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 $6.5M triple-bay brownstone is ready for instant Park Slope living

Photo credit: Russ Ross for The Corcoran Group

May 16, 2024

This $6.5M triple-bay brownstone is ready for instant Park Slope living

By Michelle Cohen

This 1899 townhouse at 545 Third Street in Park Slope is ready for Brooklyn brownstone living without the hassle of renovation. The four-story home has the preserved 19th-century details buyers crave–pocket doors, wainscoting, stained glass, and molding–along with modern design flourishes that enhance its historic charm. Asking $6,450,000, the townhouse has bay windows on all four floors and outdoor space in the form of a private bedroom deck and a leafy back garden.
take the townhouse tour

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Photo credit: Evan Joseph

May 15, 2024

Asking $6.7M, the Gimbel apartment is the picture of classic Upper East Side elegance

By Michelle Cohen

This three-bedroom Upper East Side co-op at 66 East 79th Street was the longtime home of the late philanthropists Bruce and Barbara Gimbel. Bruce was chairman and chief executive of Gimbels, the iconic New York City department store founded in 1842 by his great-grandfather. Asking $6,700,000, this nine-room apartment is both a grand Manhattan residence and a cozy, well-appointed home. Pre-war details like high ceilings, tall windows, and polished herringbone floors frame generously proportioned rooms, updated for gracious 21st-century living.
see more, this way

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This Bauhaus-inspired Montclair, N.J. home is asking $3.5M

Photos courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 14, 2024

This Bauhaus-inspired Montclair, N.J. home is asking $3.5M

By Michelle Cohen

"Bauhaus-inspired" architecture brings to mind solid geometric forms, once thought to be radically simplified, yet enduring and functional. This custom-built home in Montclair, New Jersey is the result of bringing craftsmanship and smart technology together. Asking $3,500,00, this high-end suburban property at 251 South Mountain Avenue has five bedrooms and six baths, floor-to-ceiling windows, a tremendous modern fireplace, a heated driveway, and a three-car garage.
take the tour

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Photo credit: Edward Menashy with Evan Joseph Photography

May 13, 2024

An international artist couple asks $37.75M for their art-filled UES townhouse–Rolls Royce included

By Michelle Cohen

Israeli artist Ilana Goor and her husband, Leonard Lowengrub, have put their Upper East Side townhouse at 178 East 75th Street on the market, as Curbed reported. Even among the neighborhood's opulent and expensive townhouses with celebrity histories and Gilded Age glamour, this six-story brick property is poised to grab attention–and not just for its $37,750,000 price tag. The house is among a handful of carriage houses in New York City with a drive-in garage–and every surface of the turn-of-the-century townhouse displays artwork collected and created by the owners. Built around 1903, the renovated home is move-in ready and the art, furniture, and the Rolls Royce in the garage will be included in the sale.
it's a townhouse. It's a museum. take a look.

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NYCxDESIGN 2024: What to see and do at New York City’s annual deep dive into design

Photo © 6sqft

May 9, 2024

NYCxDESIGN 2024: What to see and do at New York City’s annual deep dive into design

By Michelle Cohen

The design universe lands in New York City every spring for the NYCxDESIGN Festival. This major international design event, now in its 12th year, will be in full swing from May 16 to May 22. Expect an influx of visitors seeking the latest creative offerings, fresh ideas, and inspiration from the world of design. Anchored by the major industry fair ICFF and its satellites like WantedDesign, the city-wide festival is awash in new talent showcases, exciting retail launches, open studios, and exhibitions. The week-long-plus event is a great opportunity to source the best new visions and trends in furniture, lighting, textiles, and accessories before they appear in your favorite magazines, blogs, and stores. Read on for a short list of highlights.
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Park Slope’s priciest townhouse is an $18M masterpiece of modern design

Photo credit: Kevin Scott/ Brown Harris Stevens

May 8, 2024

Park Slope’s priciest townhouse is an $18M masterpiece of modern design

By Michelle Cohen

Not all big-ticket properties live up to their astronomical price tags, but the most expensive listing in Park Slope–a custom-engineered five-story townhouse at 535 1st Street on a prime landmarked block–is the very definition of no-expense-spared reconstruction. The five-bedroom residence, asking $18,000,000, was commissioned by the award-winning architecture and design firm Leroy Street Studio. Recently featured in Architectural Digest, this British Regency-style limestone mansion has been recreated with dramatic details like double-height entertaining levels and terraced, landscaped outdoor spaces, executed with flawless engineering skill and modern design expertise. The home would become Park Slope's priciest townhouse on record if it sells for the asking price.
five floors of townhouse perfection, this way

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For $2.25M, this Sutton Place classic seven has enough personal space for everyone

Photo credit: Anastazia Swerer-McNut, Studio Lublow photography.

