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.

18th-century Dutch Colonial home, one of the city’s last, is for sale for the first time in 40 years

March 31, 2017

18th-century Dutch Colonial home, one of the city’s last, is for sale for the first time in 40 years

By Michelle Cohen

The Cornelius Van Wyck House in Douglaston, Queens, built in 1735 and both a New York City landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places, is now for sale asking $3.25 million (h/t Curbed). The home has been called New York City's "most impressive architectural remnant of the early Dutch Culture." In addition to its historic and architectural significance, it's located on Little Neck Bay and is one of the largest true waterfront properties in Queens. The home at 126 West Drive has been well-tended over the years, with many “interesting details of the Dutch period” still intact according to the property's 1966 landmark designation report.
Get a closer look at this unique piece of New York history

Mayor said to back Rikers closure after panel recommends new smaller jails across the city

Photo of Rikers Island courtesy of Wikimedia

March 31, 2017

Mayor said to back Rikers closure after panel recommends new smaller jails across the city

By Michelle Cohen

A blue-ribbon commission has recommended that Rikers Island be closed and replaced with several smaller facilities based on a study of the storied jail's future according to the Daily News. The panel, led by former New York State Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman, has been studying the the troubled 10-jail facility for more than a year. Mr. Lippman and the Speaker of the City Council, Melissa Mark-Viverito, will officially announce the findings on Sunday. A member of the commission said that recommendations include supervised release of some detainees, new smaller jails across the city and an overhaul of the bail system as part of a transition that would take 10 years to complete. According to a recent New York Times report, Mayor de Blasio has shifted his position on the issue and will be announcing his support for a closure plan, possibly at a news conference Friday.
Find out more

Policy

East River bridges to get $392 million from city to fund repairs

March 30, 2017

East River bridges to get $392 million from city to fund repairs

By Michelle Cohen

In what will be the largest capital investment in the East River bridges since 2010, Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2017 Capital Commitment Plan has allocated $392 million for the project, reports DNAInfo. The Queensboro Bridge–the busiest of the East River crossings–will get $110 million, the biggest chunk of the project's funding according to a report from the city's Independent Budget Office (IBO). The bridge received only a "fair" grade in a recent DOT rating system (the Brooklyn Bridge got the lowest rating). The repairs will happen over the next three years.
Find out more

Transit

$29K/month West Village townhouse got a modern, romantic renovation by Annabelle Selldorf

March 30, 2017

$29K/month West Village townhouse got a modern, romantic renovation by Annabelle Selldorf

By Michelle Cohen

The thoroughly modern gut-renovation of this 1869 single family home at 281 West 4th Street is the creation of noted starchitect Anabelle Selldorf, and we're assuming that its romantic-contemporary decor was inspired by the owners' creative talents. Luxuries, comforts, and conveniences fill this somewhat narrow, 2,720-square-foot historic private home, from a finished and functional cellar to a planted and enchanted roof garden. For the why-own-when-you-can-rent-for-more monthly price of $29,000, you can step into this dream of a West Village townhouse, cue up a rooftop party and fire up the parlor-floor movie screen.
Take the tour

A fanciful miniature New York City is coming to a 49,000-foot space in Times Square

March 29, 2017

A fanciful miniature New York City is coming to a 49,000-foot space in Times Square

By Michelle Cohen

Minimodel maven Eiran Gazit's latest project is anything but small: The former Israeli soldier and his team are putting the finishing touches on Gulliver's Gate, a sprawling exhibit of the world made of minimodels set to open on April 4 in a 49,000-square-foot space at 216 West 44th Street in Times Square, reports Crain's. The $40 million extravaganza represents a decade of dreams and hard work for Gazit, in this case the chief dreamer, plus years of seeking investors, coordinating with dozens of artists around the world and months of installation.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

$660K pretty Prospect Heights co-op is on the 21st-best block in NYC

March 29, 2017

$660K pretty Prospect Heights co-op is on the 21st-best block in NYC

By Michelle Cohen

According to its listing, the historic limestone townhouse at 205 Park Place that holds this elegant one-bedroom co-op is "conveniently located on what Time Out New York has deemed the 21st Best Block in all of NYC." This bragging point is, in fact, accurate; though the Prospect Heights block's designation happened in 2006, we doubt the stately brownstones and pre-war apartment buildings have changed much since. The apartment, asking $660,000, also comes with the good fortune of having Grand Army Plaza and the 585 acres of Prospect Park just steps away.
See what's inside

Distinctive Homes

Brooklyn cheesemongers to open their underground 1850s brewery tunnels for one night

March 28, 2017

Brooklyn cheesemongers to open their underground 1850s brewery tunnels for one night

