- Year built
- 1925
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 83
- Floors
- 6
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Pets not permitted
- Subletting
- Permitted (subject to board approval)
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2023
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- Listing discount
- 5.6%
- Recorded transfers
- 7
111 West 16th Street is a prewar cooperative on one of Chelsea's quiet residential side streets, set between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Built circa 1925, the building belongs to the mid-1920s wave of masonry apartment houses that gave Chelsea's cross streets their enduring residential texture. With 83 residences, it is a mid-sized prewar co-op — large enough to support a functioning resale market and a maintenance base spread across a reasonable number of units, but more intimate than the corridor's largest buildings.
The case for a building like this is the case for prewar side-street Chelsea: a central, intensely walkable location off the avenues' commercial intensity, within reach of the High Line, the Chelsea galleries, Union Square, and the Flatiron and West Village edges that frame the neighborhood. For buyers who want to own in Chelsea without paying trophy-condominium pricing, an established prewar co-op typically offers a more accessible entry — co-op pricing, on a per-room basis, generally sits below condominium pricing for comparable space, in exchange for the board-governance structure co-ops carry.
The cooperative form is the defining feature. Buyers acquire shares in a corporation rather than real property, and every purchase is subject to board approval. That structure tends to produce a stable owner-occupant community and a different ownership experience than the condominiums nearby — and it shapes the building's resale behavior, which we address below.
Prewar co-op inventory in Chelsea is limited and not being replaced; recent neighborhood development has been almost entirely condominium, from 100 Eleventh Avenue and 245 Tenth Avenue in West Chelsea to the trophy buildings further east. An established prewar cooperative on a side street holds a specific appeal for buyers who want co-op ownership and a quieter block.
Architecture and unit composition
111 West 16th Street reads as a prewar masonry apartment house of the type built across Chelsea's cross streets in the mid-1920s. The six-story building features solid masonry construction, a defined and modest street entrance suited to a residential side street, and apartment layouts built around the room-count logic of its era — entry foyers, separated living and dining areas, and proper bedrooms rather than open-plan layouts. Ceiling heights and original detailing should be confirmed against the offering plan and an apartment-level inspection at offer stage.
Because this is a cooperative, the apartment you evaluate is described and priced by room count rather than square footage. The prewar room count — foyer, living room, dining room or alcove, kitchen, and bedrooms — is the working unit of value, and it should be confirmed at offer stage, since decades of renovation may have combined or reconfigured rooms relative to the original plan.
At 83 units, the building will carry a range of line types and exposures; a side-street prewar building of this scale typically has meaningful variation in light and outlook between lines, which should be evaluated in person.
Building operations
111 West 16th Street operates as a prewar cooperative with a live-in superintendent, a common laundry room, building storage, and a voice intercom; there is no doorman.
Co-op maintenance is quoted on a per-room basis and covers the building's operating costs, the underlying mortgage (if any), and the shareholder's pro-rata share of real estate taxes — a structural difference from condominium common charges, which are quoted separately from taxes. Buyers should review the financial statements, reserve position, any underlying mortgage and its terms, and recent and planned capital work during due diligence. For a building of this vintage, the diligence priorities are the standard prewar ones: façade and Local Law 11 compliance, elevator modernization, roof and mechanical systems, and the adequacy of the reserve fund against the building's capital plan.
The Roebling Research Library houses the offering plan, current house rules, recent financial statements, and board meeting minutes for buildings we cover; these are the primary documents for understanding a cooperative's operational reality.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $10,513/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $11
Recent sales
As a cooperative, 111 West 16th Street prices on a per-room basis rather than per square foot, and its resale market reflects that. In general terms, a mid-sized prewar Chelsea co-op tends to establish a per-room band across its lines over time; larger, renovated apartments with stronger light and exposure trade at the top of that band, while units needing work or with weaker exposures sit below it. The per-room maintenance is part of the underwriting, since a lower price paired with higher per-room maintenance can net to a comparable total cost of ownership.
We frame this in hedged terms by design: room counts, maintenance, and the building's prevailing per-room range should each be confirmed at the offer stage against current recorded transfers and the building's own financials. We do not publish specific transaction prices, addresses, or names here. (Source: NYC DOF recorded transfers for apartment-level history.)
Two co-op-specific factors shape resale velocity. First, board approval adds a screening step that condos lack, which can extend the path from accepted offer to closing. Second, the board's financing and down-payment minimums — which vary by building and are confirmed at offer stage — define the eligible buyer pool. Both are ordinary features of co-op ownership and manageable with preparation.
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 | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 18, 2013 | 5K | $315,000 | -3.1% | |
| May 19, 2004 | 4E | $170,000 | -8.1% |
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 1-00792-0028) 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.
What to know if you’re buying
You are buying shares, and the board must approve you. A co-op purchase requires a board package and an in-person interview, and the board's approval is required to close. A thorough, well-presented package is the most consequential part of the process.
Price the apartment on a per-room basis. Confirm the room count and per-room maintenance at offer stage, and underwrite the full monthly carry — maintenance plus any assessments — alongside the purchase price.
Financing and down-payment minimums vary. Boards set their own financing limits and minimum down payments, and these determine which offers are viable. Confirm the current policy at offer stage.
Subletting and pied-à-terre use are permitted, subject to board approval. If your plan is anything other than primary-residence occupancy, confirm the current terms before committing.
Closings run longer than condos. Package preparation, the interview, and board approval make co-op timelines longer than a comparable condominium closing. Plan accordingly.
Run the diligence a prewar building requires. Review financials, the reserve study, any underlying mortgage, and the capital plan — façade/Local Law 11, elevators, roof, and mechanicals matter most in a building of this vintage.
What to know if you’re selling
Position the apartment on its room count and condition. The per-room frame is how this market reads value; a clean, well-presented apartment with a clear room count and competitive per-room maintenance shows best.
Prepare your buyer for the board. The most common cause of a stalled co-op sale is a buyer unready for the package and interview. Screening for board-readiness — financials, down payment, and use plans consistent with house rules — protects your timeline.
Have the building's financials and policies ready. Buyers and their attorneys request the offering plan, financials, and house rules early; having them organized accelerates the deal.
Plan for a longer closing. Co-op timelines include board review; price your own next move around that reality.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 111 West 16th Street, also evaluate these nearby Chelsea buildings. Several are condominiums rather than co-ops; we note them as corridor comparables, and your choice between co-op and condo ownership is itself part of the analysis:
- 222 West 14th Street — nearby southern-Chelsea building
- 252 Seventh Avenue (The Chelsea Mercantile) — large prewar conversion nearby; Chelsea peer
- 212 West 18th Street (Walker Tower) — Chelsea prewar-pedigree trophy peer
- 245 Tenth Avenue — nearby West Chelsea building
- 100 Eleventh Avenue — Nouvel-designed West Chelsea peer
- 76 Eleventh Avenue — nearby West Chelsea building
For buyers weighing co-op versus condo ownership, the comparison turns less on the buildings themselves and more on governance, carrying-cost structure (per-room maintenance inclusive of taxes versus separate common charges and taxes), and use flexibility.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Chelsea — read The Roebling Team Guide to Chelsea.
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.
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