121 West 19th Street
121 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
Chelsea
BBL 1007957501 · BIN 1087260
- Year built
- 1903
- Type
- Condominium
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2006–2025
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,400
- Listing discount
- 3.9%
- Recorded sales
- 167
- On record
- 2006–2025
121 West 19th Street, the Lion's Head Condominium, is one of the more characterful loft conversions on the Chelsea–Flatiron border. The building dates to 1903 as a masonry commercial loft, and it takes its name from the carved lion's-head ornament on its façade — a detail that gives the address both its identity and its personality. Acquired and converted by Alchemy Properties, with FXFOWLE and Hustvedt Cutler designing the residential transformation, it reopened in 2005 as 67 loft-style condominiums.
The appeal is the loft proposition done well: dramatic ceiling heights — between roughly 10 and 16 feet across the building — oversized European tilt-and-turn windows, and the open volume that comes from a real early-1900s floor plate, paired with the financing latitude and ownership flexibility of condominium structure. The location is among the most central downtown can offer, a few steps from both Chelsea's gallery district and the Flatiron's restaurant-and-retail core, with the West 23rd Street and Union Square subway hubs close at hand.
For buyers, it is a chance to own genuine loft scale — high ceilings, big light, open layouts — in a full-service condominium with a large roof deck, in a neighborhood that keeps its value.
Architecture and unit composition
The 1903 building is a solid masonry loft, and the 2005 conversion leaned into rather than against its industrial bones. The Lion's Head residences range broadly in size — from compact one-bedrooms to large lofts of nearly 4,000 square feet, including four duplex penthouses with skylights and private terraces. Ceiling heights of 10 to 16 feet and oversized tilt-and-turn windows define the interior character, delivering both light and quiet. Finishes at conversion were high-specification — rich oak floors, custom cabinetry, and professional-grade appliances were standard — and many homes have since been further upgraded. The carved lion's-head façade detail remains the building's signature flourish.
Building operations
The Lion's Head runs as a full-service condominium with a 24-hour doorman and a live-in superintendent, crowned by a landscaped roof deck of roughly 5,000 square feet with open city views — generous shared outdoor space for a building of 67 homes. As a condominium, ownership is flexible: purchases clear through a right-of-first-refusal rather than a co-op board, financing is unconstrained by co-op-style caps, and pied-à-terre, trust, LLC, and investment ownership are customary. The building is pet-friendly.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $43,356/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $54
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 →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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 2025 | 8F | 1 BR · 1 BA · 1,364 sf | $2,100,000 | $1,540/sf | off-mkt |
| Aug 7, 2025 | 9E | 1 BR · 2 BA · 1,529 sf | $2,175,000 | $1,422/sf | -13.0% |
| Apr 30, 2025 | 10C | 1 BA · 766 sf | $1,136,000 | $1,483/sf | -4.9% |
| Mar 14, 2025 | 3B | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,920 sf | $2,392,500 | $1,246/sf | -10.6% |
| Oct 16, 2024 | 2E | 1 BR · 1 BA · 1,125 sf | $1,700,000 | $1,511/sf | off-mkt |
| Feb 8, 2023 | 7A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,572 sf | $2,500,000 | $1,590/sf | -15.3% |
| Nov 3, 2022 | 5E | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,529 sf | $2,475,000 | $1,619/sf | -0.8% |
| Jun 23, 2022 | 7E | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,576 sf | $2,500,000 | $1,586/sf | +0.0% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $1,400/sf across 4 sales. Median listing discount 3.9% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.
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 1-00795-7501) 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're buying loft scale and condominium flexibility together. Ceilings of 10 to 16 feet, oversized windows, and open layouts come with flexible financing, a right-of-first-refusal rather than a board interview, and the freedom to own through a trust or LLC or to use the home part-time.
Home-to-home variation is wide here. A converted loft building spans compact one-bedrooms to near-4,000-square-foot duplexes; ceiling height, light exposure, and renovation level vary meaningfully between residences. Evaluate the specific home rather than a building-wide average.
Diligence is condominium-standard. Review the association's financials, reserves, and common charges, and — given the building's age — the condition and capacity of systems updated at conversion. The large roof deck is a genuine amenity that supports both lifestyle and resale.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the lofts and the light. Ceiling height, oversized windows, and open volume are the building's defining advantages — they are what set a Lion's Head home apart from a conventional Chelsea apartment.
Benchmark to converted-loft condominiums, not new towers or pre-war co-ops. The right comparison set is Chelsea and Flatiron's loft conversions, where buyers pay for volume, light, and character.
The roof deck and full-service staffing are closing arguments. A 5,000-square-foot landscaped roof and a 24-hour doorman are scarce at this size; feature them. Condominium closing mechanics keep the path predictable for the flexibility-minded buyer this building attracts.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering the Lion's Head, also evaluate Chelsea and Flatiron's loft and boutique condominiums:
- 15 West 20th Street — Chelsea loft condominium nearby
- 101 West 24th Street — Chelsea condominium tower
- 148 West 23rd Street — converted Chelsea loft condominium
- 212 West 18th Street — full-service Chelsea condominium
- 100 West 15th Street — a 44-unit factory-conversion co-op
- 16 West 19th Street — loft condominium on the next block
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Chelsea — read The Roebling Team Guide to Chelsea.
Considering a move at The Lion's Head Condominium?
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 Lion's Head Condominium 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.