By Michelle Cohen

Thirty feet below street level, Benton Brown and Susan Boyle of Crown Finish Caves age their deliciously moldy wares in the lagering tunnels of a former brewery beneath the Monti Building in Crown Heights, where 26,000 pounds of cheese ripens to perfection in one of the facility's 15-foot-high brick tunnels. This weekend Crown Finish is opening up one of the unused former brewery tunnels, seldom seen by the public, to host a cheese-and-wine tasting event to benefit the expansion efforts of Maple Street School, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens' cooperative preschool (h/t DNAInfo).
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

First look at the interiors of Waterline Square’s trio of towers

March 28, 2017

First look at the interiors of Waterline Square’s trio of towers

By Michelle Cohen

As 6sqft reported in November, a trio of glassy residential towers is rising on the five-acre waterfront site between West 59th and 61st Streets that comprises part of Riverside Center. Known as Waterline Square, the megaproject will offer a combination of condos and rentals, a Mathews Nielsen-designed park, and an impressive roster of starchitects–Richard Meier and Partners, Rafael Viñoly Architects, and Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. CityRealty now reports that the development team has announced the trio of designers who will shape the interiors--Champalimaud, Yabu Pushelberg and Groves & Co.--which comes with a fresh set of renderings.
Check on the progress of this megaproject

Frank Lloyd Wright Fallingwater lookalike asks $3.5M in Greenwich, CT

March 28, 2017

Frank Lloyd Wright Fallingwater lookalike asks $3.5M in Greenwich, CT

By Michelle Cohen

Designed by local architect Dimitri Bulazel, this 4,675-square-foot four-bedroom home at 51 Pecksland Road in Greenwich, CT was clearly inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater house in rural Pennsylvania (h/t Curbed). While the listing calls it "reminiscent" of the 1935 architectural icon, we'll just say it's very, very reminiscent. Which is a good thing, because Fallingwater isn't for sale, but this remarkable custom-built, privately commissioned modern house with its cantilevered design, walls of windows, hand-cut Tennessee limestone walls, rock gardens and rooftop terraces can actually be yours, right now, for $3.5 million.
Tour the home and grounds

ODA’s slender-waisted ‘Orbit Tower’ wins the Metals in Construction 2017 Design Challenge

March 27, 2017

ODA’s slender-waisted ‘Orbit Tower’ wins the Metals in Construction 2017 Design Challenge

By Michelle Cohen

Metals in Construction magazine has just announced the winner and finalists in the magazine's 2017 Design Challenge, "Meeting the Architecture 2030 Challenge: Reimagine Structure." The competition invited architects, engineers, students and designers to submit their visions for combatting global warming in their design for a high-rise building. The winning design, "Orbit Tower," was created by architects and engineers from ODA Architecture and Werner Sobek New York. The building–though purely conceptual for the purposes of the competition–would be located in midtown Manhattan at 1114 Sixth Avenue on the north side of Bryant Park in place of the Grace Building.
Find out more

Popular Articles

Gem of a two-bedroom in the East Village is both cute and cozy

March 27, 2017

Gem of a two-bedroom in the East Village is both cute and cozy

By Michelle Cohen

We're guessing it's probably just coincidence, that there are so many charming, pre-war co-ops on this tranquil and lovely East Village street, but whatever the reason, here's another gem at 226 East 12th Street, with two bedrooms and space for a home office, now on the market for $1.2 million. Three exposures, high beamed ceilings, parquet floors and a cool dining alcove with a window to the neighborhood below definitely make this home "unique in today's plain vanilla box inventory."
Take a look

Distinctive Homes

Distinctive 1969 modern Westchester County home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright acolyte asks $1.1M

March 26, 2017

Distinctive 1969 modern Westchester County home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright acolyte asks $1.1M

By Michelle Cohen

Nestled in a wooded enclave in the tranquil town of Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County, NY, this striking midcentury modern house was built by noted architect of the day Roy Sigvard Johnson, who may have been an apprentice to Frank Lloyd Wright, according to Curbed–and it's evident that he admired Wright's work. The house, one of several east coast modern gems, is unique inside and out, embracing the beauty of the land surrounding it. Most amazing are features–like a stone waterfall that ends in a heated Jacuzzi and a folded glass wall that wraps the home's stone paths and gardens–where nature and house meet. The 2,574 square-foot four-bedroom house at 543 Scarborough Road is asking $1.1 million.
Take the tour

City reveals garment district rezoning plans, citing incentives to move makers to Sunset Park

March 24, 2017

City reveals garment district rezoning plans, citing incentives to move makers to Sunset Park

By Michelle Cohen

At a Manhattan community board meeting Wednesday evening, city officials told garment industry representatives of plans to remove Midtown's manufacturing preservation requirement, Crain's reports. The change to a 1987 zoning rule means that landlords will have the option to rent the formerly set-aside space to commercial office tenants. City officials cited the failure of the preservation effort to meet its goal, highlighted by a reported 83 percent decline the number of garment workers–from 30,000 to 5,100– since it was first implemented. As 6sqft recently reported, the rezoning is seen as "a clear push to drive these businesses toward lower cost space in Sunset Park."
Find out more

