The Folio House
105 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003
Flatiron
BBL 1008460071 · BIN 1016144
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,502
- Listing discount
- 4.0%
- Recorded sales
- 58
- On record
- 2003–2026
The Folio House is a turn-of-the-century Fifth Avenue loft building — eleven stories of Beaux-Arts commercial masonry on the corner of East 18th Street — converted to a 41-unit cooperative in the late 1980s, when downtown's old printing and manufacturing lofts were being reclaimed as some of the most desirable living space in the city. Its name nods to the printing and publishing heritage of the surrounding blocks, and its proportions reflect it: deep floor plates, high ceilings, and the oversized windows that loft buyers prize.
What sets the building apart is its address. Standing one block from Union Square, at the junction of Flatiron and the Village, the Folio House sits on top of one of Manhattan's great transit and amenity hubs — the Union Square subway complex, the Greenmarket, and the restaurant-and-retail density that radiates in every direction. For a buyer who wants authentic loft scale with a low-key, owner-occupied cooperative culture and a true downtown location, it is a quietly excellent option.
Architecture and unit composition
The building is a classic early-1900s loft structure in the Beaux-Arts/Renaissance Revival commercial idiom — a masonry façade with the generous, repetitive window bays that defined the type. The 41 residences carry authentic loft proportions: high ceilings, oversized windows, and open layouts, with many homes retaining original oak or mahogany window casements as a mark of the building's age. Floor plans range from convertible and one-bedroom lofts through larger combined homes, with the corner exposures drawing the strongest light along both Fifth Avenue and 18th Street. As a thoughtful late-1980s conversion that has been maintained and updated over the decades, the building delivers loft character alongside modern building systems and renovated common spaces.
Building operations
The Folio House runs as an owner-friendly boutique cooperative. The building uses a virtual doorman entry system backed by a full-time superintendent and porter, with two passenger elevators plus a freight elevator, a recently renovated gym and laundry room, a package room, and private storage cages. The cooperative is pet-friendly, permits in-unit washer/dryers with board approval, and allows financing up to 70% of the purchase price — a meaningful detail for buyers, since it is more permissive than the 50% caps common at older Manhattan co-ops. As with any cooperative, purchases clear a board application and interview, and subletting is governed by board policy.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $28,922/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $59
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the engineer identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair before the next inspection cycle. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — the licensed engineer the city requires to sign the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent). Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library.
See the full facade history →Management & transfer contacts
- Sublet policy
- Allowed; building sublet fee 20% of monthly maintenance + $500 building application fee
- Notable fees
- Buyer Processing $700; Credit Report $125/applicant; Move In/Out $250 each (Bldg); Move In/Out Deposit $1,000 refundable each; Financing Fee $400; Seller Closing $850; Alteration deposit $5,000 standard/$10,000 major
Recent sales
Recent transfers at this building, curated by The Roebling Team research desk. Apartment-level facts are independently verified before publishing; sale prices reflect the recorded transfer amount at the NYC Department of Finance.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 28, 2026 | 4B | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,728 sf | $2,250,000 | $1,302/sf | -10.0% |
| Apr 17, 2026 | 8A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $2,325,000 | -2.1% | |
| Jun 23, 2025 | 7A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $2,300,000 | -2.1% | |
| Feb 14, 2025 | 9D | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,600 sf | $1,955,000 | $1,222/sf | -2.2% |
| Aug 22, 2024 | 5AB | 3 BR · 2.5 BA · 3,163 sf | $5,995,000 | $1,895/sf | +0.0% |
| Dec 5, 2023 | 7C | 1 BR · 1 BA · 1,501 sf | $1,882,000 | $1,254/sf | -5.7% |
| Sep 18, 2023 | 3AB | 3 BR · 3 BA · 3,100 sf | $6,025,000 | $1,944/sf | -3.6% |
| Jul 7, 2022 | 10AB | 3 BR · 3.5 BA | $4,500,000 | +0.0% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,502/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 4.0% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.
The retrade record
Lines that have traded more than once in the public record — the building’s appreciation arc, apartment by apartment.
Full closing history with price-per-square-foot over time, the complete retrade record, and every line that has traded.
Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-00846-0071) and verified listing data. Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified by The Roebling Team research desk. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price; square footage on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
What to know if you’re buying
This is a true loft co-op at one of downtown's best-connected corners. The 70% financing allowance is a real advantage over more restrictive co-ops and widens the buyer pool. Pet ownership and in-unit laundry are accommodated, and the building's loft proportions — high ceilings, big windows — are the kind of architecture that holds value. Expect a standard cooperative purchase: a board package, financial review, and interview, and board governance over subletting. Evaluate each home on exposure and ceiling height; corner units and lower-floor lofts carry the most dramatic scale. We help buyers assemble a board package that presents well and benchmark the home against the broader downtown loft market.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with location and loft scale. A block from Union Square, with authentic turn-of-the-century proportions, is a combination buyers actively search for. Flag the building's flexibility — 70% financing, pet-friendly policy, and in-unit laundry — because these widen your buyer pool against more restrictive co-ops nearby. Benchmark to the Flatiron/Union Square loft co-op set, and present the home to show its volume and light. A clean, well-prepared board package speeds the process; we manage that alongside pricing and positioning.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Folio House, also evaluate nearby Flatiron and Union Square loft inventory:
- 141 Fifth Avenue — Beaux-Arts Flatiron condominium nearby
- 212 Fifth Avenue — pre-war Flatiron conversion
- 15 Union Square West — landmark conversion on Union Square
- 240 Park Avenue South — full-service building a few blocks north
- 260 Park Avenue South — pre-war co-op on Park Avenue South
- 225 Fifth Avenue — full-service Flatiron building
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Flatiron — read The Roebling Team Guide to Flatiron.
The full playbook — what goes in the package, how boards read your financials, the interview, and the timeline — plus sample cover, reference, and personal letters you can adapt.
Considering a move at The Folio House?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at The Folio House would likely sell for today, what it costs to sell, and what you’d walk away with — reviewed personally against condition, exposures, renovation quality, and the competition actually on the market.