May 6, 2024

For $2.25M, this Sutton Place classic seven has enough personal space for everyone

By Michelle Cohen

While a home in the classic Manhattan enclave of Sutton Place may be the epitome of New York City living, this three-bedroom (with room for more) co-op at 410 East 57th Street has space to spare and a layout that's anything but cramped. Asking $2,250,000, this pre-war co-op is renovated and move-in ready, with plenty of storage, office and closet space, and large, lovely rooms for living and entertaining.
take the tour

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For $1.6M, this co-op offers two floors of Upper East Side living without the townhouse price

Photo courtesy of Keller Williams NYC

May 3, 2024

For $1.6M, this co-op offers two floors of Upper East Side living without the townhouse price

By Michelle Cohen

The idea of a classic Manhattan home on the Upper East Side is often symbolized by an elegant townhouse or a glamorous penthouse–with an eight-figure price tag. This duplex co-op at 167 East 67th Street, asking $1,589,000, offers two floors of light-filled high-floor living, a gracious layout, stylish interiors, dazzling city views, and plenty of additional apartment perks that add up to a covetable New York City home.
take the tour

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Asking $2.75M, this pale pink Greenpoint townhouse has gardens, terraces, history, and charm

All photos courtesy of Kate Glicksberg

May 3, 2024

Asking $2.75M, this pale pink Greenpoint townhouse has gardens, terraces, history, and charm

By Michelle Cohen

Among the most sought-after in Brooklyn real estate, the historic Greenpoint townhouse is a dream for many, but the good ones are few and far between. This charming rose-colored wood-frame home at 61 Norman Avenue is a neighborhood gem, just a block from McCarren Park. Asking $2,750,000, the home is currently configured as a single-family residence, but it's a legal three-family dwelling, so income potential exists. As for charm, the townhouse is blessed with a shaded front porch, a walled private patio, a bedroom terrace, and a sunroom.
explore this brooklyn beauty

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This $3.2M waterfront house on the Hudson in Edgewater, NJ, would be right at home in Malibu

Photo courtesy of Brown Harris Stevens

May 1, 2024

This $3.2M waterfront house on the Hudson in Edgewater, NJ, would be right at home in Malibu

By Michelle Cohen

When we think of homes on the Hudson River, we don't usually envision glass-walled waterfront houses like the ones we've seen perched on southern California cliffs. This three-bedroom home at 23 Shore Road in Edgewater, New Jersey, asking $3,249,000, is a contemporary riverside residence reminiscent of Malibu or Miami. Included in this glittering four-level property are panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline and George Washington Bridge–and a private boat dock.
malibu on the hudson, this way

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30+ Mother’s Day gifts New York City moms will love

By Michelle Cohen

April showers bring a bounty of Mother's Day brunches, blooms, and bling to dazzle deserving moms. New York City mothers are a sophisticated bunch, into music, art, design, or culinary excellence. Below, you'll find our hand-picked list of ideas–gifts, events, and experiences–to help make your favorite NYC mom's day.
Mother's day picks, this way

Live like royalty on the Upper East Side for $5.8M

Photo credit: Shannon Dupre | DD-reps

April 26, 2024

Live like royalty on the Upper East Side for $5.8M

By Michelle Cohen

This 4,092-square-foot duplex co-op at 1136 Fifth Avenue on the Upper East Side offers the iconic grandeur of a bygone gilded age; it's no surprise that it was most recently the home of an Italian princess and Russian prince. Filled with pre-war details, dazzling views, and mansion-like square footage, the apartment, asking $5,800,000, was chosen by the building's architect, George F. Pelham, as his personal residence. The apartment offers four bedrooms, high ceilings, and views of the Central Park reservoir.
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Inside this $12.75M Park Slope brownstone, architect-designed perfection includes a separate studio and two-car garage

Photo credit: Travis Mark

April 25, 2024

Inside this $12.75M Park Slope brownstone, architect-designed perfection includes a separate studio and two-car garage

By Michelle Cohen

On the corner of a picturesque Park Slope avenue, the 1860s Italianate row house at 96 Sixth Avenue anchors a block of historic brownstones. Inside, the home unfolds in modern magnificence, the result of a gut renovation by the architectural firm Baxt Ingui, IA Construction, and Tamara Eaton Design. In its current form, the five-bedroom home, asking $12,750,000, combines 19th-century glamour and contemporary design. A custom-built rear extension includes a separate studio and the rare bonus of a two-car garage, connected to the main home via a modern catwalk–all without sacrificing outdoor garden and deck space.
take a look inside

