129 Fifth Avenue
129 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003
BBL 1008480074 · BIN 1016187
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; in the Ladies' Mile Historic District
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission records, updated February 2026
- Maximum financing
- 80% of the purchase price
- Flip tax
- 2% of the purchase price, paid by the seller
Construction chronology: 1902–03 (129–131 Fifth Avenue, Israels & Harder) and 1900–01 (the connected 4 East 20th Street building, John Corley Westervelt), per the Landmarks Preservation Commission; PLUTO carries 1905
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A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 129 Fifth Avenue 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.
129 Fifth Avenue is a piece of the city's retail history converted into one of the Flatiron district's most characterful loft co-ops. Built in 1902–03 to designs by Israels & Harder as an addition to the Lord & Taylor store, on property of the James A. Roosevelt estate, it belongs to the era that made the surrounding blocks — the Ladies' Mile — the most fashionable shopping destination in turn-of-the-century New York. Lord & Taylor moved uptown in 1914; the building became showrooms and lofts, and was converted to residential use in 1979–80. Today it is a residential cooperative inside that landmark fabric.
The building is actually a pair of connected structures: a Beaux-Arts front on Fifth Avenue at 129–131 — limestone at the ground story, brick and terra cotta above — and the earlier Lord & Taylor building behind it at 4 East 20th Street, built in 1900–01 and recorded by LPC as neo-Grec in brick and iron. The combination produced loft homes of unusual generosity — many of them duplexes, with the dramatic 18-foot ceilings, ten-foot windows, and original cast-iron columns of a building designed as a grand emporium rather than as housing.
For buyers, the appeal is rare: authentic commercial-loft scale and detail, inside a protected historic district, on Fifth Avenue at the heart of the Flatiron; the preserved historic fabric is specific to this property, but ceiling height and room volume are not inherently impossible in new construction.
Architecture and unit composition
The Fifth Avenue elevation is Beaux-Arts: a limestone ground story with brick upper floors and terra-cotta detail. The East 20th Street building behind it, designed by John Corley Westervelt and completed in 1900–01, is recorded by LPC as neo-Grec, in brick with metal and iron, from the era when iron let architects assemble light-filled commercial facades quickly. Both are protected within the Ladies' Mile Historic District, which governs exterior changes and anchors the building's preservation.
Inside, the conversion preserved what makes the building extraordinary: the soaring ceilings — up to roughly 18 feet — the ten-foot windows, and the structural cast-iron columns that punctuate the floor plates. The result is an intimate co-op of loft residences, many configured as duplexes, with open volume and light to evaluate in the particular home rather than assume unique to department-store conversions. Layouts vary widely, shaped by the original column grid and window placement rather than by a standardized plan.
Building operations
129 Fifth runs as a boutique cooperative, with the lower-key staffing and self-directed management common to small loft co-ops of this kind. The building's defining "amenity" is the architecture itself — ceiling height, light and preserved historic fabric — within an elevatored structure on one of Manhattan's signature avenues.
As a cooperative, purchases here are subject to board review: prospective buyers assemble a board package and sit for an interview, and the board sets policy on financing, subletting, pied-à-terre use, and pets. The building's documented terms are 80% maximum financing and a 2% flip tax paid by the seller; buyers and sellers should confirm the current financing, sublet terms, and flip tax through the building's house rules and managing agent as part of a transaction.
Application and transaction fees
Fees below are from building management's published schedule, as of September 2026. They are shown as published, item by item; no total is added because the total depends on the transaction. Deposits are listed apart from nonrefundable charges.
- Terms
- Equal to 2% of sales price
- Rate
- 2% of the purchase price
- Paid by
- Seller
Source: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Purchase
5 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application FeeConditional | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $400 if ALL CASH; $500 if financing | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeeRequired | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $50 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Financing Fee, if applicableConditional | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $275 | Refundable Not stated |
| Move In Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $2,500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move Out Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $2,500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Sublet
5 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move Out Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $1,000 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $50 per applicant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move In Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $1,000 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Sublet renewal
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $300 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Refinance
1 item
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Ownership transfer
3 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $200 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $50 per applicant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Transfer Fee | Paid by Buyer | When At closing | Amount $800 | Refundable Not stated |
Management updates its schedule without a public filing. The date is when management last updated the page, not when a rule changed. Confirm the current schedule with management before you apply.
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the building's costs and purchase requirements.
Own an apartment here? Request an apartment-specific pricing review.
Financing and purchase requirements
- Maximum financing
- 80% of the purchase priceSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $35,038/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $79
- Modeled exposure split equally across 37 units (the residential count on the city's lot record). Not an assessed amount; co-op shareholders are typically charged by share allocation.
