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.

Median rent in Manhattan hits $4,000/month for the first time

Photo by Dimitry Anikin on Unsplash

June 10, 2022

Median rent in Manhattan hits $4,000/month for the first time

By Michelle Cohen

According to the May 2022 Elliman Report for Manhattan, prepared by appraiser Miller Samuel Inc. for brokerage Douglas Elliman, median rent arrived at the $4,000/month mark for the first time ever, with average rent hitting just under $5,000/month. May 2021 median and average monthly rents were $3,195 and $4,078, a 25.2 percent and 22 percent jump, respectively.
Rising rents, shrinking inventory, this way

Real Estate Trends

New Brooklyn Heights library opens at base of One Clinton luxury condo

Image credit: Gregg Richards courtesy of BPL

June 9, 2022

New Brooklyn Heights library opens at base of One Clinton luxury condo

By Michelle Cohen

The Brooklyn Public Library on Wednesday opened a new branch at 286 Cadman Plaza West in Brooklyn Heights–the second-largest library in the system (Central Library is the largest). The 26,000-square-foot space will include a children's area, a teen library, a multipurpose room with a capacity of 225, public meeting rooms, and lots of spaces to enjoy a book or some quiet thoughts. Located within the base of a new luxury residential tower, the library is the result of an unusual redevelopment plan that also included $40 million in repairs throughout the library system and 100 new affordable apartments elsewhere in Brooklyn.
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The Morgan Library unveils $13M exterior restoration and new garden with public access

The Morgan Garden, view looking north. Courtesy of the Morgan Library & Museum, New York. © Brett Beyer, 2022.

June 9, 2022

The Morgan Library unveils $13M exterior restoration and new garden with public access

By Michelle Cohen

The Morgan Library and Museum will unveil the recently restored exterior of the Morgan Library and the new Morgan Garden to the public this month. The six-year-long, $13 million project marks the first-ever comprehensive restoration of the historic 115-year-old library’s exterior. Designed by architect Charles Follen McKim for J.Pierpont Morgan, the library was completed in 1906 and later became a public institution. The project restores one of the nation's finest examples of Neoclassical architecture, enhances the surrounding grounds, improves the building's lighting, and enables public access to the grounds of the 36th street site for the first time ever.
Stroll the garden, this way

Photo courtesy of Coldwell Banker Warburg

June 8, 2022

A private waterfront terrace and river views define this sprawling $2.5M Upper East Side co-op

By Michelle Cohen

This 2,600-square-foot co-op at 45 East End Avenue has seemingly endless interior space, but 500 square feet of outdoor terrace with waterfront views steals the show along with three exposures and unobstructed East River views. Asking $2,500,000, this three-bedroom Yorkville residence is in an elegant Emery Roth-designed 1951 building.
Tour this private UES escape

Distinctive Homes

Hochul signs law that unlocks New York’s underused hotel space for use as affordable housing

Governor Kathy Hochul signs hotel conversion bill; photo credit: Darren McGee–Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

June 8, 2022

Hochul signs law that unlocks New York’s underused hotel space for use as affordable housing

By Michelle Cohen

Gov. Kathy Hochul today signed a long-awaited bill that will relax the current rules for converting underutilized hotels into permanent housing. The new legislation allows for Class B hotels within–or within 400 feet of–residentially-zoned districts to operate as permanent residences. It also allows hotels which meet those criteria to be used for permanent housing if they enter into an agreement with the city or receive State financing, through the Housing Our Neighbors with Dignity Act (HONDA).
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Manhattan Park’s annual Pop-Up Pool Party gets a new mural, inspired by an ocean wonderland

Photo by Max Touhey.

June 8, 2022

Manhattan Park’s annual Pop-Up Pool Party gets a new mural, inspired by an ocean wonderland

By Michelle Cohen

Roosevelt Island luxury rental community Manhattan Park has just unveiled the mural that will highlight its outdoor pool this summer. Now in its eighth year, the art transformation has graced the community's Pop-Up Pool Party each summer starting on Memorial Day. This year's mural, created by Syrian-Armenian artist Hratch Arbach, "reflects imaginary scenes inspired by the ocean wonderland.”
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Events & Things To Do

L.E.A.F. festival blooms again this year with a three-day flower-filled affair in the Meatpacking District

Flower Flashes by Lewis Miller Design / Photo credit: Leatal Cohen, Pic and Petal for L.E.A.F

June 7, 2022

L.E.A.F. festival blooms again this year with a three-day flower-filled affair in the Meatpacking District

By Michelle Cohen

L.E.A.F, New York's budding contemporary flower show, returns to Manhattan’s Meatpacking District for its second year this month, inviting all to celebrate the renewal of New York City and its continued resilience. The three-day festival highlighting world-class floral design will feature a European-style flower market, large-scale floral installations and displays, and retail and hospitality events around the neighborhood.
Find out where the blooms are

Events & Things To Do

The former Brooklyn Heights home of American Express founder Henry Wells asks $6.6M

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

June 7, 2022

The former Brooklyn Heights home of American Express founder Henry Wells asks $6.6M

By Michelle Cohen

This Greek Revival townhouse at 158 Clinton Street in historic Brooklyn Heights, once home to American Express and Wells Fargo founder Henry Wells, is now on the market for $6,595,000. Built in 1847, the 25.5-foot-by-42-foot home presents a facade of red brick with brownstone sills and lintels, with five bedrooms, a parlor-floor deck and backyard, and a separate garden apartment.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

State lawmakers approve new public trust that could fund repairs at 25,000 NYCHA apartments

photo via Wikimedia

June 6, 2022

State lawmakers approve new public trust that could fund repairs at 25,000 NYCHA apartments

By Michelle Cohen

New York state legislators last week passed legislation that would allow the New York City Housing Authority to raise billions of dollars for desperately needed repairs at 25,000 apartments in the system. Championed by Mayor Eric Adams and proposed by public housing authority chair Gregory Russ, the Public Housing Preservation Trust is seen as a rescue measure for funding needed for the NYCHA system–by far the nation's largest public housing authority. The new public trust could raise billions of dollars to upgrade thousands of units, The City reports.
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This $2.87M upstate ‘floating farmhouse’ is an 1800s home with walls of glass, overlooking a waterfall

Photos by Gabriel Zimmer of Catskill Image for Sotheby’s International Realty

June 3, 2022

This $2.87M upstate ‘floating farmhouse’ is an 1800s home with walls of glass, overlooking a waterfall

By Michelle Cohen

Set on nearly nine verdant acres in Sullivan County, this unique circa 1820 farmhouse incorporates its history with elements of modern design so beautifully that it has been featured in Architectural Digest and Dwell magazine, the latter of which called it "a living laboratory for how to bring the vernacular past into the present." Known as Floating Farmhouse, the 3,400-square-foot Catskills home and barn sit at the edge of a swimming creek with a waterfall. Among its star features is a covered porch that appears to hover above the water. Asking $2,875,000, the home is available for the first time since a four-year rebuilding process by acclaimed designer Tom Givone created its current stunning form.
Tour this unique Catskills property

Distinctive Homes

NYC pols introduce legislation that would temporarily suspend commercial rent tax

By Michelle Cohen

The Covid-19 pandemic, among its many impacts, has drastically underscored the need for ways to mitigate steep commercial rents, such as rent regulation and temporary rent relief. Several local politicians have suggested solutions, including the temporary suspension of commercial rent tax. This week, New York City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, and Council Member Gale Brewer introduced legislation that would accomplish the latter.
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Policy

Delta’s $4B Terminal C opens this weekend at an all-new LaGuardia Airport

Photo courtesy of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office

June 2, 2022

Delta’s $4B Terminal C opens this weekend at an all-new LaGuardia Airport

By Michelle Cohen

Gov. Kathy Hochul and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced Wednesday that the $4 billion Delta Air Lines Terminal C will open at LaGuardia Airport on June 4. The opening means the all-new $8 billion LaGuardia Airport, the nation's first new major airport in a quarter-century, is nearly complete. At nearly twice the size of the one it replaces, Delta's new terminal boasts up-to-the-minute technology, New York-centric concessions–and an impressive collection of new public artworks by well-known local artists referencing the Queens neighborhood's rich immigrant history and cultural diversity.
This way for takeoff

$1.6M upstate Dutch Colonial home is summer-ready with a saltwater pool, pergola, and outdoor kitchen

Images courtesy of Douglas Elliman

June 1, 2022

$1.6M upstate Dutch Colonial home is summer-ready with a saltwater pool, pergola, and outdoor kitchen

By Michelle Cohen

Situated on over two acres in Orangetown, NY, the Sickles-Tallman House at 231 Sickletown Road, built in 1770, greets the 21st century as a red stone Dutch Colonial home. With amenities you'd expect in a contemporary mansion–a saltwater pool and jacuzzi, pergola, pool house, and outdoor kitchen, to name a few–this 3,300 square-foot, five-bedroom historic Rockland County homestead is asking $1,598,000.
Take a stroll around the grounds

Photo credit: MW Studio for The Corcoran Group

May 31, 2022

Manhattan’s oldest home, a 1795 East Village house built by the Stuyvesant family, asks $8.9M

