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.
For $6.5M, this townhouse-sized Apthorp condo offers old-world elegance accented by paintbox hues

Photo credit: Tim Waltman / Evan Joseph

October 5, 2022

For $6.5M, this townhouse-sized Apthorp condo offers old-world elegance accented by paintbox hues

By
Known for some of the most impressive (and expensive) apartments in New York City, the historic Apthorp condominium building at 390 West End Avenue in the heart of the Upper West Side was built for William Waldorf Astor in 1908. Located just minutes from Central Park, the unique building surrounds an interior courtyard. Asking $6,499,999, this five-bedroom residence is one of the building's largest; distinguished by decorator-enhanced interiors accented with subtle painterly hues, the 4,200-square-foot home possesses the size and grandeur of a townhouse with condo convenience and amenities.
Feast your eyes on this regal residence
Gaze at your fairytale garden from the glass atrium in this $6.1M Fort Greene brownstone

Photos courtesy of Serhant

October 4, 2022

Gaze at your fairytale garden from the glass atrium in this $6.1M Fort Greene brownstone

By
This 19th-century townhouse at 11A South Portland Avenue sits just steps from the entrance to Fort Greene Park. Asking $6,125,000, the 4,913-square-foot three-family property counts among its standout features seven fireplaces, a verdant garden, historic details, and modern upgrades like a dual cooling/heating HVAC system. Within, antique chandeliers, crown molding, and ceiling medallions are framed by high ceilings, herringbone hardwood floors with border inlays, tall mahogany windows, doorway arches, marble, and polished stone tiles.
Take the classic brownstone tour
SHOP THE LISTING: Baz Luhrmann’s Gramercy Park townhouse

Photo courtesy of Nina Poon/MW Studio for the Corcoran Group

October 3, 2022

SHOP THE LISTING: Baz Luhrmann’s Gramercy Park townhouse

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Famed director Baz Luhrmann’s Gramercy Park townhouse could be yours to rent for $75,000/month. Located at 243 East 17th Street, the six-bedroom home spans five stories and overlooks Stuyvesant Square Park. The extravagant townhouse is also available for purchase. Luhrmann and his wife Catherine Martin first listed the home for $19,995,000 in March but later dropped the price to $18,999,500. 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.
Shop the listing, this way
Asking $12M, this ivy-covered Upper East Side brownstone was once Gloria Vanderbilt’s home

Photos courtesy of Compass

September 30, 2022

Asking $12M, this ivy-covered Upper East Side brownstone was once Gloria Vanderbilt’s home

By
Located in the Carnegie Hill Historic District in the heart of the Upper East Side, this ivy-covered 6,400-square-foot townhouse at 67 East 91st Street was built in the 1890s. The five-story home has been updated with elegant and functional 21st-century interiors–including an elevator, a greenhouse/studio, and a solarium–while retaining its turn-of-the-century charm. It was undoubtedly this quiet grandeur that won the heart of designer-author-socialite (and Anderson Cooper's mom) Gloria Vanderbilt, who lived here in the 1980s and 90s. The classic Manhattan townhouse was recently listed for $11,995,000.
Take the townhouse tour
For $930K, this compact Greenpoint condo gets a lift from 14-foot ceilings, a loft, and a private terrace

Photo credit: Yoko Tsukasa of VHT for The Corcoran Group

September 29, 2022

For $930K, this compact Greenpoint condo gets a lift from 14-foot ceilings, a loft, and a private terrace

By
Just a few blocks from the Greenpoint waterfront–one of New York City's fastest-growing residential development areas–this two-level, one-bedroom condo at 182 Huron Street, asking $930,000, sits at a crossroads of old and new. South-facing light floods the home from wall-height windows, and 14-foot ceilings give the space a loft vibe. A sunny balcony overlooks the courtyards below.
Have a look around, and up and down
For $5.5M, an architect-designed modern condo with colorful accents in Tribeca

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

September 27, 2022

For $5.5M, an architect-designed modern condo with colorful accents in Tribeca

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This crisp, contemporary condo at 7 Harrison Street may not immediately call to mind the building's beginnings as a cold-storage warehouse, but AD100 architect Steven Harris has transformed this three-bedroom home, now asking $5,500,000, into a residence as striking as many of its neighbors on the classic Tribeca loft block. The architect kept the space elegantly functional as well as colorful by adding considered features like invisible light switches, integrated Sonos speakers, multi-zone central air, and electronic Lutron window shades.
Take the Tribeca condo tour
This lofty $7.5M Village co-op would be perfect for an art lover or an avid gardener

Photo credit: Celeste Godoy Photography for The Corcoran Group

September 23, 2022

This lofty $7.5M Village co-op would be perfect for an art lover or an avid gardener

By
Located within a classic 1844 Greenwich Village building, this jewel box of a co-op boasts a custom renovation by noted interior designer Carlos Otero. The result, currently asking $7,500,000, is a thoroughly modern and luxurious home that has retained the warmth and creativity befitting its address. The three-level co-op at 200 Mercer Street includes 3,000 square feet of creatively-designed interior space and an expansive landscaped private roof terrace.
Take the tour
Bask, bathe, and BBQ in the backyard of this $5.5M Carroll Gardens duplex condo, parking included

Photo credit: Nikola Strbac

September 22, 2022

Bask, bathe, and BBQ in the backyard of this $5.5M Carroll Gardens duplex condo, parking included

By
Who needs the suburbs when you can park two cars in the garage and invite the whole gang over for a backyard bash with an outdoor kitchen, hot tub, and shower, plus dining and napping space? When the weather cools, there are two levels of indoor space with three bedrooms and a family-friendly layout. Though it feels like two floors of a townhouse, this Carroll Gardens home at 291 Union Street, asking $5,495,000, has condo amenities, too.
Outdoor living in the city, this way
Classic Soho loft living awaits in this $12.5M full-floor condo

Photo courtesy of Serhant

September 21, 2022

Classic Soho loft living awaits in this $12.5M full-floor condo

By
Sprawling downtown Manhattan lofts, industrial bones intact, aren't that easy to find these days. Asking $12,500,000–a decidedly 21st century price–this classic loft condo at 50 Wooster Street is on the market for the first time in 24 years. Filled with 19th-century charm, the full-floor apartment has the kind of living space–4,600 square feet of it–and the 13-foot ceilings, massive arched windows, and exposed brick that loft lovers crave. In addition, there's a private terrace and four bedrooms, in a cast-iron 1883 building.
Loft envy, this way
$2.9M duplex co-op is a chic Chelsea take on historic townhouse living

Photo credit: Celeste Godoy for The Corcoran Group

September 19, 2022

$2.9M duplex co-op is a chic Chelsea take on historic townhouse living

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Although Chelsea and the neighborhoods surrounding the High Line may be known for their architecturally innovative new residential buildings, the historic row of Italianate-style 19th-century Fitzroy Townhouses are just as much a part of the area's story. This two-bedroom duplex at 442 West 23rd Street is a stunning reflection of the co-op's townhouse elegance combined with of-the-moment designer dazzle. A thorough renovation has bestowed the 1,600-square-foot home, asking $2,898,000, with two levels of Paris-in-Chelsea appeal.
More designer-enhanced duplex, this way
Fire Island modern ‘Pyramid House’ with a creative past asks $6.5M

Photo credit: Genevieve Garruppo Photography

September 16, 2022

Fire Island modern ‘Pyramid House’ with a creative past asks $6.5M

By
When the current owner of this distinctive home at 443 Sail Walk in the wild, windswept Fire Island Pines first saw it, the house reminded him of the I.M. Pei-designed pyramid at the Louvre, transported to the Atlantic shore. As the New York Times recently recounted, real estate agent Glenn Rice toured the house while visiting a friend, and subsequently purchased the mid-century wonder in 2018 for $1.6 million. After furnishing it with his personal collection of items from the 1960s and '70s–he's also a mid-mod furniture dealer–and adding $400k in upgrades, Rice is selling the house for $6.5 million.
Find out more about this glass-topped beach retreat
This $995K parlor floor home is a slice of Park Slope brownstone living at a co-op price

Photo credit: Russ Ross for The Corcoran Group

September 15, 2022

This $995K parlor floor home is a slice of Park Slope brownstone living at a co-op price

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If you're having trouble choosing between an upstate cabin and a Brooklyn brownstone–on a co-op budget–you'll want to check out this one-bedroom co-op at 495 1st Street in Park Slope. The renovated parlor floor home is filled with townhouse glamor; there's even a back deck for lounging. Instead of shelling out for the whole house, you can buy this just-right-sized apartment for $995,000. Comprised of the parlor level of a three-unit historic limestone townhouse, this cozy co-op has the elegant details you'd expect including high ceilings, a wood-burning fireplace, and a large back terrace.
Parlor floor living, this way
Two-tower Greenpoint waterfront condo The Huron reveals pricing and new details

Renderings by Redundant Pixel

September 14, 2022

Two-tower Greenpoint waterfront condo The Huron reveals pricing and new details

By
If you're interested in buying an apartment at The Huron at 29 Huron Street in Greenpoint, you can now have a better idea of how much you'll need in the piggy bank before listings emerge later this year. The project's website launched on Wednesday, and in addition to pricing, you can catch up on news and check out renderings of the new luxury residential condominium project designed by the internationally-renowned Morris Adjmi Architects.
Prices and more renderings of The Huron, this way
Step onto the terrace from nearly every room in this elegant $5M Brooklyn Heights penthouse

All photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

September 13, 2022

Step onto the terrace from nearly every room in this elegant $5M Brooklyn Heights penthouse

By
Filled with eye-pleasing details and surrounded by an abundance of outdoor space for dining, dancing, or enjoying the view, we'd find it hard to leave this three-bedroom Brooklyn Heights penthouse. Asking $4,995,000, the 2,000-square-foot full-floor condo residence at 72 Poplar Street is a study in considered interior design, wrapped by 2,458 square feet of terrace and stunning views of lower Manhattan through walls of oversized windows.
Penthouse tour, this way
Vibrant colors & a creative vibe complement historic details in this $3.9M Hamilton Heights townhouse

Photo credit: Rachel Kuzma/REPN for The Corcoran Group

September 12, 2022

Vibrant colors & a creative vibe complement historic details in this $3.9M Hamilton Heights townhouse

By
The Upper Manhattan townhouse at 40 Hamilton Terrace is a rare example of a historic home that doesn't need to be stripped of character to join the modern world. Asking $3,900,000, this Hamilton Heights home has Henri Fouchaux to thank for its graceful turn-of-the-century architecture. Within the 4,142-square-foot home, beautifully-detailed woodwork frames five bedrooms and six full baths, including a charming and turn-key garden apartment. An enchanted back garden adds the good fortune of outdoor living.
More fabulous and funky uptown townhouse, this way
First look: This $5M Essex Crossing penthouse has a huge terrace overlooking the Lower East Side

All photos courtesy of Evan Joseph

September 9, 2022

First look: This $5M Essex Crossing penthouse has a huge terrace overlooking the Lower East Side

By
At the top of a newly-minted CetraRuddy-designed building in a classic downtown Manhattan neighborhood, 6sqft can now share an exclusive first look at a newly-available penthouse atop One Essex Crossing at 202 Broome Street. If you love marble, luxury finishes, outdoor entertaining, and above-it-all views, you'll want to check out this sleek aerie overlooking the Lower East Side. Priced at $4,985,000, it's the headline-stealing 14-story building's last two-bedroom penthouse, with 1,693 square feet of interior space and over 700 square feet of private terrace.
Take the tour
For $3M, this colorful storybook cottage in Prospect Park South has two sunrooms

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

September 8, 2022

For $3M, this colorful storybook cottage in Prospect Park South has two sunrooms

By
The surrounding Prospect Park South neighborhood is filled with charming freestanding Victorian homes, and the buttercup-yellow beauty at 215 Marlborough Road is certainly among them. Lovingly preserved and updated, historic and turnkey, the three-story, 3,400-square-foot home, asking $2,995,000, is a dream come true for anyone seeking a confection of colorful details. With a pitched roof, gothic arches, arched windows, two sun porches, and landscaped gardens anchored by a mature hydrangea bush, its storybook charm is undeniable. On the practical side, a wide driveway, a two-car garage, and timeless, updated interiors mean an easy move-in.
Take the tour
This $6.5M pre-Revolutionary War Hudson Valley home is historic and turnkey, with a celebrity past

Photo credit: Andrea B. Swenson

September 7, 2022

This $6.5M pre-Revolutionary War Hudson Valley home is historic and turnkey, with a celebrity past

By
The Dutch farmhouse-style home at 35 Washington Spring Road in Snedens Landing–known as Ding Dong House because of a large bell that once adorned its rooftop–was built by John Sneden, whose family founded the ferry that serves the surrounding town of Palisades. Since then it has also been the residence of celebrities from Aaron Copland to Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke. Built in 1750 with an addition that dates from 1860, this historic home is a peerless part of the celebrity-approved Hudson Valley enclave's history and has been updated with 21st-century infrastructure. It's now on the market for $6,500,000.
Find out more about this iconic Hudson Valley home
Your guide to the Financial District, NYC’s oldest new downtown neighborhood

Photo © 6sqft

August 31, 2022

Your guide to the Financial District, NYC’s oldest new downtown neighborhood

By
Located at the southernmost part of lower Manhattan–and at the center of the global financial universe–New York City's Financial District in many ways represents New York City to the world. Encompassing the area south of City Hall Park, with the corner of Wall and Broad Streets as its center, this bustling grid of streets is also a waterfront neighborhood, surrounded by New York Harbor and the East River. As a backdrop, the towering masts of South Street Seaport's tall ships recall the maritime history of the city's earliest days. The business of finance is still anchored here, but as with all New York City neighborhoods, change is around every corner, and the number of residents who call this downtown district home continues to grow.
What to do and see, and where to live in Fidi
Asking $3.2M, a rare pair of townhouses on Brooklyn’s quaint ‘secret’ block with tiny doors

Photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

August 26, 2022

Asking $3.2M, a rare pair of townhouses on Brooklyn’s quaint ‘secret’ block with tiny doors

