a $5,350,000 New York City apartment, with the full-house perks of parking and a huge roof terrace that doubles as an urban backyard. Inside are three bedrooms, two baths, and plenty of closets. It's the 1,800 square feet of outdoor space that make this Park Slope home extraordinary.
Take the tour

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Your guide to Morningside Heights: A college town in a city neighborhood

Tom’s Restaurant is a landmark in Morningside Heights thanks to Seinfeld. Photo by Scarlet Sappho on Flickr

May 17, 2023

Your guide to Morningside Heights: A college town in a city neighborhood

By Michelle Cohen

Bookended by Morningside and Riverside Parks on a high plateau in Upper Manhattan, Morningside Heights is tucked between the neighborhoods of Manhattanville to the north and Manhattan Valley to the south. The neighborhood's street boundaries are Morningside Drive to the east, 125th Street to the north, 110th Street to the south, and Riverside Drive to the west, with Broadway as its main commercial thoroughfare. Morningside Heights is also considered to be part of Harlem–with the Upper West Side just below. To use a bookend analogy is fitting: Morningside Heights is the largest student neighborhood in New York City; it is this distinction that provides the city neighborhood with its college town vibe.
What to do and see, and where to live in Morningside Heights

This $13.5M Tribeca condo designed by Thierry Despont is a 21st-century version of Don Draper’s pad

Photo credit: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 15, 2023

This $13.5M Tribeca condo designed by Thierry Despont is a 21st-century version of Don Draper’s pad

By Michelle Cohen

Peerless in form and function, this dazzling condominium residence at 111 Murray Street was designed by world-renowned French architect and designer Thierry Despont. Asking $13,500,000, the Tribeca trophy home, with its open city and water views and magazine-worthy renovation, is the perfect setting for an updated rendition of "Zou Bisou, Bisou" against the glittering Manhattan skyline.
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$8M Flatiron co-op feels like a custom contemporary house in the middle of New York City

All photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 11, 2023

$8M Flatiron co-op feels like a custom contemporary house in the middle of New York City

By Michelle Cohen

With 4,100 square feet of living space and five bedrooms, this nine-room co-op at 6 West 20th Street in Manhattan's Flatiron district could easily be a custom-built family home in the suburbs, if it weren't in the middle of a vibrant Manhattan neighborhood. Asking $7,950,000, this renovated loft residence designed by West Chin Architects even has the layout of a modern house, with large rooms arranged around a central gallery.
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This $2.5M loft in a former East Village synagogue once belonged to photographer William Wegman

By Michelle Cohen

Now on the market for $2,500,000, this East Village loft at 431 East 6th Street is one of three in a building with a history that's in keeping with its colorful downtown neighborhood. Available for the first time in 40 years, the apartment, belonging to model and interior designer Maria Von Hartz, represents the latest incarnation of what was once an abandoned synagogue. The building, which is a tenancy-in-common property, was purchased in the 1980s by a group of artists who transformed the abandoned house of worship into beautiful loft homes. Among these artist-owners was celebrated photographer William Wegman of whimsical Weimaraner fame.
Take a look inside

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NYCxDESIGN 2023: What to see and do at New York City’s annual celebration of design

Photo: © 6sqft

May 8, 2023

NYCxDESIGN 2023: What to see and do at New York City’s annual celebration of design

By Michelle Cohen

NYCxDESIGN: The Festival, New York City's official celebration of design, returns to the city from May 18 to May 25. This major international design event, now in its 11th year, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to celebrate globally renowned creative accomplishments, discover new ideas, and inspire through design. Anchored by several major industry fairs, including ICFF and WantedDesign, the festival is packed with independent shows, open studios, and exhibitions that inspire audiences and showcase new talent. The annual festival promises to be an opportunity to discover the newest and most exciting contributions in furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories–many of which you'll be seeing in magazines, blogs, and showrooms for years to come–and an opportunity to get ideas for your own living space. Read on for a few highlights.
NYCXDesign Festival 2023 highlights, this way

At $25M, Chelsea’s most expensive townhouse will set a new record

Photo credit: Brown Harris Stevens

May 8, 2023

At $25M, Chelsea’s most expensive townhouse will set a new record

By Michelle Cohen

This four-story townhouse at 334 West 20th Street, asking $25,000,000 set a neighborhood record when it changed hands in 2021 for $22,500,000, according to the Wall Street Journal. Chelsea's priciest townhouse is on track to outdo its previous record if it fetches its current ask. From the cellar gym to the elevator to the sprawling rooftop terrace, AD100 firm Gachot made use of every inch of usable space in a redesign that turned the home into a modern Manhattan mansion while preserving its historic elegance.
Tour this modern Manhattan mansion