Policy

$665K sunny Williamsburg co-op looks like a chic Amsterdam flat

March 24, 2017

$665K sunny Williamsburg co-op looks like a chic Amsterdam flat

By Michelle Cohen

With a subtle and stylish renovation, lots of irresistible textures like pale wood and whitewashed brick, and tons of sunlight, this two-bedroom co-op at 111 South Third Street in prime south Williamsburg is the kind of home you don't see every day in this city. Its $665,000 ask, while not dirt cheap, is well below the average market price for two bedrooms in this neighborhood. Some caveats: The apartment is only 680 square feet (though there are indeed two bedrooms); it's a walk-up though only on the third floor; and it's an HDFC income-restricted co-op, which is why the price is lower than average. But none of those things make this lovely little apartment seem any less like a charming, chic flat right out of Amsterdam.
Have a look

Distinctive Homes

Philip Johnson’s Rockefeller Guest House, a ‘secret’ modernist gem on Manhattan’s east side

Screen cap via NYT

March 23, 2017

Philip Johnson’s Rockefeller Guest House, a ‘secret’ modernist gem on Manhattan’s east side

By Michelle Cohen

Just down the street from the now-closed modernist treasure trove and icon that was the Four Seasons in Manhattan's east 50s is a lesser-known architectural treasure. Philip Johnson’s 1950 Rockefeller Guest House is one of a handful of private residences the architect designed for New York City clients. The house is a designated historic and architectural landmark, but a subtle one that's easily missed on the quiet street–as the New York Times puts it, "the house doesn’t give up its secrets easily." Once you spot the home's brick-and-glass facade, though, it's hard not to be enthralled.
Find out more and take a video tour

Architecture And Design

The least affordable U.S. city for public transit isn’t NYC (and more fun facts about the cost of commuting)

March 23, 2017

The least affordable U.S. city for public transit isn’t NYC (and more fun facts about the cost of commuting)

By Michelle Cohen

In light of NYC's recent subway fare hike that bumped the price of a monthly pass to $121, the data jocks at ValuePenguin took a look at public transportation systems throughout the U.S. and ranked them according to affordability, based on the cost of a pass as a percentage of income and the median income of the city's commuters. Among the findings: New York City's transit system isn't the most unaffordable; that honor goes to Los Angeles. Washington D.C. topped the most affordable list among large cities, followed by San Francisco and Boston.
Read on for more insight on the cost of a commute

For $675K this tiny West Village studio is big on rustic loft style

March 23, 2017

For $675K this tiny West Village studio is big on rustic loft style

By Michelle Cohen

This completely renovated loft-style studio co-op at 9 Barrow Street may be tiny with little more than 300 square feet of living space, but it definitely has an artistic side and plenty of warmth provided by details like exposede brick and hefty wood beams. Situated in a heavenly, tree-lined stretch of the heavenly, tree-lined Village, the doorman/elevator building is a top choice for location as well–and we're guessing it's the reason for the $675,000 ask.
Get a closer look

Distinctive Homes

Remembering New York City’s days of deadly smog

Smog covering the Empire State Building. New York, NY, US, November 21, 1953, LIFE Magazine.

March 22, 2017

Remembering New York City’s days of deadly smog

By Michelle Cohen

Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1966, the layer of smog that hung above New York City killed about 200 people. An estimated 300–405 people died during a two-week smog episode in 1963. In 1953, as many as 260 died from breathing the city's air over a six-day stretch. 6sqft reported recently on Donald Trump's proposed budget and subsequent concerns about the impact significant funding cuts to the Environmental Protection Agency totaling $2.6 billion or 31 percent–including staff reductions and program eliminations–might have on the city’s drinking water and air quality. A spokesman for Mayor de Blasio assured us that these federal cuts won't impact NYC’s high quality water supply. But what about the air?
But what about the air?

