The Folio House

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.

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.

With 41 residences, the Folio House trades at a modest cooperative cadence — a handful of resale closings in an active year. Pricing follows the Flatiron/Union Square loft co-op market, with corner units and homes that show their loft volume and light commanding the premium. Because the public sales record for this address is generated directly from the building's tax lot, the most current closed-sale history is best read from that live record; the durable pattern is one of scarcity — a small building near Union Square where well-presented lofts move quickly.

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.

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.

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 Roebling Team at Compass specializes in downtown loft and conversion inventory — Flatiron, Union Square, Gramercy, and the Greenwich Village corridor. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers at a boutique loft cooperative deserve building-specific intelligence: the architecture, the board's actual policies, the amenities, and where pricing sits against the broader downtown market.

If you're considering a purchase or sale at The Folio House, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.