- Year built
- 1902
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 16
- Floors
- 6
- Landmark
- No
193 Second Avenue — Onyx Court — is a 1902 prewar cooperative designed by Harde & Short, the firm behind two New York City landmarks, the Red House and Alwyn Court. That pedigree shows in the building's most distinctive feature: an Art Nouveau cast-iron entrance rising from a raised vestibule, an unusually refined detail for a boutique East Village building. It sits on Second Avenue between East 12th and 13th Streets, on the stretch that once formed the heart of the Yiddish theatre district, and originally housed professional actors from the neighboring theaters. The film composer Bernard Herrmann — who scored Hitchcock's Psycho, Vertigo, and North by Northwest — lived here, part of the building's long association with creative New York.
An important correction to the record: despite a stray condominium tag in some databases, 193 Second Avenue is legally a cooperative, owned by 193 Second Ave Tenants Corporation and converted to co-op form in 1983. Individual apartments trade as co-op shares, and the building has a continuous record of seven-figure closings — units have closed from roughly $1.1 million to $1.68 million across recent years. The "1900" in some records is a placeholder; the building was completed in 1902.
What buyers respond to here is scarce: a genuine architect-designed prewar co-op with a landmark-caliber entrance, a flexible self-managed board, and a location at the center of the East Village steps from Union Square.
Architecture and unit composition
Harde & Short's design gives Onyx Court a beige-brick prewar facade distinguished by its Art Nouveau cast-iron entrance and a raised, stepped vestibule — the architecture of a firm accustomed to landmark work, applied at boutique scale. Inside, the 16 apartments across six stories retain prewar bones: high ceilings, good light, and, in some homes, fireplaces. The building was converted to a cooperative in 1983, and the unit mix runs to well-proportioned prewar layouts served by a low-rise elevator.
At six stories and 16 residences, the building is firmly boutique. It is self-managed with a live-in superintendent, and there is no doorman; the shared amenities are modest — a bicycle room, common storage, and a voice intercom.
Building operations
193 Second Avenue runs as a self-managed cooperative with a live-in superintendent and no doorman: elevator, bicycle room, common storage, and a voice intercom. The board's posture is comparatively flexible for a prewar co-op — roughly 20% minimum down, a 1.5% buyer-paid flip tax, and pet- and pied-à-terre-friendly rules, with the building reportedly carrying no underlying mortgage. Variable board financial policy to be confirmed at offer stage — the exact financing limit, flip-tax mechanics, sublet policy, and pied-à-terre terms should be confirmed in writing before you commit.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 14, 2021 | 1F | 2 BR · 1 BA | $1,100,000 | -15.1% | |
| Mar 9, 2021 | 4 | 3 BR · 1 BA | $1,600,000 | -3.0% | |
| Jun 4, 2019 | 9 | 2 BR · 1 BA · 1,100 sf | $1,130,000 | $1,027/sf | -5.8% |
| May 22, 2019 | 12 | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,682,000 | -3.8% | |
| Jan 27, 2017 | 5 | 2 BR · 1 BA · 1,025 sf | $1,200,000 | $1,171/sf | -4.0% |
| Aug 25, 2016 | 16 | 2 BR · 1 BA | $1,550,000 | -3.1% | |
| May 1, 2015 | 1F | 1 BR · 1 BA | $1,042,125 | +10.3% | |
| Jan 20, 2011 | 16 | 2 BR | $999,000 | -7.1% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2019): a median $1,027/sf across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2021. Median listing discount 3.8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2015 | 1B | $1,201,635 |
| Apr 22, 2013 | 1F | $850,000 |
| Jun 25, 2007 | 1 | $820,000 |
| Jan 11, 2007 | 10 | $880,996 |
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 1-00468-7501) 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 on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
What to know if you’re buying
This is a cooperative, not a condo. Correct any listing that says otherwise. You are buying co-op shares and a proprietary lease, subject to board approval.
The architecture is the asset. The Harde & Short pedigree and the Art Nouveau cast-iron entrance are durable, distinctive selling points; value them accordingly.
The board is comparatively flexible. Roughly 20% down, a 1.5% flip tax, and pet- and pied-à-terre-friendly rules make this a more accommodating prewar co-op than most — but confirm the current terms in writing.
Expect prewar individuality. With 16 heterogeneous units, walk each apartment on its own terms — layouts, light, and any fireplace vary.
Mansion tax thresholds apply. At this building's pricing, the $1M threshold is generally in play. Run pricing through the Mansion Tax Calculator.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the architect and the entrance. The Harde & Short attribution, the Art Nouveau ironwork, and the building's theatrical-district history are the marketing story.
Comp at the apartment level. With 16 heterogeneous units, generic neighborhood averages mislead. Price from the building's own recent trades and the closest prewar peers, adjusted for floor, exposure, and condition.
Pace for a discerning buyer pool. The natural buyer wants an architect-designed prewar co-op in the East Village and values the flexible board. A focused strategy serves the larger apartments best.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 193 Second Avenue, also evaluate these nearby East Village prewar and boutique buildings:
- 170 Second Avenue — nearby Second Avenue building
- 24 Second Avenue — nearby Second Avenue building
- 115 East 9th Street — nearby East Village building
- 30 East 9th Street — nearby East Village prewar cooperative
- 84 Third Avenue — nearby East Village building
The Roebling Team at 193 Second Avenue (Onyx Court)
The Roebling Team at Compass works the full East Village and NoHo market, including its prewar cooperatives. We publish this profile because architect-designed co-ops like Onyx Court trade on factors generic market commentary misses — the Harde & Short pedigree, the entrance detail, the board's flexible posture, and the apartment-level idiosyncrasies of a converted prewar building.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 193 Second Avenue, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point. We'll bring the building-specific context this page provides plus the transactional specifics your situation requires — board strategy, comparable analysis, and pacing.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across East Village + NoHo — read The Roebling Team Guide to East Village + NoHo.
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