- Year built
- 1929
Walker Tower is, per Carter Horsley, "Chelsea's finest Art Deco building" — Penthouse 1 set the downtown sale record at $50.9 million to an anonymous all-cash buyer. The structural identity rests on three features.
First, the Ralph Thomas Walker architectural pedigree — Walker was the Art Deco architect of "One Wall Street and the Barclay-Vesey Telephone Building at 140 West Street, two of Lower Manhattan's masterpieces." Second, the vertical telephone-exchange conversion — Verizon retains the lower 8 floors with a separate 17th Street entrance, while the upper 47 condominium units sit above. Third, the landscaped roof deck spanning eight setbacks with dining area, sun lawn, observation area, covered cabana room, trellised allee, two overlook terraces, and open bar.
Recent sales
- Penthouse 1 set the downtown price record at $50.9 million (anonymous all-cash buyer)
- Cameron Diaz purchased a 3,022-sf three-bedroom for $9M+
- Interested buyers included Jeff Bezos, Ryan Seacrest, Blake Lively + Ryan Reynolds
What to know if you’re buying
The Ralph Walker architectural pedigree is real institutional context.
The downtown sale record at $50.9M for Penthouse 1 establishes the trophy pricing.
The roof deck across eight setbacks is structurally distinctive.
The Cameron Diaz / Bezos / Seacrest / Lively-Reynolds buyer profile anchors institutional positioning.
The Smallbone kitchens, Waterworks bathrooms, and herringbone oak flooring anchor premium interior register.
Condominium structure produces maximum policy flexibility.
Comparable buildings
- London Terrace Towers (410 W 23rd) — Farrar & Watmough 1930; nearby Chelsea prewar peer
- 100 Eleventh Avenue — Nouvel 2010; nearby Chelsea starchitect peer
- 520 W 28th (Zaha Hadid) — Hadid 2017; nearby Chelsea starchitect peer
- HL23 (515 W 23rd) — Denari 2011; nearby Chelsea High Line peer
- Lantern House (515 W 18th) — Heatherwick 2021; nearby Chelsea peer
The Roebling Team at Walker Tower
Corey Cohen · The Roebling Team at Compass 646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com
Sources: CityRealty (Carter Horsley review, May 28, 2013, building 49071); The Real Deal Walker Tower coverage; JDS Development Group portfolio; Property Markets Group portfolio; walkertowernyc.com; Haute Residence ($50M sale); NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers.