215 West 78th Street
215 West 78th Street, New York, NY 10024
Upper West Side
BBL 1011700023 · BIN 1030906
- Year built
- 1926
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- Designated
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2025
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 2BR median
- $1.4M
- Recent range
- $1.1M – $1.7M
- Listing discount
- -5.0%
- Recorded transfers
- 40
215 West 78th Street is a handsome, impeccably maintained pre-war cooperative on one of the Upper West Side's most convenient blocks — steps from Broadway, the 1 train, and the neighborhood's dense run of restaurants, markets, and shops. Completed in 1926 to the design of Schwartz & Gross, the prolific firm behind so many of the West Side's pre-war apartment houses, it offers the proportions and finish of the era at a more accessible scale than the grand doorman towers nearby.
The building's character is settled and well-run. At 40 apartments across nine stories, it is mid-sized and community-minded, and its standout amenity — a beautifully landscaped common garden with BBQ facilities — gives residents genuine outdoor space, a rarity at this price point in the neighborhood. Converted to cooperative ownership in 1981, it has been carefully stewarded since, including a full elevator modernization.
The location is the everyday draw. Broadway's amenities are at the corner, Central Park is a short walk east, Riverside Park is a few blocks west, and the 79th Street subway makes the rest of the city easy to reach. This is the practical, livable heart of the Upper West Side.
Architecture and unit composition
Schwartz & Gross designed 215 West 78th Street as a dignified pre-war masonry apartment house, with the disciplined elevation and solid construction the firm was known for across the West Side. The building has undergone significant capital improvements over the years — including new elevators in 2011 — while preserving the period character buyers seek in pre-war housing.
Inside, the apartments carry the gracious bones of the mid-1920s: well-proportioned rooms, good light, hardwood floors, and the quiet of masonry walls. Layouts run largely to comfortable two-bedroom and family configurations, the kind of pre-war homes that anchor long-term ownership on the West Side. The building's modest height and mid-block setting keep homes calm and well-lit.
Building operations
215 West 78th Street operates as a well-run cooperative with a part-time doorman, a live-in superintendent, and a full-time porter — a service level that keeps monthlies sensible while maintaining attentive on-site care. The shared amenities are unusually appealing for the price tier: a landscaped common garden with BBQ facilities, a central laundry room, a bike room, and free storage.
The board's policies are accommodating. Pets are permitted (with some breed restrictions). Financing is allowed up to 75% — generous for a pre-war co-op and a real advantage for buyers. A 2% flip tax is payable by the buyer. Co-purchasing, guarantors, and parental purchases for adult children are permitted with board approval, which broadens access for younger and first-time buyers. The combination of high allowable financing, flexible purchase structures, and a pet policy makes the building approachable for a wide range of buyers.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $13,713/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $29
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the engineer identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair before the next inspection cycle. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 2025 | 1C | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,200 sf | $1,360,000 | $1,133/sf | +5.0% |
| Aug 22, 2024 | 2B | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,500 sf | $1,675,000 | $1,117/sf | +28.8% |
| Jul 17, 2023 | 1A | 2 BR · 1,200 sf | $1,100,000 | $917/sf | -15.1% |
| Nov 9, 2022 | 5D | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,460,000 | -2.6% | |
| Oct 14, 2022 | 3D | 2 BR · 1.5 BA · 1,100 sf | $1,262,500 | $1,148/sf | -2.5% |
| Dec 16, 2021 | 7A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,950,000 | +2.6% | |
| Mar 31, 2021 | 9A | 3 BR · 2 BA | $1,775,000 | -11.0% | |
| Feb 25, 2021 | 6 | 4 BR · 3 BA · 2,200 sf | $2,950,000 | $1,341/sf | -1.5% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $1,146/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 2.5% 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.
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 1-01170-0023) 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
The buyer-friendly terms stand out: up to 75% financing, plus permitted co-purchasing, guarantors, and parental purchases for adult children — all of which lower the barrier relative to stricter co-ops. The landscaped common garden is a genuine lifestyle amenity, and the building is pet-friendly (mind the breed restrictions). Budget for the 2% buyer-paid flip tax. With the building's reasonable monthlies and prime Broadway-adjacent location, it suits buyers who want real pre-war space without full-service pricing. Expect a standard, well-organized board process.
What to know if you’re selling
The selling case is value, location, and flexibility: a Schwartz & Gross pre-war building steps from Broadway and the 1 train, a landscaped common garden with BBQ, 75% financing, and accommodating purchase rules that widen the buyer pool. Pricing leans on the broader Upper West Side pre-war cooperative set and on the specific apartment's floor, light, and condition. We position each listing against that comparable tier, market the garden and financing latitude as differentiators, and prepare buyers for the 2% flip tax.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 215 West 78th Street, also evaluate these nearby Upper West Side cooperatives:
- 112 West 79th Street — pre-war cooperative a block north
- 127 West 79th Street — West Side co-op nearby
- 145 West 79th Street — pre-war cooperative peer
- 164 West 79th Street — Upper West Side co-op nearby
- 171 West 79th Street — established pre-war cooperative
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper West Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper West Side.
The full playbook — what goes in the package, how boards read your financials, the interview, and the timeline — plus sample cover, reference, and personal letters you can adapt.
Considering a move at 215 West 78th Street?
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 215 West 78th Street 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.