117 Beekman Street
117 Beekman Street, New York, NY 10038
Financial District
BBL 1000957501 · BIN 1001292
- Year built
- 1918
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 25
- Floors
- 7
- Landmark
- Designated
- Amenities
- Full-time doorman, live-in superintendent, elevator, landscaped common roof deck, bicycle storage, common laundry, video intercom — no gym or parking
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2023
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,725
- Listing discount
- 8.0%
- Recorded sales
- 24
- On record
- 2004–2023
117 Beekman Street is the most visible building in the South Street Seaport Historic District — a seven-story pre-war structure that rises above the low-rise cast-iron and counting-house fabric around it, set behind the Titanic Memorial Lighthouse in the landscaped plaza where Fulton Street meets the Seaport. It began life in 1918 as the Volunteer Hospital, passed through decades as a hospital and then a nursing home, and was converted to a 25-unit condominium in 1981. The conversion, per published building history, was designed by Rafael Viñoly — the architect who three decades later gave Billionaires' Row the supertall 432 Park Avenue.
That lineage is a genuine footnote, but the building's appeal is more grounded: boutique pre-war loft-scale condominium living at the gateway to one of the city's most distinctive historic districts, with East River light and, from the roof, views to the Brooklyn Bridge and the harbor. In a Financial District ownership stock dominated by office-to-residential conversions and large amenity towers, a 25-unit pre-war building inside the Seaport historic district is a structurally scarce product — the location does work that square footage cannot.
The building sits at the seam between the modern Financial District — Fulton transit hub, the towers, the daily downtown machine — and the preserved Seaport: Schermerhorn Row, Pier 17, the historic sailing ships, and the festival-marketplace blocks. Buyers are choosing the historic-district texture over the glass-tower amenity stack, and pricing that trade accordingly.
Architecture and unit composition
The building presents a pre-war masonry elevation with neo-Renaissance detailing: a rusticated limestone base with arched window openings, five stories of brick above with limestone trim, and a deeply projecting dentilled cornice. The 1981 conversion re-clad the southern façades in dark red brick while the northern face carries lighter brick and a rounded corner at the Water Street end, with a canopied, recessed entrance opening onto two streets. The 25 residences run to loft-scale layouts with high ceilings and large windows — a hospital-era structure's generous floor plates translated into apartment living, many with East River exposure. As with any pre-war conversion, condition and configuration vary line to line; buyers should evaluate light, layout, and finish level unit by unit.
Building operations
This is boutique historic-district ownership with a real service base: a full-time doorman, a live-in superintendent, an elevator, a landscaped common roof deck, bicycle storage, common laundry, and video intercom. There is no gym or on-site parking. Common charges are spread across a small owner base inside a landmarked structure, which means capital planning carries the twin considerations of a small building and a historic building — façade, cornice, and window work in a historic district follow stricter and often costlier standards. The offering plan, by-laws, budget, and reserve study should be reviewed carefully during diligence, with attention to any pending or reserved capital work. We obtain current building documents from the managing agent for clients at offer stage.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- Per unit / month range
- —
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
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
Recent sales
Recent closings 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 27, 2023 | 7A | 3 BR · 2 BA · 1,660 sf | $3,500,000 | $2,108/sf | -12.5% |
| Dec 1, 2021 | 6E | 3 BR · 2 BA · 1,625 sf | $2,200,000 | $1,354/sf | -12.0% |
| Nov 17, 2021 | 3CD | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,000 sf | $1,900,000 | $950/sf | -15.6% |
| Aug 10, 2021 | 2C | 1 BR · 1 BA · 780 sf | $740,000 | $949/sf | -1.2% |
| Apr 28, 2021 | 4E | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,330 sf | $1,250,000 | $940/sf | -8.0% |
| May 22, 2020 | PH7A | 3 BR · 2 BA · 1,660 sf | $2,350,000 | $1,416/sf | -10.5% |
| Jan 31, 2019 | 4C | 1 BR · 1 BA · 1,082 sf | $1,109,500 | $1,025/sf | -11.2% |
| May 30, 2018 | 3E | 3 BR · 2 BA · 1,330 sf | $1,585,000 | $1,192/sf | +5.7% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2023) cleared a median $1,725/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 8.0% 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 1-00095-7501) 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 from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
What to know if you’re buying
You are buying the Seaport, not an amenity stack. The value here is the historic-district gateway location, the pre-war loft scale, and the river light. If that trade fits how you live, the carrying-cost math is favorable against the towers — run the True Monthly Carrying Cost Calculator against full-amenity alternatives.
Historic district means historic-district diligence. Façade, cornice, and window work in a landmarked building follow stricter standards and can be costlier. Read the reserve study and board minutes for any pending capital work, and understand that exterior alterations run through the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Small building, small board. Condominium governance here is a handful of neighbors. Review the budget, reserve posture, and house rules closely — small buildings carry low fixed costs but a narrow base over which to spread any capital surprise.
Verify the policy stack. Pets, subletting, and pied-à-terre use appear permitted per listing records, consistent with condominium ownership — but confirm the specific house rules and any leasing limits against the by-laws during diligence.
Mansion tax applies across most of the building. Full-floor and combination pricing crosses the $1 million and $2 million thresholds — run the Mansion Tax Calculator at the intended price before offering.
What to know if you’re selling
The site story is a genuine marketing asset. The Volunteer Hospital origin, the 1981 conversion by an architect who later built a supertall, and the position as the district's most visible building give the address a narrative that resonates with the exact buyer shopping the Seaport. Use it with precision.
Market the scarcity and the light. Boutique pre-war loft-scale product with river views inside a historic district is rare downtown. Position honestly against the amenity towers — lower carry, no gym — and let the location-and-format argument carry the pricing.
Use adjacent-building comps. With 25 units, your own building's history is too thin to anchor pricing. Seaport and nearby Financial District condominium trades are the right comp set, adjusted for floor, exposure, and layout.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 117 Beekman Street, also evaluate:
- 5 Beekman Street — the landmark Temple Court conversion a few blocks west, the historic-structure alternative
- 1 Park Row — pre-war conversion at the Financial District's northern edge
- 130 William Street — the modern tower alternative in the core Financial District
- 25 Park Row — new-construction condominium on the City Hall side of the district
- 1 Wall Street — the marquee office-to-residential conversion at the heart of the Financial District
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Financial District — read The Roebling Team Guide to Financial District.
Considering a move at 117 Beekman Street?
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 117 Beekman Street 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.