- Year built
- 1920
- Type
- Cooperative
- Floors
- 6
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; not in a historic district
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and City Planning records, updated February 2026
- Pied-à-terre
- Permitted
- Pets
- Pets permitted with conditions; species not stated
- Maximum financing
- 80% of the purchase price
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 2BR median, 2024–2026
- $1.2M
- 2 qualifying sales
- Recent range
- $683K – $1.2M
- Listing discount
- 2.4%
- Recorded transfers
- 32
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 233 West 21st 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.
This is a six-storey prewar elevator cooperative on the Seventh-to-Eighth Avenue block of West 21st Street, the part of Chelsea that most buyers assume is landmarked and is not. The Chelsea Historic District begins west of Eighth Avenue. Block 771 carries no entry at all in the Landmarks Preservation Commission's building database, and the two cooperatives across the street on block 770, 210 West 21st Street and 228 West 21st Street, reach the same conclusion. For an owner here, façade and window work is a DOB matter.
The building's documentation is the second distinction. The offering plan on file sets out the conversion in detail: a non-eviction plan first offered in February 1986 by a sponsor that had owned the building for thirty years, 31 apartments, 10,002 shares, a purchase price to the corporation of $4.665 million, and a $750,000 underlying mortgage held by the sponsor itself. It also records that 11 of the 31 apartments were then rent-controlled. That last fact is forty years old, but it is exactly the kind of history that decides how quickly a 1980s non-eviction conversion became an owner-occupied building.
Architecture and unit composition
The building fills a 50-foot lot just under 99 feet deep, brick-faced, with terra cotta copings, light shafts on both sides and a rear yard. The sponsor's engineer described a single Otis passenger elevator on DOB file from 1926 serving the basement through the sixth floor, with controls replaced in 1979, and a one-pipe low-pressure steam heating system fired by oil. DOB records show the burner converted to gas in 2014 and the oil tank abandoned.
The apartment letters run A through E on each floor. Listing records describe south-facing front apartments over the street, herringbone and hardwood floors, and windowed kitchens in renovated units. The combinations are visible in the record: 5C/D has traded as one apartment since at least 2014, and a 2020 DOB filing combined 1D and 1E.
Building operations
Façade and the current assessment. DOB records show a full façade repair in 2014 — cracked brick and stone, defective lintels, repointing — and DOB NOW filings show a second façade restoration with sidewalk shed and scaffold permitted in December 2023 and through 2024. Listing records for a June 2026 sale disclose a monthly shareholder assessment running until December 2026. The purpose is not stated in the listing; the timing coincides with the 2023–24 façade work. Ask the managing agent what the assessment funds and whether another is planned.
Debt. ACRIS records underlying mortgage instruments in 2004 (consolidated at $830,000), in 2013 ($800,000), and most recently in August 2022, consolidated at $1.5 million. The rate, amortisation and maturity are not in any record we hold. Across 10,002 shares, that loan is a large part of the maintenance line. Ask for the note.
J-51, now gone. Department of Finance J-51 records show a small abatement from 1976 to 1986, then abatements begun in 1989, 1990, 1996 and 2001 at 90 percent of certified cost on 14-year schedules. The last credit ran in the 2012 tax year. The current exemption detail shows no program on the lot. Eligible primary-residence shareholders receive the city's standard cooperative abatement.
Rent-regulated apartments and the sponsor. At the 1986 offering, 11 apartments were rent-controlled, and a non-eviction plan left those tenants in place. The plan let the holder of unsold shares sell or sublet without board consent. Recorded share transfers since 2007 cover a wide spread of apartments and buyers, which points to an open-market building today, but we have no current schedule of unsold shares or regulated tenancies. Ask the managing agent for both — lenders test for them.
Policy framework
Structure comes from the offering plan on file; current policy comes from listing records. Confirm each with the managing agent before offering.
- Pets: permitted with board approval.
- Pied-à-terre: permitted, per listing records last updated in 2022.
- Minimum down payment: 20 percent.
