12 West 96th Street
12 West 96th Street, New York, NY 10025
- Year built
- 1930
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 69
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $967
- Listing discount
- 3.7%
- Recorded sales
- 39
- On record
- 2004–2026
12 West 96th Street is a 1930 Italian Renaissance cooperative set a half-block off Central Park West, putting Central Park itself within a one-minute walk of the front door. It belongs to the generation of stately apartment houses that rose on the Upper West Side's prime cross streets in the late 1920s — masonry buildings built to a palazzo template, with a substantial limestone base, restrained classical detailing, and the generous bones that define pre-war living on this side of the park.
The building's appeal is the rare combination of genuine pre-war architecture and an everyday-livable scale. Across 17 stories and 69 apartments, the residences run mostly to one- and two-bedroom homes carrying the period's hallmarks: high beamed ceilings, decorative moldings, herringbone floors, and well-proportioned rooms with good light. It converted to cooperative ownership in 1970, and decades of stable resident ownership have kept the building's pre-war character intact.
What sets 12 West 96th apart for a buyer is location. The block runs straight to Central Park; the park's North Meadow, reservoir running track, and the 96th Street transverse are all immediate. Central Park West's express subway at 96th Street — the B and C local plus the 1, 2, and 3 a short walk to Broadway — makes this one of the better-connected residential pockets on the Upper West Side, with the dining and grocery spine of Broadway and Columbus a block or two west.
Architecture and unit composition
The exterior follows the Italian Renaissance palazzo idiom that defined the era's better West Side buildings: a three-story limestone base anchoring the street, decorative masonry above, and the dignified vertical proportions of 1930s apartment design. The lobby and common areas carry the pre-war vocabulary of the period.
Inside, the apartments are the draw. The roughly 69 residences are weighted toward one- and two-bedroom layouts with the room sizes and ceiling heights that newer construction rarely matches — beamed ceilings, original moldings, herringbone hardwood floors, and the deep windows of a masonry building. Many homes have been individually renovated over the decades, so kitchen and bath condition varies line to line; the specific apartment's exposure, floor, and renovation history drive value. Higher floors gain open light and, on the right lines, glimpses toward the park to the east.
Building operations
12 West 96th Street operates as a full-service pre-war cooperative. A full-time elevator attendant staffs the building, supported by a live-in superintendent and package and mail handling. Residents have a central laundry room, and the building permits in-unit washer/dryer installations — an amenity not every pre-war co-op allows.
On board policy, the building is straightforward and owner-friendly by pre-war standards. Pets are welcome. Subletting is permitted with board approval, generally for one year at a time with possible extension to a two-year maximum — a posture that accommodates owners who need temporary flexibility without opening the building to investor churn. Financing and primary-residence expectations follow Upper West Side cooperative norms; a clean financial profile carries a purchase package here.
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 facade passed its last inspection with no required repairs — nothing to budget for here, and no facade assessment on the horizon for roughly five years.
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
- Flip tax
- 2% of purchase price (transfer fee, Seller)
- Sublet policy
- Hardship only; resident-owner 5+ yrs; fee 10% of monthly maintenance; max 2 yrs
- Notable fees
- Buyer processing $700 + $125 credit; Closing $850 ($1,100 mail)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 3, 2026 | 2D | 2 BR · 1.5 BA · 1,200 sf | $1,075,000 | $896/sf | -8.1% |
| Jun 20, 2025 | 15C | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,190,000 | -4.8% | |
| Apr 25, 2025 | 7C | 2 BR · 1.5 BA · 1,200 sf | $1,300,000 | $1,083/sf | -3.7% |
| Jul 18, 2024 | 4C | 2 BR · 1.5 BA · 1,200 sf | $1,125,000 | $938/sf | +2.3% |
| Aug 11, 2023 | 6E | 3 BR · 2 BA · 1,495 sf | $1,775,000 | $1,187/sf | off-mkt |
| Aug 22, 2022 | 5A | 3 BR · 2 BA · 2,175 sf | $2,425,000 | $1,115/sf | -5.8% |
| Oct 15, 2021 | 14D | 2 BR · 1 BA · 1,285 sf | $1,300,731 | $1,012/sf | +4.1% |
| Aug 17, 2021 | 12D | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,020,500 | +2.6% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $967/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 3.7% 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.
Other recent transfers
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 5, 2024 | 13C | $1,250,000 |
| Oct 24, 2023 | 11D | $1,150,000 |
| Jul 10, 2019 | 8D | $1,500,000 |
| Oct 24, 2017 | 8/9C | $3,507,000 |
| Feb 6, 2013 | 8D | $1,295,000 |
| Aug 21, 2009 | 8C | $1,040,000 |
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 1-01209-0037) 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
You're buying pre-war character a half-block from Central Park. Beamed ceilings, herringbone floors, and palazzo-era proportions, with the park essentially at the corner — that combination is the building's core value.
The rules are accommodating. Pets are welcome, in-unit washer/dryers are permitted, and subletting is allowed with board approval — meaningfully more flexible than many prime pre-war co-ops.
Underwrite the specific apartment. With layouts running one- to two-bedroom and renovation levels varying line to line, the individual home's floor, exposure, and condition determine value far more than building-wide generalizations.
Plan for a standard co-op board process. A complete financial package and primary-residence intent strengthen an application here.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the park and the pre-war bones. A half-block walk to Central Park, an Italian Renaissance envelope, and original detail are the headline — emphasize them ahead of anything else.
The flexible rules widen your buyer pool. Pet-friendliness, in-unit laundry, and sublet latitude appeal to a broader set of buyers than the strictest avenue co-ops attract; market them.
Price to the apartment. Floor, exposure, and renovation level drive value across a varied one- and two-bedroom unit mix; comparable analysis should be line-specific.
Closing timelines are co-op standard. Plan for roughly 6–10 weeks from contract to closing, subject to board scheduling.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 12 West 96th Street, also evaluate:
- 41 West 96th Street — nearby West 96th Street full-service co-op
- 275 West 96th Street — comparable Upper West Side elevator building
- 250 West 94th Street — nearby full-service co-op a few blocks south
- 35 West 90th Street — pre-war Central Park West–adjacent peer
- 175 West 93rd Street — comparable Upper West Side cooperative
The Roebling Team at 12 West 96th Street
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Upper West Side, Central Park West, and the broader Park-facing Manhattan market. We publish this profile because Central Park–adjacent buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architecture, board rules, transactional mechanics, and apartment-level pricing — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 12 West 96th Street, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper West Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper West Side.
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