By Michelle Cohen

Old house lovers will want to note this sale: Manhattan's oldest home, built in 1795 for Nicholas Stuyvesant, a great great grandson of city founder Peter Stuyvesant, is on the market for $8,900,000. The East Village townhouse at 44 Stuyvesant Street in the St. Marks Place Historic District has retained most of its original layout, according to Mansion Global. The 5,500-square-foot, 24-foot-wide home is the oldest building in Manhattan that has been used continuously as a single-family dwelling.
Discover the secrets of this historic East Village gem

This furnished $5.75M Midtown townhouse has been designed for modern living, framed by a rich history

Photo courtesy of The Corcoran Group

May 25, 2022

This furnished $5.75M Midtown townhouse has been designed for modern living, framed by a rich history

By Michelle Cohen

Just off Park Avenue on a tree-lined street just four blocks from Grand Central Station, this landmarked townhouse at 130 East 38th Street is both historic and a modern design masterpiece. Built in 1869 as a Second Empire-style brownstone, the four-story home's facade was altered in 1919 by the popular Ziegfeld actress Ida Adams. Its rounded oak front door originated in a Detroit mansion. More recently, the three-bedroom home, listed for $5,750,000, has been reimagined for the 21st century, from its finished lower-level suite to its landscaped roof terrace with panoramic skyline views.
Take the townhouse tour

Distinctive Homes

Rare four-family brownstone in downtown Jersey City asks $2.75M

Photo credit: Rich Weinberger

May 24, 2022

Rare four-family brownstone in downtown Jersey City asks $2.75M

By Michelle Cohen

Downtown Jersey City may not be the first place you'd think to look for a 6,000-square-foot townhouse on a brick-and-brownstone block, but this five-story classic at 94 Wayne Street, asking $2,750,000, is exactly that. The four-family home consists of a lower duplex (with a BBQ-ready paradise for a backyard) and three identical units above. Inside there are high ceilings, large rooms, and historic details as well as updated appliances, central AC, and ten bedrooms in all. It's a perfect opportunity for townhouse living with lots of rental income–or to create a multi-floor family home. An extension allows for plenty of space on all floors.
See more of this unusual JC townhouse

Distinctive Homes

MTA and James Beard Foundation partner to bring New Yorkers to local restaurants

Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr

May 23, 2022

MTA and James Beard Foundation partner to bring New Yorkers to local restaurants

By Michelle Cohen

New Yorkers may seem to need no encouragement to visit the city's bounty of local restaurants, but independent eateries could use a boost after Covid restrictions kept everyone at home. DineAWAY is a joint effort by the MTA and the James Beard Foundation to get residents and visitors to explore New York City's local restaurants and neighborhoods via subways, buses, and commuter rails. DineAWAY sweepstakes offer fabulous foodie prizes like dinner at favorite restaurants and VIP tickets to food festivals.
Delicious details, this way

This $2.9M Sutton Place co-op has finishes–and furniture–courtesy of an AD100 designer

Photo credit: Stephen Kent Johnson

May 23, 2022

This $2.9M Sutton Place co-op has finishes–and furniture–courtesy of an AD100 designer

By Michelle Cohen

This two-bedroom, 1,400-square-foot Sutton Place co-op at 435 East 57th Street is the home of Caleb Anderson, partner in the AD top 100 interior design firm Drake/Anderson. Anderson has listed the home for $2,895,000, furniture included, so the next owner can instantly benefit from an impeccable NYC design pedigree. The elegant pre-war apartment underwent a thorough renovation, with top-tier materials and craftsmanship–from Venetian plaster walls and custom hardware to hand-painted wall coverings–evident at every turn.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

May 20, 2022

Judge rules artists’ work won’t stop Manhattan jail demolition

By Michelle Cohen

On Wednesday, a judge ruled against halting the demolition of the Manhattan Detention Complex at 124-125 White Street at a hearing in a lawsuit brought by two artists whose works at the site may be moved or destroyed, the New York Times reports. The plaintiffs had requested a preliminary injunction; Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York denied the request, citing a lack of proof that preserving the artworks outweighed the community value of a newly-constructed jail planned for the site. The artists–with support from Neighbors United Below Canal, a neighborhood group opposed to the new Chinatown jail–had invoked the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 as grounds for the lawsuit.
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Amy Schumer lists her Upper West Side ‘secret garden’ penthouse for $15M

