20 West Street (The Downtown Club)
20 West Street, New York, NY 10004
Financial District
BBL 1000157502 · BIN 1087243
- Year built
- 1930
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 283
- Floors
- 35
- Landmark
- Designated
- Pets
- Confirm current house rules at offer stage
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium declaration; historically investor-friendly — confirm current policy at offer stage
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
Every recorded sale at this building, 2006–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $978
- Listing discount
- 2.9%
- Recorded sales
- 595
- On record
- 2006–2026
20 West Street is one of the most historically resonant buildings in Lower Manhattan. Completed in 1930 to a design by Starrett & Van Vleck, the 35-story Art Deco tower was built as the home of the Downtown Athletic Club — and it was here, in 1935, that the club first awarded the trophy that would be renamed the following year for John Heisman. The Heisman Memorial Trophy, college football's most famous individual award, originated in this building. The Downtown Athletic Club's tower also occupies a permanent place in architectural theory: Rem Koolhaas devoted a chapter of Delirious New York to it as the emblem of what he called the "Culture of Congestion" — the vertical stacking of incompatible programs (gym, pool, dining, sleeping quarters) within a single skyscraper.
The club, financially damaged in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, vacated the building in the early 2000s. The Moinian Group converted the tower to residential condominiums, completing the conversion in 2005–2006. The building was designated a New York City Landmark in 2000, protecting its Art Deco exterior. Unlike the Battery Park City buildings a short walk to the north, 20 West Street sits on fee-simple Financial District land — there is no ground lease.
Architecture and unit composition
The 283 residences skew toward studios and one-bedrooms, with sizes running from compact studios up to duplexes approaching roughly 1,850 square feet. The conversion preserved the tower's Art Deco character while delivering lofty ceilings — many apartments carry ceiling heights well above the postwar norm, a direct product of the building's original athletic-club programming. Upper-floor and harbor-facing units carry Hudson River, Statue of Liberty, and downtown exposures.
The building's landmark Art Deco exterior — the setbacks, the crown, the ornament — is protected, and the tower remains a recognizable presence at the southwestern tip of Manhattan near Battery Park and the harbor.
Building operations
The Downtown Club operates as a full-service condominium with a 24-hour doorman and concierge and an amenity package that reflects the building's athletic-club heritage: a large fitness center with locker rooms, sauna, and a yoga room; a business center; a screening room; a residents' lounge opening to a terrace; and a landscaped roof deck with 360-degree harbor and Statue of Liberty views. Because the building sits on fee-simple land, carrying costs follow the ordinary condominium structure — common charges and real property taxes — without the PILOT and ground-rent pass-throughs that characterize nearby Battery Park City buildings.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $87,566/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $26
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
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
20 West Street has historically been one of the more accessible entry points into Financial District condominium ownership, with a unit mix weighted toward smaller studios and one-bedrooms and a buyer pool that has included a meaningful share of investors. Recent closings have spanned a wide range depending on size, floor, and exposure; smaller lower-floor units transact at the affordable end of the FiDi condo market, while larger and view-carrying upper-floor apartments command more. Current apartment-level comparable analysis — accounting for size, ceiling height, floor, and exposure — is the right basis for any pricing decision.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2026 | 8A | 1 BA · 566 sf | $642,000 | $1,134/sf | -1.1% |
| Apr 24, 2026 | 41D | 1 BA · 400 sf | $520,000 | $1,300/sf | -1.7% |
| Mar 30, 2026 | 36E | 1 BA · 510 sf | $580,000 | $1,137/sf | -3.2% |
| Mar 24, 2026 | 37G | 1 BA · 442 sf | $517,500 | $1,171/sf | -2.2% |
| Mar 16, 2026 | 27E | 1 BA · 662 sf | $566,000 | $855/sf | +13.4% |
| Dec 30, 2025 | 31C | 1 BA · 482 sf | $565,000 | $1,172/sf | -1.7% |
| Nov 18, 2025 | 18F | 2 BR · 1 BA · 1,218 sf | $999,000 | $820/sf | -20.1% |
| Nov 14, 2025 | 35C | 1 BA · 482 sf | $545,000 | $1,131/sf | off-mkt |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $978/sf across 5 sales. Median listing discount 2.9% 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 1-00015-7502) 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
No ground lease. This is a genuine differentiator versus the nearby Battery Park City condominiums. 20 West Street is on fee-simple land; carrying costs are ordinary common charges and property taxes, without PILOT or ground rent.
Understand the landmark status. The Art Deco exterior is a designated New York City Landmark; exterior alterations are constrained. This is a protection, not a burden, for most owners.
The building skews to smaller units and investor ownership. Confirm the current sublet and investor policy and the building's owner-occupancy profile if that matters to you.
Condo flexibility applies. 30–45 day closings are typical; pied-à-terre and investor use are generally permitted — confirm current house rules at offer stage.
What to know if you’re selling
The history is the marketing story. The Heisman Trophy origin, the Art Deco landmark status, and the building's place in Delirious New York are genuine points of distinction in a FiDi market otherwise dominated by anonymous conversions.
The fee-simple land is a selling point. Buyers comparing to Battery Park City will value the absence of a ground lease; make it explicit.
Price at the apartment level. Ceiling height, floor, size, and exposure drive substantial variation across the building's 283 units.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 20 West Street, also evaluate:
- 380 Rector Place (Liberty Terrace) — nearby Battery Park City waterfront condominium (ground lease)
- 377 Rector Place (Liberty House) — nearby Battery Park City condominium with on-site garage (ground lease)
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Financial District — read The Roebling Team Guide to Financial District.
Considering a move at The Downtown Club?
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 Downtown Club 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.