The Rousseau (2280 Broadway / 221 West 82nd Street)
2280 Broadway, New York, NY 10024
- Year built
- 1923
- Type
- Condop
- Units
- 98
- Floors
- 17
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Permitted
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,201
- Listing discount
- 2.3%
- Recorded sales
- 122
- On record
- 2003–2026
The Rousseau is an Emery Roth building — and one of a matched twin pair. In 1922–23, Roth designed two nearly identical Italian Renaissance Revival apartment houses for the developer Sam Minskoff: the Jerome Palace, which fills the Broadway blockfront between West 82nd and West 83rd and is known today as The Rousseau, and the Myron Arms next door at 222 West 83rd Street. Together they anchor a quintessentially 1920s stretch of the Broadway corridor, with the building's rusticated limestone base, brown-brick shaft, terra-cotta ornament, and arched Roth crown reading as a classic "background building" of the era.
The Rousseau's structure is unusual and worth understanding precisely. It is a condop — a residential cooperative that sits within a condominium and operates under condominium-style rules. In practical terms, buyers purchase shares in the cooperative corporation and receive a proprietary lease, but the building transacts without the board interview and with the financing and use flexibility associated with condominiums. It combines much of a co-op's price advantage with much of a condo's ease of purchase — a genuinely appealing middle ground for the right buyer. Because the ownership is co-op-based, apartments are best understood on a price-per-room basis.
The location adds to the appeal. The building sits directly on Broadway at 82nd Street, with ground-floor retail (including the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble) at its base, steps from the 79th and 86th Street subway stations and a short walk from both Central Park and Riverside Park. For buyers who want Emery Roth prewar character with a streamlined, condo-style purchase, The Rousseau is a distinctive option.
Architecture and unit composition
The residences span one-bedroom through three-bedroom layouts across the building's seventeen floors, in the gracious prewar proportions characteristic of Roth's Broadway-corridor work — high ceilings, entry foyers, and generous room sizes. Renovation condition varies apartment-to-apartment, and in-unit washer/dryers are permitted subject to building approval.
Roth's Renaissance Revival massing steps back toward a penthouse level crowned by his signature triple-arch tower. The full-blockfront footprint yields light on the Broadway, West 82nd, and West 83rd Street exposures, with open city outlooks on the upper floors.
Building operations
The Rousseau operates as a full-service building with a 24-hour doorman, a live-in resident superintendent, a marble lobby, a landscaped roof deck, a children's playroom, bicycle and private storage, and a central laundry. As a condop, buyer transactions run without a board interview, and the building's rules are streamlined relative to a traditional cooperative — a 20% minimum down, pied-à-terre purchase permitted, and a flexible subletting policy after an initial residency period.
Monthly maintenance covers the building's operating costs consistent with the cooperative operating model; buyers should review the building's financials and house rules during due diligence, including confirming the current subletting terms and any flip tax for their specific situation.
Recent sales
As a cooperative-based building, The Rousseau is best understood on a price-per-room basis, with maintenance and building financial health considered alongside the apartment itself. Recent activity has generally cleared in the range typical for a well-located Broadway-corridor prewar building — with one-bedrooms in the high-six-figure range and larger three-bedroom apartments in the low-to-mid single-digit millions depending on room count, floor, and renovation condition. The condop structure, which pairs co-op pricing with condo-style ease of purchase, supports the building's marketability. Apartment-level comparable analysis is the correct basis for pricing any specific unit.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2026 | 11E | 3 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,710,000 | +6.9% | |
| May 5, 2026 | 2B | 1 BR · 1.5 BA | $880,000 | -4.9% | |
| Apr 27, 2026 | 5C | 2 BR · 1,400 sf | $1,650,000 | $1,179/sf | off-mkt |
| Mar 10, 2026 | 14D | 3 BR · 3 BA | $2,550,000 | -7.3% | |
| Sep 10, 2025 | 1D | 1 BR · 1 BA · 850 sf | $770,000 | $906/sf | -2.4% |
| Jan 10, 2025 | G15 | 3 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,800 sf | $2,895,000 | $1,608/sf | off-mkt |
| Jul 15, 2024 | 8G | 3 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,850 sf | $2,925,000 | $1,581/sf | -5.5% |
| Jun 18, 2024 | 9C | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,980,000 | +0.3% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,201/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 2.3% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 28, 2024 | 12F | $3,100,000 |
| Jan 26, 2022 | 9B | $849,000 |
| Dec 22, 2021 | 15B | $950,000 |
| Mar 5, 2018 | 14B | $899,000 |
| May 24, 2016 | 2B | $625,000 |
| Aug 18, 2014 | 4B | $745,000 |
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 1-01230-7501) 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 from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
What to know if you’re buying
The condop structure is the key. You purchase shares and a proprietary lease, but there is no board interview and the rules run condo-style — a middle ground between co-op pricing and condo flexibility.
Financing and use terms are favorable. A 20% minimum down, permitted pied-à-terre purchase, and a flexible sublet policy distinguish The Rousseau from traditional cooperatives.
Confirm the specifics. Because condop terms vary, confirm the current subletting policy, any flip tax, and financing terms for your specific line during due diligence.
Emery Roth prewar character is the draw. High ceilings, gracious rooms, and the building's twin-of-the-Myron-Arms pedigree define the apartments.
Run the cliff thresholds. Larger apartments transact above the $2M mansion-tax cliff — run any number through the Mansion Tax Calculator.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the condop advantage and the architecture. The no-board-interview, condo-style structure paired with Emery Roth prewar character is a genuine differentiator — market it explicitly.
Price by room count and condition. Comparable sales turn on room count, floor, and renovation condition; recent comparables should anchor positioning.
Prepare a clean package. Even without a board interview, buyers complete a purchase application; a clean, well-documented package moves the transaction efficiently.
Closing timelines fall between co-op and condo pace. Expect a timeline shorter than a full board-approval co-op but with cooperative-corporation paperwork.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Rousseau, also evaluate:
- The Ansonia (2109 Broadway) — landmark Beaux-Arts condominium on the Broadway corridor
- The Apthorp (2211 Broadway) — landmark prewar condominium nearby
- 2373 Broadway (The Boulevard) — full-service Broadway-corridor condominium comp
- 215 West 90th Street (Haroldon Court) — prewar Broadway-corridor condominium comp
- 205 West 76th Street (The Bard) — full-service Upper West Side condominium nearby
The Roebling Team at The Rousseau
The Roebling Team at Compass works the Upper West Side and its Broadway corridor as part of our broader Park-facing Manhattan practice. We publish this building profile because Rousseau buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architecture, the condop structure, board and financing mechanics, and pricing at the apartment level — not generic neighborhood commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at The Rousseau, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper West Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper West Side.
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