- Tax deductibility: about half of maintenance, per listing records from 2022. The figure moves with the mortgage and the tax bill.
- Proprietary lease: sales, assignments and sublets require board consent under the lease and bylaws, per the offering plan.
- Flip tax, sublet term and fee, post-closing liquidity, purchases in a trust or LLC: not documented. Ask.
Financing and purchase requirements
- Maximum financing
- 80% of the purchase priceSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the building's costs and purchase requirements.
Own an apartment here? Request an apartment-specific pricing review.
Sublet and pied-à-terre policy
A condominium owner leasing a unit and a co-op shareholder subletting are different rules, and a building-wide rule is different from a restriction on one apartment. This is the building's rule; confirm it for the specific apartment.
- Subletting by shareholders
- Not verified
- Pied-à-terre ownership
- PermittedSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the sublet and pied-à-terre rules for that apartment.
Pets and in-unit washer/dryer
- Pets
- Pets permitted with conditions; species not statedPermitted with board approval, per 2026 listing recordsSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- In-unit washer/dryer
- Not verified
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to confirm the pet and washer/dryer rules for that apartment.
Monthly carrying charges in recent sales
- Maintenance, per room
- $418 per room a monthMedian of 3 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
Maintenance as recorded with each sale. A co-op's maintenance already covers the building's real estate taxes and the building's own mortgage, if it has one; add your own loan payment for the monthly outlay. A summary of recorded sales, not a current bill; charges change.
Building staffing and amenities
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of City Planning records (PLUTO)
- Amenities noted
- Roof deck, garden, bike storage, laundry roomSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Staffing and amenities as our building profile and recent listing records describe them. A feature not listed is not confirmed absent. Outdoor space, parking and some facilities can belong to particular apartments or to a separate owner; confirm access for the specific apartment.
Local Law 97
This building is below the 25,000 sq ft threshold at which LL97 limits apply to a building on its own. It is still covered if it shares a tax lot or condominium board with buildings totaling over 50,000 sq ft; confirm on DOB’s covered-buildings list.
See full Local Law 97 analysis →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. A filed Safe grade is not a guarantee of current condition: owners still maintain the facade and, where required, observe parapets each year. Future inspection timing (Local Law 49 of 2025 changed the cycle framework from October 1, 2026), repair and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — a licensed professional engineer or registered architect who meets DOB’s FISP qualifications and signs the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Penalties shown are amounts DOB assessed against filings on record across 2005–10 to 2020–25. The FISP dataset does not record whether they were paid, contested or remain open, so treat the figure as history rather than a current balance and confirm the building’s standing with the managing agent.
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
Recent sales
Recorded share transfers run steadily from 2007 through 2026 — roughly one a year, sometimes two, against 31 apartments. The price ladder runs from studios through one-bedrooms to two-bedrooms, with the combined 5C/D at the top. Floor, exposure and renovation set the price more than anything else in a building this uniform. The competing product is other small elevator cooperatives in central Chelsea without a doorman, with the condominiums on the same blocks as the premium alternative. Unit-level transaction history is maintained in The Roebling Research Library and shared with clients during diligence.
Recent transfers at this building, from The Roebling Research Library. Prices are the transfer amounts recorded with the NYC Department of Finance; apartment-level detail is checked against the building’s own file in The Roebling Research Library before publishing.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 4, 2026 | 2B | 2 BR · 1 BA | $1,239,000 | -0.9% |
| Nov 20, 2025 | 5E | 1 BR · 1 BA | $683,000 | -2.4% |
| Nov 21, 2024 | 6B | 2 BR · 1 BA | $1,210,000 | -16.5% |
| Jun 23, 2022 | 6A | 1 BR · 1 BA | $925,000 | -2.6% |
| May 10, 2022 | 5CD | 3 BR · 2 BA | $1,740,000 | -8.2% |
| Aug 27, 2021 | 1A | 1 BA | $390,000 | -11.4% |
| Jul 26, 2021 | 1B | 2 BR · 1 BA | $855,000 | -4.9% |
| Sep 20, 2019 | 4C | 1 BR · 1 BA | $591,500 | -5.4% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2019): a median $989/sf (floor-adjusted) across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 2.4% 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 1-00771-0020). Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified in The Roebling Research Library. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price.
