- Year built
- 1917
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 89
- Landmark
- No
The DeSoto at 2460 Broadway is a 1917 Beaux-Arts apartment house by Schwartz & Gross — one of the most prolific and accomplished firms of the pre-war Manhattan apartment boom, responsible for distinguished buildings across the Upper West Side, Park Avenue, and Central Park West. Positioned on the corner of Broadway and West 91st Street, the building anchors a stretch of the Broadway corridor where some of the avenue's most architecturally serious early-20th-century apartment houses cluster.
The Beaux-Arts vocabulary is on full display: a three-story masonry base, decorative balconies, banded courses dividing the façade, and a two-story entrance surround framed by four globular sconces that leads to a marble lobby with original stained glass. The building's terra-cotta cornice — temporarily removed in 1983 and carefully restored in 1986 — is a defining element of its profile. This is the architecture of a moment when the Upper West Side's avenues were being built up with apartment houses meant to rival the townhouse living they were beginning to replace.
The Broadway corridor occupies a particular position in the Upper West Side market. Buildings here combine pre-war architecture and full-service operation with the energy and convenience of Broadway itself — the 1/2/3 trains at 96th Street and the local at 86th and 79th, the neighborhood's commercial spine, and Riverside and Central Parks each a few blocks to either side. The DeSoto delivers that combination from a corner address with the architectural pedigree to match, and with an amenity set — roof deck, children's playroom, bike room — broader than many of its pre-war peers.
Architecture and unit composition
The building's 89 apartments span 13 stories, with the layouts and proportions typical of 1917 pre-war design — formal entry, generous rooms, and the high ceilings of the era. As originally planned, units ran to gracious five-, six-, and seven-room configurations; over the building's long life some have been combined or reconfigured, and the board has historically permitted in-unit washer/dryer installation and bath additions with approval.
Corner apartments at Broadway and 91st carry dual exposures and the building's clearest light. Original detail — hardwood floors, moldings, oversized windows — survives in varying degrees depending on each apartment's renovation history. Buyers should evaluate ceiling heights, exposure, floor, and condition on an apartment-by-apartment basis.
Building operations
The DeSoto operates as a full-service pre-war cooperative with a full-time door attendant, elevator service, and a live-in superintendent. Shared amenities include a roof deck, a children's playroom, a central laundry, and a bike room — a fuller package than the bare pre-war norm. The 89-unit scale supports a stable staffing model and the operational efficiencies of a mid-sized pre-war building.
On policy, the building is welcoming by Upper West Side co-op standards: pets are permitted, financing is allowed up to 80%, and sublets are permitted with board consent. A 2.5% flip tax is paid by the seller on resale. Purchases clear through a standard board application and interview, and shareholders in primary residence benefit from the NYC co-op/condo property-tax abatement.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $34,122/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $30
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The facade passed its last inspection with no required repairs — nothing to budget for here, and no facade assessment on the horizon for roughly five years.
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
Sales context at The DeSoto:
- Turnover is moderate, consistent with an 89-unit pre-war co-op — generally a steady handful of closings per year.
- Pricing reflects the Broadway corridor's blend of pre-war character and convenience: apartments transact in line with the established UWS pre-war range, with corner and high-floor homes commanding premiums.
- Renovated and larger apartments anchor the upper end of the building's range.
With variation by exposure, floor, and condition, building-wide averages are of limited use; a current apartment-level comparable analysis is the right tool for pricing any individual home.
What to know if you’re buying
The architecture is the headline. Schwartz & Gross authorship and genuine Beaux-Arts detail — the cornice, the balconies, the sconced entrance, the lobby stained glass — distinguish the building.
The policies are accommodating. 80% financing, a seller-paid 2.5% flip tax, permitted sublets, and a pet-friendly stance make this an easier co-op to transact in than much of the avenue's stock.
Corner and high-floor apartments are the premium inventory. Exposure and light drive value within the building.
The amenity set adds daily value. A roof deck, playroom, and bike room are real differentiators in pre-war inventory.
Renovation level drives value. Condition varies across a building of this age, and the board's openness to alterations rewards thoughtful renovation.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the Beaux-Arts pedigree. The 1917 Schwartz & Gross authorship, the restored terra-cotta cornice, and the period lobby are genuine differentiators.
Foreground the amenities and the friendly rules. Roof deck, playroom, 80% financing, and permitted sublets widen the buyer pool meaningfully.
Differentiate by exposure and condition. Corner, high-floor, and renovated apartments warrant bespoke positioning.
Closing timelines are co-op standard. Generally 4–8 weeks from contract to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The DeSoto, also evaluate:
- 2380 Broadway — Broadway corridor co-op nearby
- 2480 Broadway — 1922 pre-war Broadway co-op nearby
The Roebling Team at The DeSoto
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Upper West Side, Central Park West, and the broader Park-facing Manhattan market. We publish this building profile because Upper West Side buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architecture, board culture, transactional mechanics, and pricing at the apartment level — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at The DeSoto, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
Get the full picture on this building.
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