- Year built
- 1901
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 23
- Floors
- 9
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Confirm specifics at offer stage
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium bylaws
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
Every recorded sale at this building, 2009–2020
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,578
- Listing discount
- 6.5%
- Recorded sales
- 24
- On record
- 2009–2020
21 Ludlow Street is a boutique pre-war loft condominium at the southern edge of the Lower East Side, on Ludlow between Canal and Hester — the seam where the LES meets Chinatown. Built in 1901 as a loft/commercial building and converted to condominium ownership in 2006, it is one of the earlier condominium conversions on this part of the Lower East Side: authentic pre-war loft bones, an elevator, and the deeded flexibility of condominium ownership in a neighborhood still dominated by tenement walk-ups and co-ops.
For the buyer who wants a genuine downtown loft with condominium latitude — no board interview, pied-à-terre and investment use permitted — inside the density and energy of the Lower East Side, 21 Ludlow is a clean proposition: a small, pre-war, elevatored condominium with real loft scale on one of the most atmospheric streets downtown.
Building operations
The condominium runs on a boutique loft model: an elevator, a central laundry room, in-unit washer/dryers, outdoor entertainment space, and terraces or balconies on select residences. There is no full-time doorman — typical and appropriate for a 23-unit pre-war loft condominium, and a factor in keeping common charges contained.
As a condominium, ownership is by deed rather than shares. Purchases avoid the share-loan structure and interview process of a cooperative; financing is a matter between buyer and lender; and pied-à-terre, investment, and subletting uses are permitted under the bylaws. Pet rules, any transfer fee, and specific sublet terms should be confirmed against the current bylaws at offer stage.
Recent sales
Condominium pricing is read on a per-square-foot basis, and 21 Ludlow trades as a boutique pre-war loft condominium — loft-scale layouts, pre-war character, and the flexibility premium that deeded ownership commands. With only 23 residences, resale volume is thin: a handful of closings in an active year. Pricing is driven by floor, exposure, outdoor space, layout, and renovation condition rather than by any neighborhood average, and the loft scale and elevatored, deeded structure are part of the value story. When underwriting a purchase or a list price, capture the specific unit's square footage, floor, light, outdoor space, and finish level rather than leaning on an LES headline number.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 13, 2020 | 2C | 1 BR · 1 BA · 568 sf | $880,000 | $1,549/sf | -11.6% |
| Sep 26, 2019 | 5C | 2 BR · 1 BA · 568 sf | $850,000 | $1,496/sf | off-mkt |
| Sep 6, 2018 | 3B | 1 BR · 1 BA · 650 sf | $893,750 | $1,375/sf | off-mkt |
| Jun 7, 2018 | 5B | 1 BR · 1 BA · 650 sf | $980,000 | $1,508/sf | -6.7% |
| Jul 27, 2017 | 8B | 1 BR · 1 BA · 650 sf | $1,070,000 | $1,646/sf | -4.9% |
| Jun 2, 2017 | 9B | 1 BR · 1 BA · 650 sf | $1,300,000 | $2,000/sf | -5.5% |
| May 26, 2016 | 8B | 1 BR · 1 BA · 602 sf | $950,000 | $1,578/sf | off-mkt |
| Mar 22, 2013 | 3B | 1 BR · 610 sf | $595,000 | $975/sf | off-mkt |
Market read. Most recent trades (2020) cleared a median $1,578/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 6.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 18, 2019 | 8A | $765,000 |
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 1-00298-7503) 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
This is a condominium, so the path is straightforward: no board interview, financing set by your lender, and a review of the building's financials, reserve, and bylaws during due diligence. Read the bylaws on pet rules, any transfer fee, and sublet terms, and confirm them at offer stage. As a pre-war loft building converted in 2006, review the reserve and any capital-planning history on the building envelope, the elevator, and systems — a pre-war conversion carries its own diligence profile.
The reasons to buy are the loft and the flexibility: an authentic pre-war loft with an elevator, deeded ownership with pied-à-terre and investment latitude, and a boutique scale in the heart of the Lower East Side at the Chinatown border.
What to know if you’re selling
The story is pre-war loft character with condominium flexibility. A 1901 loft building with high ceilings, an elevator, and deeded latitude is a specific, marketable proposition that sells to buyers who want authentic downtown space and modern ownership terms inside the LES. Pricing is an apartment-specific exercise: square footage, floor, light, outdoor space, and condition drive the number. We position the loft narrative, benchmark against the right tier of boutique Lower East Side condominiums, and market to the downtown buyer who wants character and flexibility together.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 21 Ludlow Street, also look at these Lower East Side and downtown boutique buildings:
- 196 Orchard — Lower East Side condominium nearby
- 48 Orchard Street — boutique Lower East Side condominium nearby
- 7 Essex Street — boutique Lower East Side condominium nearby
- 38 Delancey Street — Lower East Side condominium nearby
- 155 Henry Street — boutique pre-war Lower East Side condominium
- 115 Norfolk Street — design-forward Lower East Side condominium
The Roebling Team at 21 Ludlow Street
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Lower East Side and the broader downtown condominium and cooperative market. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers of boutique pre-war condominiums deserve building-specific intelligence — the architecture, the condominium structure, the staffing and amenity reality, and where pricing sits against the right comparable tier.
If you're weighing a purchase or sale at 21 Ludlow Street, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
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