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Mike Myers lists five-bedroom High Line penthouse for $20M

Photo courtesy of Will Ellis/COMPASS

May 5, 2023

Mike Myers lists five-bedroom High Line penthouse for $20M

By Michelle Cohen

Another of comedian and actor Mike Myers' fabulous homes is for sale. This 5,600-square-foot penthouse adjacent to the High Line at 505 West 19th Street in West Chelsea, asking $20,000,000, has two terraces and five bedrooms, with designer interiors courtesy of Thomas Juul Hansen, the building's architect. According to the Wall Street Journal, the “Shrek” star purchased the home for $15.35 million in 2017.
Take the penthouse tour

All aboard a charming $2M three-bedroom townhouse flat in historic Brooklyn Heights

Photo credit: Russ Ross Photography

May 4, 2023

All aboard a charming $2M three-bedroom townhouse flat in historic Brooklyn Heights

By Michelle Cohen

Though this three-bedroom co-op at 167 Clinton Street in the heart of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District might be a standard railroad flat, it's definitely in the first-class section: The one inconvenience of the room-after-room layout–having to walk through every room to get to the others–has already been remedied with a closet-lined hallway in the bedroom wing. Situated on the suitably grand parlor floor of a mid-1800s townhouse, there's plenty of space in this charming residence, asking $1,995,000, that spans the length of the main townhouse plus its rear carriage house.
Take the room-by-room tour

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Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 3, 2023

British Consulate’s Midtown East penthouse, asking $7M, hits the auction block starting at $2M

By Michelle Cohen

This 6,000-square-foot full-floor residence in the Beekman Regent condominium at 351 East 51st Street, currently asking $6,995,000 (down from $8,500,000 in 2021), may provide an opportunity for auction lovers: The penthouse with city views and five bedrooms is headed for online auction by the British government, with bids starting at $2,000,000. The penthouse has functioned as the British Consul General in New York's residence, so it's a given that its flexible floorplan and nearly 10-foot ceilings would add up to the perfect space for lavish parties and regal receptions.
Take a look inside

$25M Upper East Side carriage house was once J.P. Morgan’s garage

Photo credit: MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

May 2, 2023

$25M Upper East Side carriage house was once J.P. Morgan’s garage

By Michelle Cohen

This 25-foot-wide carriage house at 118 East 83rd Street has 7,500 square feet of living space, a private garage, a roof deck and terraces, an elevator–and an interesting New York City story. Situated on a leafy Upper East Side block lined with carriage houses, this particular one has several distinctions. Built in 1908, it was originally owned by the J.P. Morgan family and served as the noted financier's garage and staff quarters. Constructed at the dawn of the automobile era, the building was among the first to be built specifically to hold cars. After a complete renovation by the current owners, this four-story home is a modern mansion with peerless amenities–including a private garage–now listed for $25,000,000.
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This $12.5M penthouse spans the entire floor of a 1930s Upper West Side hotel

Photo courtesy of Evan Joseph

May 1, 2023

This $12.5M penthouse spans the entire floor of a 1930s Upper West Side hotel

By Michelle Cohen

The building that began life as a "skyscraper church" and home to the storied Manhattan Towers Hotel at 2166 Broadway was converted to 113 co-ops–and one massive penthouse–in 1980. That penthouse–a rooftop villa with the interiors of a modern farmhouse mixed with a loft–is now on the market for $12,500,000. With a wrap-around terrace and a solarium, the sprawling five-bedroom co-op is blessed with unobstructed 360-degree views of Central Park, the Hudson River, the Midtown skyline, and the George Washington Bridge from every window as well as its dazzling outdoor spaces. A multi-level loft-like floor plan comprises the entire top floor, for endless space in addition to peerless views.
Discover this unusual aerie

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SHOP THE LISTING: Full-floor Red Hook condo with a Mediterranean vibe and two terraces

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow

April 28, 2023

SHOP THE LISTING: Full-floor Red Hook condo with a Mediterranean vibe and two terraces

