- Type
- Condominium
161 Maiden Lane is a slender waterfront condominium tower at the eastern edge of the Financial District, where Maiden Lane meets the South Street Seaport and the East River. Developed by Fortis Property Group and designed by Hill West Architects, the reflective-glass tower was conceived as a boutique condominium of roughly 80 residences rising some 60 stories on one of the few true waterfront parcels in Lower Manhattan — a site with open river exposure that is genuinely rare downtown.
The building's offering plan was accepted by the New York State Attorney General, establishing it as a condominium, and the structure topped out with a profile engineered to make the most of its riverfront position: high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling glass, and the unobstructed East River, bridge, and harbor views that define its best lines. The tower's path to completion has been unusually protracted, and prospective buyers should treat the current construction status and delivery timeline as part of the diligence; what is not in question is the rarity of the location and the views it commands.
For buyers drawn to the waterfront, the appeal is the setting first: a condominium directly on the South Street Seaport edge, steps from the East River esplanade, the Seaport's restored historic district, and the dense transit cluster of Lower Manhattan, with the financial core and Brookfield Place a short walk west.
Architecture and unit composition
The tower is a study in verticality and reflection — a tall, narrow form clad in glass to maximize light and harbor exposure on a compact waterfront footprint. The Hill West design pushes the residences toward the views, with floor-to-ceiling glazing oriented to the East River, the bridges, and the open harbor to the south.
The roughly 80 residences were planned as a boutique collection across the tower's many floors, with the upper homes commanding the widest and most open water views in the building. New construction here means contemporary ceiling heights and modern systems; the riverfront orientation means light and outlook are the building's defining asset, with the premium homes capturing exposures that almost nothing else downtown can match.
Building operations
As a condominium, 161 Maiden Lane is structured for ownership flexibility. Purchases clear through a right-of-first-refusal rather than a co-op board process, financing is unconstrained by co-op-style caps, and pied-à-terre, investment, trust, and entity purchases are customary at a building of this type. The condominium framework is the lighter, more liquid ownership structure that waterfront buyers — many of whom want a second home or an investment with rental latitude — typically prefer.
Given the building's extended construction timeline, the operative diligence for any buyer is the current completion status, the delivery schedule, and the offering plan's governance of common charges, projected taxes, and finishes. We help buyers read that plan, understand where the project stands, and structure a transaction accordingly.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- Per unit / month range
- —
Recent sales
As a boutique condominium of roughly 80 residences, 161 Maiden Lane is a low-turnover building by design, with value driven almost entirely by floor and exposure — the higher and more open the water view, the steeper the premium. The building's auto-generated sales record reflects recorded transfers; for a current read on availability and pricing at a specific line, a direct conversation is the most reliable guide.
What to know if you’re buying
Buy the view and the water. The reason to own here is the riverfront position and the open East River, bridge, and harbor exposures — a setting that is structurally scarce in Lower Manhattan. Confirm the specific line's exposure and floor; the difference between an open-water home and a lower, more obstructed one is the difference that drives value in this building.
Do the diligence on status and timeline. The building's path to completion has been long; a buyer should understand exactly where construction and delivery stand, and read the offering plan closely on closing mechanics, common charges, and projected taxes. This is the central piece of any transaction here.
Lean on the condominium structure. Financing is flexible, the approval path is light, and pied-à-terre and investment purchases are permitted — advantages that suit the second-home and investment buyer this waterfront location attracts.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the water. The riverfront position and the open harbor-and-bridge views are the building's irreplaceable asset and the feature that separates a home here from the rest of the Financial District's condominium stock. Make the exposure the centerpiece of the presentation.
Benchmark to waterfront and view-driven downtown condominiums. A resale belongs against the small set of Lower Manhattan buildings that offer genuine open-water exposure — a comparison set in which floor and view, not finish alone, set the price. High, open-water homes occupy the top of that tier.
Closing mechanics are condominium-standard. A resale clears through a right-of-first-refusal with condo closing timelines — a faster, more predictable path that appeals to the flexibility-minded waterfront buyer. With a boutique unit count, comparable inventory is thin, which works in a well-positioned seller's favor.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 161 Maiden Lane, these nearby Lower Manhattan condominiums are worth evaluating:
- 20 Pine Street — Financial District condominium
- 15 William Street — Downtown condominium tower
- 75 Wall Street — Financial District condominium
- 130 William Street — Financial District condominium tower
- 25 Broad Street — Financial District condominium
- 99 John Street — Financial District loft condominium
The Roebling Team at Seaport Residences
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Financial District, the South Street Seaport, and the Lower Manhattan condominium market. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers evaluating a waterfront tower deserve building-specific intelligence — the views, the ownership structure, the construction status, and where the pricing sits against the rest of Downtown.
If you're weighing a purchase or sale at 161 Maiden Lane, a focused consultation is the right starting point.
Get the full picture on this building.
Current availability including off-market, the full comp set, and the board & financials read most listings don't show.