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Asking $800K, this notable modern Princeton home once belonged to Joyce Carol Oates

Photos courtesy of Hangtime27

April 24, 2024

Asking $800K, this notable modern Princeton home once belonged to Joyce Carol Oates

By Michelle Cohen

Located in the Elm Ridge Park neighborhood in Princeton, N.J., this well-preserved mid-century modern home at 9 Honey Brook Lane was built in 1962 by local architect Philip Sheridan Collins, who designed the New Jersey State Pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair. Currently on the market for $800,000, the house was featured in Architectural Digest as the home of American author Joyce Carol Oates, who referred to the wooded property as an “enchanted place."
take the tour

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Asking $5.3M, the elusive Williamsburg townhouse is here, renovated and party-ready

Photo credit: Allyson Lubow for The Corcoran Group

April 23, 2024

Asking $5.3M, the elusive Williamsburg townhouse is here, renovated and party-ready

By Michelle Cohen

Remember that impossibly perfect brownstone on "Girls?" Living in the buzzy neighborhood often means "home" is a pricy pad in a brand-new high-rise or a funky loft space; better to look elsewhere for the classic Brooklyn townhouse. But every so often an opportunity comes along that allows you to combine north Brooklyn coolness with the townhouse-with-backyard lifestyle. This 3,341-square-foot brick home at 70 Conselyea Street, asking $5,349,000, is one such opportunity. On a pretty block in Williamsburg's old-school residential section, the single-family home, built in 1899, has been freshly renovated for everyday living and easy entertaining in any season.
Williamsburg townhouse tour, this way

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$5.9M Civil War-era Clinton Hill mansion is a three-family home and an architectural gem

Photo credit: Oleg Davidoff, Allyson Lubow Photography

April 22, 2024

$5.9M Civil War-era Clinton Hill mansion is a three-family home and an architectural gem

By Michelle Cohen

Clinton Hill is known for its ornate historic mansions set on blocks lined with brownstone and brick. This three-family home at 315 Washington Avenue, asking $5,900,000, is a fine example of just such a find. Built in the 1860s, this Francois I-style home is set back from the avenue, recognizable by the mansard roof added near the turn of the century by the Parfitt Brothers architectural firm. The free-standing manse measures a generous 30 feet wide and 68 feet deep on a gated lot surrounded by front, side, and back gardens, terraces, and a private driveway.
take the townhouse tour

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Photo credit: Dot Record Media

April 18, 2024

$1.8M restored Marcel Breuer house on the Hudson has kept its mid-century modern spirit intact

By Michelle Cohen

Restored with the architect's signature style in mind, the Marcel Breuer-designed Marshad House in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., was brought into modern times by owners who wanted to preserve the Bauhaus-trained architect's signature style. The pair gave the 1950 home 21st-century livability while enjoying the uniqueness of the modernist residence. Asking $1,800,000, the 2,292-square-foot, three-bedroom home at 204 Cleveland Drive is sited on three-quarters of an acre next to public woodlands, surrounded by landscaped modern gardens, walking trails, and the nearby village.
more of this icon modern home

These 10 NYC Seders offer a fresh take on Passover tradition

Photo courtesy of Bubby’s

April 17, 2024

These 10 NYC Seders offer a fresh take on Passover tradition

By Michelle Cohen

When celebrating the Jewish holiday of Passover with family and friends, the Seder anchors the festivities. Whether it's a first-night dinner or a second-night repast, a traditional table, or a DIY affair that fits your community, you can find a public, inclusive Pesach party among New York City's restaurants, Jewish organizations, and community gathering places. Below are 10 ways to Seder–without the catering or cleanup.
why is this night different from all other nights?