By Michelle Cohen

This 1,800-square-foot full-floor Brooklyn condo at 96 King Street, asking $2,950,000, offers three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. Organic architectural details like arched doorways and unique textures, shapes, and colors combine to give the newly-minted home a sunny, modern Mediterranean feel. Two terraces provide outdoor space for enjoying summer evenings in this lively and eclectic neighborhood; the three-unit building offers private parking for the car you’ll need for life in Red Hook. If you’re loving the interior design of this home, we’ve sourced a few key pieces that are identical or similar to the items in the listing photos. So you can get the look–without having to move.
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Photo courtesy of Douglas Elliman

April 27, 2023

This $4.9M unicorn of a Williamsburg townhouse has a guest suite, garage, art studio, and roof deck

By Michelle Cohen

If you've got $4,900,000, you don't have to choose between an artist's loft and a townhouse with room for guests or tenants, or between city living and having a garage. This rare north Brooklyn townhouse at 394 Union Avenue in the heart of Williamsburg offers two floors of townhouse living with plenty of flexibility. There's garage parking, a huge art/music studio, a guest suite with its own kitchen, and plenty of outdoor terrace space for entertaining.
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$3.2M Chelsea brownstone duplex has a magical private garden and a fireplace in every room

Photo courtesy of Rachel Kuzma for The Corcoran Group

April 26, 2023

$3.2M Chelsea brownstone duplex has a magical private garden and a fireplace in every room

By Michelle Cohen

A rambling, landscaped private garden with wisteria, ivy, and mature trees is a prize that often comes with townhouse living. This duplex co-op at 326 West 22nd Street, asking $3,200,000, offers that rare urban oasis in the middle of Chelsea, without the hassle and expense of owning an entire house. What's more, this beautifully-designed duplex within an 1840s Greek Revival townhome has a wood-burning fireplace in nearly every room, so it's just as dreamy in the indoor days of winter.
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Photo credit: Travis Mark for Sotheby’s International Realty

April 25, 2023

This colorful $3.25M Harlem townhouse was the home of DC Comics head Jenette Kahn

By Michelle Cohen

This Georgian Revival-style townhouse at 234 West 138th Street on Harlem's historic Strivers' Row appears elegant and unassuming from the outside, but the four-story home's interiors tell a more colorful story. Asking $3,250,000, the stately–but hardly stodgy–townhouse was the longtime residence of comic book editor and publisher Jenette Kahn, who served as president of DC Comics and MAD Magazine for over 26 years. The art-filled–and artfully curated–home's current resident is a movie producer, so the creative energy remains.
Tour this colorful, art-filled home

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Treat your guests to a 5,000-square foot-wellness center at this $14.9M New Canaan estate

All photos courtesy of SERHANT. Studios

April 24, 2023

Treat your guests to a 5,000-square foot-wellness center at this $14.9M New Canaan estate

By Michelle Cohen

Built in 1929, designed by noted New York architect William Tubby, the undeniably grand estate at 544 Oenoke Ridge in New Canaan, CT, is an icon of the state's Great Estate era. With 18,000 interior square feet, a guest house, tennis court, and pool, and a newly-added 10,000-square-foot extension that includes a wellness center, this grand home is a country retreat for the ages. Asking $14,900,000–a record-breaking sum for the town–the limestone home, known as Orchard's End, received a multi-million-dollar renovation in 2014, helmed by architect Dinyar Wadia.
Tour this peerless country retreat

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Barbara Walters’ longtime Upper East Side apartment lists for $19.75M

Image credit: Donna Dotan

April 21, 2023

Barbara Walters’ longtime Upper East Side apartment lists for $19.75M

By Michelle Cohen

The 11-room, full-floor co-op that celebrated TV journalist Barbara Walters called home for 30 years until her death last year is now on the market for $19,750,000. The sprawling residence at 944 Fifth Avenue is a classic Upper East Side pre-war gem, with Central Park views, five bedrooms, and a layout befitting a resident who entertained and interviewed politicians, princes, stars, and scoundrels alike as just another day on the job.
Take the tour

Rockefeller Center plans to fill vacant office space with its first luxury hotel

Photo courtesy of qwesy qwesy on Wikimedia

April 19, 2023

Rockefeller Center plans to fill vacant office space with its first luxury hotel

By Michelle Cohen

Rockefeller Center has announced a deal with Aspen Hospitality to open a luxury hotel at the iconic Midtown campus. Aspen plans to open the second location of its Colorado-based Little Nell Hotel on 10 floors of vacant office space above the NBC "Today" show studios, the Wall Street Journal reports. The proposed conversion of unused office space is the latest move to address the substantial shift away from full-time office work since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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