Photo credit: Edward Menashy for Evan Joseph Studio

May 20, 2022

Amy Schumer lists her Upper West Side ‘secret garden’ penthouse for $15M

By Michelle Cohen

Actress and comedian Amy Schumer is selling her Upper West Side penthouse at 190 Riverside Drive, the Wall Street Journal reports. Asking $15,000,000, Schumer purchased what she calls her "Manhattan dream apartment" for $12,150,000 in 2016. Surrounded on every side and on the roof above by 3,000 square feet of verdant planted terraces, and centered around a glass-wrapped solarium living room, the five-bedroom, 4,500-square-foot condominium is indeed a New York City dream home–even if it's no longer a secret. Schumer told the Journal she and her husband, chef Chris Fischer, are moving–likely to Brooklyn–to be closer to their son's school.
Step inside Amy Schumer's dreamy sky garden

New survey highlights NYC’s rental housing crisis, showing few affordable apartments available

Photo by Dimitry Anikin on Unsplash

May 18, 2022

New survey highlights NYC’s rental housing crisis, showing few affordable apartments available

By Michelle Cohen

The city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) released a report this week revealing the first findings from the 2021 New York City Housing and Vacancy Survey (NYCHVS). The report illuminates a trove of information on the city's housing realities since the pandemic began. The survey shows that the city’s overall median household income would have to double in order to cover the median asking rent of $2,750/month. It also reveals an extreme shortage of vacant units among the city's low-cost housing: The vacancy rate for homes listed below $1,500/month was less than 1 percent, the lowest in 30 years. And New York City saw a substantial net loss of low-cost units–and a net increase of higher-cost units–since 1991.
More on the state of NYC's rental housing, this way

For $6M, this classic Central Park South co-op has park views, possibilities, and space to spare

All photos courtesy of Douglas Elliman

May 17, 2022

For $6M, this classic Central Park South co-op has park views, possibilities, and space to spare

By Michelle Cohen

On the 12th floor of the iconic copper-topped Hampshire House co-op at 150 Central Park South, this 2,640-square-foot residence has a parkside seat and the views to match. Asking $5,995,000, the three-bedroom (or two bedrooms and a dreamy den) classic seven is a combination of two units for an unusually spacious layout, rooms to spare, and an alternate floor plan in case you need ideas on what to do with all of them. Pre-war bones, a private south-facing balcony, and warm-toned herringbone floors tie it all together.
More park views and big, sunlit rooms, this way

Distinctive Homes

Award-winning design is crowned by a perfect penthouse in this $13.8M Upper West Side home

Photo credit: Tim Waltman for Pamela D’Arc / Compass

May 16, 2022

Award-winning design is crowned by a perfect penthouse in this $13.8M Upper West Side home

By Michelle Cohen

This 6,300-square foot Upper West Side townhouse at 347 West 84th Street has enough going for it given its size, 2,000 square feet of outdoor space, and prime Manhattan location off Riverside Park. A pristine and beautifully-designed renovation by O’Neill Rose Architects has transformed this four-story house, asking $13,750,000, into a home worthy of design awards and inclusion in publications like Architect Magazine and Dezeen. To maximize natural light, two curved skylights were added, and glass panels replaced the home's rear wall. On the top floor, a glass-walled atelier provides a sun-filled indoor and outdoor oasis.
Tour four floors of livable luxury

Distinctive Homes

From original details to new renovation, this $4.1M Clinton Hill home checks all the brownstone boxes

Photo credit: Eitan Gamliely for Sotheby’s International Realty

May 13, 2022

From original details to new renovation, this $4.1M Clinton Hill home checks all the brownstone boxes

By Michelle Cohen

For anyone coveting Brooklyn brownstone living, this four-story townhouse at 107 Greene Avenue would certainly fit the description. The 3,360 square-foot home, asking $4,100,000, has retained its historic details as a backdrop for modern living. With four bedrooms and an enviable backyard, the legal two-family dwelling is currently configured as a single-family home, so there's potential for adding a second apartment for income or guests.
Take the tour

Distinctive Homes

The El Dorado apartment of renowned art collector and ‘Beastie mom’ Hester Diamond asks $19.5M

Photo credit: Rise Media

May 12, 2022

The El Dorado apartment of renowned art collector and ‘Beastie mom’ Hester Diamond asks $19.5M

By Michelle Cohen

An apartment in the El Dorado at 300 Central Park West is an enviable enough thing on its own, even without the added cachet of belonging to the estate of Hester and Harold Diamond, owners of one of the world's finest art collections and parents of Mike Diamond of Beastie Boys fame, whose childhood home this was, Picassos and all. Ms. Diamond, who passed away in 2020 at 91, was an art dealer and collector whose collection of Old Masters and Modernist art, according to the New York Times, included Picasso, Mondrian, Rothko, and many more. Asking $19,500,000, the duplex co-op in one of New York City's most venerable buildings is museum-sized at 6,300 square feet with 800 square feet of terrace space and peerless park and skyline views.
View more of this amazing El Dorado residence

Distinctive Homes

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