What would your apartment rent for?
Enter your apartment and I'll send you what it would rent for, from comparable closed leases at 233 West 21st Street and nearby.
At the recent median sale of $1.21M (3 transfers in the past 24 months, since November 10, 2024), a buyer putting 25% down would pay about $25,188 to close, or 2.1% of the price.
- Mansion tax: $12,100
- No mortgage recording tax or title insurance on a co-op purchase
- Attorneys, lender, building fees and filings: $13,088
Assumes a resale (the seller pays transfer taxes), a $4,500 attorney fee and a mortgage on the rest.
Keep up with 233 West 21st Street and its market
The Roebling Report, monthly: Manhattan sales data and analysis, including buildings like 233 West 21st Street. Unsubscribe anytime.
We’ll use your email for The Roebling Report and note your interest in this building. See our privacy policy.
What to know if you’re buying
Ask about the assessment and the mortgage together. An assessment is running through December 2026 and the underlying loan was re-set at $1.5 million in 2022. Get the note terms, the current budget and the status of the façade work before you set a number.
This is a share purchase. Board package, interview and board discretion apply. The 20 percent minimum is the listed figure; the post-closing liquidity standard is not published. Run the Co-op Board Qualification Calculator against your own numbers.
Pied-à-terre ownership is listed as permitted. That is less common than it should be in small Chelsea co-ops. The record is from 2022; confirm it is still current before you rely on it.
The tax line is full freight. The last J-51 credit ran in 2012.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the documents. An offering plan with a full engineer's report, a dated conversion and a clean landmark answer make this an easy building to diligence. Pair them with current financials and the assessment details.
Correct the landmark assumption. This block is outside the Chelsea Historic District. Buyers who assume otherwise overprice the cost of exterior work.
Disclose the assessment up front. It ends in December 2026; say so, with the monthly figure for your apartment, so it does not surface as a retrade.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 233 West 21st Street, also evaluate:
- 210 West 21st Street — a 28-unit prewar cooperative across the street on block 770; the closest like-for-like
- 228 West 21st Street — a nine-unit cooperative assembled from three townhouses, across the street
- 315 West 23rd Street — The Broadmoor, the 1926 prewar cooperative with a doorman; the step up in service
- 240 West 23rd Street — The Arcadia, a loft building converted to a cooperative
- 125 West 21st Street — The Indigo, the condominium alternative on the same street
- 251 West 19th Street — Chelsea 19, a 1910 prewar loft condominium between the same avenues
- 210 West 19th Street — a boutique prewar Art Deco condominium two blocks south
- 422 West 20th Street — the Chelsea Historic District condominium; the designated counterpoint
More Chelsea buildings
- 228 West 16th Street — 1901 co-op
- 228 West 21st Street — 1910 co-op
- Vesta 24 (231 Tenth Avenue) — 2004 condominium
- 233 West 26th Street — 1910 co-op
- 236 West 26th Street (The Capitol Building) — 1925 co-op
- 240 West 23rd Street (The Arcadia) — 1899 co-op
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Chelsea — read The Roebling Team Guide to Chelsea.
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.
How to read the facts on this page. Items attributed to an offering plan describe the building as it was offered at that filing — unit mix, square footage, the amenity program as planned. They are not a statement about how the building operates today. Tax and compliance figures are sourced separately to current City records and carry their own dates. House rules, staffing and fee policy can change by board resolution without any public filing: treat every policy line here as a starting point for diligence and confirm it with the managing agent. Where this page compares one building or neighborhood to another, that is our analysis of the recorded record — it names the measure, the period and the sample it rests on, and it is an observation about medians rather than a prediction about any particular apartment.
Considering a move at 233 West 21st Street?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com