This compact $2M Red Hook home embodies the neighborhood’s unique, inventive spirit

Photo credit: Shannon Dupre/DDreps

April 16, 2024

This compact $2M Red Hook home embodies the neighborhood’s unique, inventive spirit

By Michelle Cohen

The waterfront community of Red Hook is known for the fresh, unconventional vibe represented by the industrial-era buildings and wood-frame homes that line its streets. Built in the 1920s, this single-family home at 145 Van Dyke Street, asking $1,995,000, is simple and compact, yet offers the flexibility of city townhouse living. Set back from the street, modern architectural flourishes define the home's nearly 1,500 square feet. Perks include a private garage/studio, outdoor space, and four bedrooms.
see it here

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$8.2M Soho penthouse loft feels like an airy beach house surrounded by terraces

Photo credit: Tim Waltman of Evan Joseph’s Photography

April 15, 2024

$8.2M Soho penthouse loft feels like an airy beach house surrounded by terraces

By Michelle Cohen

The five-story loft building at 85 Mercer Street sits at the heart of Soho's Cast-Iron Historic District; the iconic co-op residence embodies the essence of a half-century of downtown loft living. Occupying the top floor, this stunning duplex penthouse, asking $8,180,000, adds the sort of luxury and outdoor living you'd find in a modern Hamptons beach house, lifted high above downtown New York City.
Outdoor living, penthouse views

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This $1.4M Astoria home is all about flexible, fabulous, and fun townhouse living

Photo credit: Russ Ross Photography for The Corcoran Group

April 10, 2024

This $1.4M Astoria home is all about flexible, fabulous, and fun townhouse living

By Michelle Cohen

Astoria has become a favorite for home buyers seeking urban townhouse living and a (relatively) affordable chance to expand beyond cramped quarters while staying in a vibrant New York City neighborhood. This multi-family townhouse at 23-23 33rd Road, asking $1,399,000, checks all the boxes. Built in 1945, this three-floor brick home offers incredible flexibility: Currently configured as a floor-through one-bedroom atop an owner's duplex, it could easily work as a single four-bedroom home, or a single residence with a separate garden-floor guest/in-law/teen suite. Completing the picture are a back garden, patios, a private parking spot, and a heated garage.
take the townhouse tour

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This $6M Tribeca loft has bedrooms surrounded by terrace and sky

Photo credit: Yale Wagner for Sotheby’s International Realty – Downtown Manhattan Brokerage

April 9, 2024

This $6M Tribeca loft has bedrooms surrounded by terrace and sky

By Michelle Cohen

If you're looking for a classic Tribeca loft, this duplex penthouse condominium atop 355 Greenwich Street offers 3,400 square feet of perfection. On the top two floors of an 1891 building, this iconic residence has the luxurious bonus of a top floor surrounded by 1,100 square feet of terrace overlooking downtown New York City. Asking $5,995,000, the three-bedroom home has thoroughly modern interiors, massive skylights, and state-of-the-art technology, framed by the prewar authenticity of brick walls and original wood beams.
tribeca loft living, this way

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Book fair will feature rare photos of the chaotic and complex early construction of the NYC subway

Broadway & 116th Street. All photos courtesy of Capitol Hill Books

April 4, 2024

Book fair will feature rare photos of the chaotic and complex early construction of the NYC subway

By Michelle Cohen

The ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair (NYIABF) will be back at the Park Avenue Armory for its 64th year this month. A highlight of the fair is Capitol Hill Books' photographic archive of 37 albumen photographs that show the very first branch of the NYC subway system being built. Taken in 1901 and 1902, the photos reveal the complex first stages of the city's transit system, which has been running without interruption since it opened to the public in 1904. The rare photos show now-defunct sections like the Elm Street Route and the laborers who built the system, largely by hand.
More NYC Subway construction photos

Photo credit: Anastassios Mentis for Brown Harris Stevens

April 2, 2024

A diplomat’s lofty home in a historic FiDi co-op asks $2.9M

By Michelle Cohen

John Berry, the former Ambassador to Australia under President Obama, has just listed his renovated FiDi co-op at 145 Nassau Street for $2,895,000. Located in the landmarked cast-iron, terra cotta, and red brick Potter Building, constructed in 1886 near City Hall (then known as Newspaper Row), this one-bedroom-plus-mezzanine apartment combines downtown loft living with the opulence of the city's grandest residences.
Tour the quintessential downtown manhattan home

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Take the elevator from the gym and English garden to the roof terrace in this $13.5M UES townhouse

Photos courtesy of Francisco Rosario at DDReps and Douglas Elliman

April 1, 2024

Take the elevator from the gym and English garden to the roof terrace in this $13.5M UES townhouse

By Michelle Cohen

Once forest and farmland, the Jones Wood section of Lenox Hill is known for its "secret" gardens and historic townhouses. This five-story, 6,000-square-foot corner townhouse at 157 East 65th Street embodies the neighborhood's beauty, with a London-style private garden at the back and top-floor terraces in front and rear. Asking $13,450,000, the townhouse has been thoroughly renovated, with an elevator that travels to all floors, from the basement gym to the top-level loft.
take the townhouse tour

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