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. A filed Safe grade is not a guarantee of current condition: owners still maintain the facade and, where required, observe parapets each year. Future inspection timing (Local Law 49 of 2025 changed the cycle framework from October 1, 2026), repair and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — a licensed professional engineer or registered architect who meets DOB’s FISP qualifications and signs the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
Management & transfer contacts
- Flip tax
- 2% of sales price (seller)
- Policies and fees
- Max financing 80%; sale $400 all-cash/$500 financing app, $50 credit, $2,500 move-in and $2,500 move-out; transfer fee $800
Recent sales
Recent transfers at this building, from The Roebling Research Library. Prices are the transfer amounts recorded with the NYC Department of Finance; apartment-level detail is checked against the building’s own file in The Roebling Research Library before publishing.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 22, 2026 | 601 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,800 sf | $3,350,000 | $1,861/sf | +1.5% |
| Jun 22, 2022 | 602 | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,800 sf | $2,800,000 | $1,556/sf | -3.3% |
| Jul 27, 2021 | 301 | 3 BR · 2 BA | $2,325,000 | -5.1% | |
| Jan 29, 2021 | 201 | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,873,125 | +1.3% | |
| Jul 13, 2017 | PH803 | 2 BR · 1,800 sf | $3,950,000 | $2,194/sf | +5.3% |
| Jun 14, 2017 | 304 | 1 BR | $1,700,000 | -5.3% | |
| Aug 31, 2015 | 601 | 1 BR · 2 BA · 1,800 sf | $2,240,150 | $1,245/sf | +35.8% |
| Oct 31, 2014 | 301 | 3 BR | $1,581,000 | +5.8% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026 to date) cleared a median $1,861/sf (recorded) across 1 sale. Median listing discount 1.6% 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.
Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-00848-0074). Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified in The Roebling Research Library. 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.
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What to know if you’re buying
This is a cooperative, so plan for the co-op process: a board package, an interview, and board-set rules on financing, subletting, and pied-à-terre use. The specific features to inspect are 18-foot ceilings, oversized windows, cast-iron columns, and duplex loft layouts. Confirm the board's financing cap and sublet policy before you bid, and budget for the realities of an early-1900s loft structure — windows, mechanical systems, and floor plans shaped by the original design. The Ladies' Mile protection is a long-term asset for the building's character and context.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the loft and the landmark. Genuine department-store-scale volume — ceiling height, light, cast-iron columns — inside the Ladies’ Mile Historic District provides a specific architectural history; comparable volume and light may also be available in newer buildings. Benchmark to the Flatiron and Ladies' Mile loft segment, where character and ceiling height drive value, rather than to standardized condominium product. Assess current competing supply using listings and dated sales; the few-dozen-home count and presentation alone do not establish a scarcity advantage. Be ready to speak to the co-op's financing and sublet posture, since the qualified, owner-occupant buyer this building attracts will want clarity on board policy early.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 129 Fifth Avenue, also look at these nearby Flatiron and lower-Fifth options:
- 141 Fifth Avenue — Flatiron condominium conversion nearby
- 105 Fifth Avenue — lower-Fifth loft building
- 212 Fifth Avenue — landmark Flatiron conversion
- 2 Fifth Avenue — Greenwich Village cooperative at Washington Square
- 24 Fifth Avenue — Emery Roth's 1926 Greenwich Village cooperative
More Flatiron buildings
- Armorie (114 East 25th Street) — condominium
- 119 East 23rd Street (Crossing 23rd) — 2005 condominium by H. Thomas O'Hara Architects
- The Camera Building, 122–124 East 25th Street — 1907 condominium
- 140 Fifth Avenue — 1899 co-op
- 141 Fifth Avenue (Merchants Bank Building) — 1897 condominium by CetraRuddy Architects
- 175 Fifth Avenue (The Flatiron Building) — 1902 condominium
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Flatiron — read The Roebling Team Guide to Flatiron.
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.
How to read the facts on this page. Items attributed to an offering plan describe the building as it was offered at that filing — unit mix, square footage, the amenity program as planned. They are not a statement about how the building operates today. Tax and compliance figures are sourced separately to current City records and carry their own dates. House rules, staffing and fee policy can change by board resolution without any public filing: treat every policy line here as a starting point for diligence and confirm it with the managing agent. Where this page compares one building or neighborhood to another, that is our analysis of the recorded record — it names the measure, the period and the sample it rests on, and it is an observation about medians rather than a prediction about any particular apartment.
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646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com