By
New York City never runs out of surprises, and some of the best ones are hidden in plain sight. Dennett Place in Carroll Gardens is just such a hidden surprise. The fun-sized block near the Gowanus Canal is lined with equally diminutive townhouses, each with a miniature "hobbit door." Though the neighborhood has changed, the block still has the look of a quaint European alleyway and the charm of a tight-knit community–though no one seems to know what the half-pint doors are for. The homes here don't change hands often, but a pair of multi-family townhouses at 14 and 16 Dennett Place is on the market for the first time in 100 years, asking $3.2 million for both.
Six units, endless potential, this way
From neglected mud patch to outdoor oasis, a Brooklyn backyard gets a garden makeover

Photos © 6sqft

August 25, 2022

From neglected mud patch to outdoor oasis, a Brooklyn backyard gets a garden makeover

By
After a top-to-toe renovation of their 1870s Clinton Hill two-family townhouse that spanned two years (read all about it here), 6sqft writer Michelle Cohen and her husband, Stanley Peck, decided to relegate sprucing up their brownstone backyard to “phase 2.” They’d already added a rear terrace with steps to the yard and created a small roof deck above their lower extension. The couple certainly planned to address the neglected outdoor space–even though the existing weed-jungle-meets-mud-patch had a certain overgrown charm. Below, hear from Michelle about the results, along with professional advice for creating a verdant outdoor space in the city.
How to create an urban garden retreat
A Brooklyn Heights penthouse with French flair and panoramic harbor views asks $8.5M

Photo credit: DD Reps/Stribling/Compass

August 24, 2022

A Brooklyn Heights penthouse with French flair and panoramic harbor views asks $8.5M

By
The penthouse at One Brooklyn Bridge Park at 360 Furman Street owned by Elizabeth Stribling, founder of real estate firm Stribling & Associates, which was sold to Compass in 2019, is for sale for $8,500,000. The Brooklyn Heights condo–a combination of two units adding up to 3,440 square feet–is wrapped on all sides by a terrace and blessed with 360-degree views of New York Harbor, the Manhattan skyline, and the Statue of Liberty. As the Wall Street Journal reports, the home's current owner is a devoted Francophile; French inspirations and old-world European style can be found throughout the home, including salvaged antique French oak herringbone floors, heavy wooden pocket doors, fossilized marble fireplace mantles, a Lacanche range, custom millwork, and a powder room sink inspired by the milk basin in the Palace of Versailles.
Rentrez!
Donald Trump’s former Connecticut estate tries again for $29.9M, nearly half its highest listing price

Photo credit: James Gagliardi / Brown Harris Stevens

August 23, 2022

Donald Trump’s former Connecticut estate tries again for $29.9M, nearly half its highest listing price

By
The six-acre estate on the Greenwich, Connecticut, waterfront that was owned by former president Donald Trump and his late ex-wife Ivana in the 1980s is back on the market for $29.9 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. The home's present owners, investment banker Robert Steinberg and his wife Suzanne, bought it for $15 million in 1998. The Georgian mansion at 21 Vista Drive, with sweeping views of Long Island Sound, has been on and off the market since 2009 when the Steinbergs listed it for $50 million; it was relisted for $54 million in 2014. As 6sqft previously reported, it has seen several price cuts since then, but no takers.
Find out more, take the tour
A $26M duplex co-op in Jacqueline Onassis’ childhood building recalls the Gilded Age

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

August 18, 2022

A $26M duplex co-op in Jacqueline Onassis’ childhood building recalls the Gilded Age

By
A mansion-sized 14-room duplex at 740 Park Avenue, a building considered to be Manhattan's most luxurious residential address, is now on the market for $26,000,000. Built in 1929 by James T. Lee, grandfather of Jacqueline Bouvier (later Kennedy Onassis), who lived there as a girl, the Art Deco building was designed by Rosario Candela. One of its first notable residents was John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who resided in a duplex similar to the one featured here.
Step inside one of the city's grandest homes
This $22M UES penthouse in an Emery Roth building has mid-century good looks and a huge roof terrace

Photo credit: Eytan Weber

August 17, 2022

This $22M UES penthouse in an Emery Roth building has mid-century good looks and a huge roof terrace

By
Atop an Emery Roth-designed Art Deco-style building at 880 Fifth Avenue, this two-floor co-op has the kind of elegant Manhattan cachet you won't find on Billionaires' Row. Along with its classic mid-20th-century interior style (lots of sleek wood and architectural built-ins), the luxurious 2,800-square-foot trophy pad boasts 3,350 square feet of private outdoor space, including a manicured rooftop terrace that's akin to having your own private park. And it's across the street from Central Park itself, with the iconic park and city views you'd expect from an Upper East Side penthouse with a $22,000,000 price tag.
Penthouse tour, this way
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