$800K co-op is a Zen paradise in Brooklyn Heights inspired by the Botanic Gardens

March 22, 2017

$800K co-op is a Zen paradise in Brooklyn Heights inspired by the Botanic Gardens

By Michelle Cohen

It's not every day a New York City apartment listing invites us to "Sleep safely and quietly with your doors wide open in the summertime," so we definitely took notice of this top-floor co-op at 135 Hicks Street, located in a historic brownstone in Brooklyn Heights. You'll have to hoof it up three flights to get to the serenity of this "Zen-like" one-bedroom home, but once you see the terrace, complete with Japanese garden, you'll be glad you did. Eastern-inspired details include bamboo floors, grasscloth walls, and a rustic slate fireplace, all yours for $799,000.
More Zen vibes and a Mai Tai or two, this way

Distinctive Homes

Kushner Cos. vision for 666 Fifth Avenue has Zaha Hadid design and $12B ambitions

A rendering of 666 Fifth Avenue. Credit: Kushner Companies/Zaha Hadid Architects

March 22, 2017

Kushner Cos. vision for 666 Fifth Avenue has Zaha Hadid design and $12B ambitions

By Michelle Cohen

As 6sqft previously reported, 666 Fifth Avenue owners Kushner Companies and Vornado Realty Trust have been seeking financing for a new skyscraper planned for the site of the Midtown office tower that Kushner purchased for $1.8 billion in 2007; Chinese company Anbang Insurance Group is said to have been considering a substantial stake in the tower. Though it was reported that the redevelopment could be valued at $7.5 billion, the Wall Street Journal now cites sources who say the value could be as much as $12 billion, and that a reported deal with Anbang may be far from a sure thing. That huge number represents the projected value of what Kushner envisions as a 1,400-foot-tall mixed-use luxury tower with a design provided by the late Zaha Hadid in 2015, nine floors of retail, a hotel and big-ticket luxury condos on its upper floors.
Find out more about the possibly maybe very big deal

Architecture And Design

March 21, 2017

Artist who created Wall Street’s ‘Charging Bull’ angered by ‘Fearless Girl’ statue

By Michelle Cohen

A post shared by Melanie Hunt (@melaniehunt1331) on Mar 7, 2017 at 4:50am PST The creator of the iconic Wall Street "Charging Bull” is snorting mad over the appearance of the bull's new companion, artist Kristen Visbal’s bronze "Fearless Girl” statue. 76-year-old Arturo di Modica, the artist who made the iconic sculpture that, like its young challenger, was installed in the wee hours, says the girl is “an advertising trick,” reports MarketWatch.
Find out more

Events & Things To Do

$5.5M ask for renovated Hamilton Heights mansion is a new Harlem record

March 21, 2017

$5.5M ask for renovated Hamilton Heights mansion is a new Harlem record

By Michelle Cohen

If this home is, as the listing calls it, "the jewel of this historic neighborhood," the three-block historic Harlem enclave of Hamilton Terrace is a treasure trove, anchored by the Hamilton Grange home of Alexander Hamilton. Listed at $5,495,000, the limestone and terra cotta mansion at 72 Hamilton Terrace is recognizable by its mansard slate roof punctuated by dormer windows and the original wrought iron fencing that surrounds it. This nearly-5,000-square-foot home offers five stories of newly-renovated modern living, including a finished cellar with restaurant-style bar and a wine cellar. The home's $5.495 price tag makes it the priciest single-family listing in the neighborhood; if it sells for that much it may be Harlem's most expensive sale ever.
Step inside and take a look

Distinctive Homes

43,000-square-foot Target store headed for Herald Square

March 20, 2017

43,000-square-foot Target store headed for Herald Square

By Michelle Cohen

Big-box retailer Target is opening its newest store across from Macy’s in Herald Square. The store will be the anchor tenant of a 92,000-square-foot retail complex owned by Empire State Realty Trust that will offer more of the usual suspects, in this case Sephora, Swatch and Foot Locker, all behind a new Studios Architecture-designed curtain wall, according to the New York Post.
find out who else is getting a Target

Uncategorized

Huge walls show off insane movie memorabilia collection at this $2.2M Chelsea loft

March 20, 2017

Huge walls show off insane movie memorabilia collection at this $2.2M Chelsea loft

By Michelle Cohen

The first thing you'll notice about this 1,700-square-foot Chelsea loft at 121 West 20th Street is the current owner's fabulous hoard of classic movie memorabilia. The listing tells us that it's been used as a live/work/gallery space to show off the "impressive pop culture collection of Elizabeth Taylor, Billie Holiday, Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret and David Bowie, just to name a few." Then you'll notice that for the ask of $2.2 million, you're getting lots and lots of wall space for a gallery-worthy collection of your own. The "work" part of that equation is covered by a home office that hovers above the main living space, which is really not a bad commute from the bedroom or kitchen below.
See the rest of the loft

Distinctive Homes

$3.25M Park Slope townhouse has everything you need on three charming floors

March 17, 2017

$3.25M Park Slope townhouse has everything you need on three charming floors

By Michelle Cohen

A dapper ebony cornice, a three-sided bay front, and a two-part stoop distinguish the house at 548 8th street from its Park Slope neighbors. Half a block from Prospect Park, this landmarked limestone townhouse was built at the turn of the 20th century by prolific local architect Benjamin Driesler. The three-story, two-family home has only changed hands once before, and it's currently on the market for $3.25 million.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

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