15 West 81st Street
15 West 81st Street, New York, NY 10024
Upper West Side
BBL 1011950018 · BIN 1031139
- Year built
- 1930
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 119
- Landmark
- Designated
- Pets
- Pets are permitted
- Financing
- Up to 50% financing permitted
- Flip tax
- 2% flip tax (paid by the purchaser)
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 2BR median
- $2.8M
- Recent range
- $885K – $6.7M
- Listing discount
- 6.4%
- Recorded transfers
- 124
15 West 81st Street is an Emery Roth pre-war cooperative completed in 1930 — built by the same hand, in the same period, that gave Central Park West its twin-towered landmarks. Roth designed this building two doors west of his Beresford, and 15 West 81st carries the same architectural DNA at a quieter, side-street scale: an Italian Renaissance composition in beige brick and stone, capped by the refined detailing that distinguishes a Roth building from its contemporaries.
The building's defining assets are its setting and its lobby. The site occupies the full blockfront between 81st and 82nd Streets immediately off Central Park West, directly across from the American Museum of Natural History, the Rose Center planetarium, and the green of Theodore Roosevelt Park. That museum frontage is permanent open space — a view and a setting that cannot be built out — and the building's celebrated Italian Renaissance lobby, centered on a marble fountain and running the full block through, is one of the more impressive residential entrance sequences on the West Side.
Within the Central Park West Historic District, 15 West 81st represents a specific tier of Upper West Side inventory: genuine Emery Roth pre-war architecture, a museum-park setting steps from Central Park, and the proportions and detailing of 1930-era luxury apartment design — at a side-street address rather than a marquee avenue corner.
Architecture and unit composition
The 119 apartments reflect Roth's 1930 pre-war program: generous room proportions, high ceilings in the primary rooms, formal entry galleries, and the gracious layouts characteristic of the era's luxury design. Configurations span smaller one- and two-bedroom residences through substantial larger layouts and combined homes, with the prime apartments being the higher-floor and front-facing residences that look north and south over the side streets and toward the museum and park.
Pre-war signatures are present throughout: hardwood floors, period architectural detail in varying states of preservation, and the structural quality of 1930 luxury construction. The block-through Italian Renaissance lobby with its fountain and marble detailing is itself a defining architectural asset, setting the tone before a resident reaches the elevator.
North- and south-facing apartments capture the open light of the side streets; the museum-and-park frontage anchors the building's setting and the permanence of its outlook.
Building operations
15 West 81st Street operates as a full-service pre-war cooperative with a full-time doorman, a children's playroom, a fitness center, a full-service garage, central laundry, a bike room, and basement storage — an amenity package fuller than most pre-war co-ops of its vintage. The 119-apartment scale supports an established, professionally managed operating profile.
The building permits up to 50% financing and is pet-friendly. A 2% flip tax is paid by the purchaser at closing. The board posture follows Central Park West pre-war co-op norms: financially conservative, primary-residence-oriented, and attentive to package quality and renovation review within the historic district.
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 filing classified the facade as Unsafe — conditions requiring corrective action, which under FISP means a protective sidewalk shed and repairs. Review the subsequent filings, the repair status, and the building’s board and financial materials — we pull the repair scope and funding picture 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 →Management & transfer contacts
- Flip tax
- 2% of gross selling price (Buyer)
- Sublet policy
- Not allowed
- Pied-à-terre
- Not allowed
- Notable fees
- Buyer & Seller admin fee $1,000 each; move-in/out $2,500 each; background report $871/applicant (Fidelifacts); closing $800 ($850 w/o broker)
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 5, 2026 | 4E | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,400 sf | $4,400,000 | $1,833/sf | +3.5% |
| Apr 22, 2026 | 5D | 3 BR · 3 BA | $3,900,000 | -2.4% | |
| Apr 7, 2026 | 11H | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,400 sf | $2,195,000 | $1,568/sf | -12.2% |
| Dec 3, 2025 | 10B | 3 BR · 3.5 BA | $5,500,000 | -10.9% | |
| Jul 10, 2025 | PHE | 3 BR · 3.5 BA | $5,250,000 | +0.0% | |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 6 | 3 BR · 3.5 BA | $6,725,000 | -8.5% | |
| May 29, 2025 | 11E | 3 BR · 3 BA · 2,400 sf | $3,150,000 | $1,313/sf | -6.0% |
| Apr 30, 2025 | 13J | 2 BR · 2 BA | $2,095,000 | +0.0% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,698/sf across 2 sales. Median listing discount 4.0% 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 1-01195-0018) 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
The Emery Roth pedigree is real and rare. This is a genuine Roth pre-war building, contemporaneous with his Central Park West landmarks — a meaningful architectural credential.
The museum-park setting is permanent. Directly across from the American Museum of Natural History and Theodore Roosevelt Park, the building's open frontage cannot be built out.
It is full pre-war, with a fuller amenity package than most. Expect 1930-era proportions and ceiling heights, plus a fitness center, playroom, garage, bike room, and storage.
The financial terms are accommodating for a CPW co-op. Up to 50% financing is permitted and pets are allowed; budget for the 2% purchaser-paid flip tax.
Renovation is reviewed within the historic district. Work is undertaken with attention to preserving period detail.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the Roth authorship and the museum setting. The architectural pedigree and the permanent museum-park frontage are the two strongest, most identifiable marketing points; the fountain lobby reinforces both.
Pricing requires apartment-level comparable analysis. Floor, exposure, layout, and renovation history drive value more than building-wide averages.
The buyer pool values pre-war architecture and the park-block setting. Matching the apartment to that audience is the work.
Closing timelines are co-op standard. Roughly 6–10 weeks from contract signing to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 15 West 81st Street, also evaluate these nearby Central Park West and Upper West Side pre-war buildings:
- The Beresford — Emery Roth's three-tower CPW landmark, two doors east
- The San Remo — Emery Roth twin-tower CPW landmark, nearby
- The Kenilworth — pre-war CPW cooperative near the museum
- 262 Central Park West — nearby Central Park West pre-war co-op
- 15 West 72nd Street — nearby Upper West Side pre-war cooperative
- 139 West 82nd Street — adjacent-block Upper West Side building
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper West Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper West Side.
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.
Considering a move at 15 West 81st 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 15 West 81st 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.