The Central, 250 West 88th Street
250 West 88th Street, at Broadway, Upper West Side
BBL 1012357501 · BIN 1033227
- Year built
- 1920
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 60
- Floors
- 7
- Amenities
- Full-time doorman, elevator, resident superintendent, laundry room, bicycle storage and storage facilities
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; not in a historic district
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission and City Planning records, updated February 2026
- Dogs and cats
- Not permitted
- Doorman
- Full-time doorman
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, 2026 to date
- $1,365
- 2 sales
- Listing discount
- 0.6%
- Recorded sales
- 65
- On record
- 2003–2026
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at The Central 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.
The Central occupies the Broadway corner of West 88th Street, with red-brick walls, a limestone base and a rooftop addition punctuated by large skylights. Its 60 residences are held as condominiums. The apartment stock combines compact studios and one-bedroom homes with larger upper-level residences.
The building converted to condominium ownership in the mid-1990s. A full-time doorman and resident superintendent support a service model that also includes shared laundry and storage. The Broadway frontage contains the property's commercial component, while the residential address and entrance are on West 88th Street.
The rooftop addition creates a distinct group of homes within the older apartment house. Skylights and broad windows bring light into upper-level living areas from different angles, and some penthouse plans include two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Regular-floor homes retain the more conventional proportions of the main building.
Architecture and unit composition
The façade has a two-story limestone base, red brick above and pale stone at its corners. Window surrounds and the alternating materials provide the principal ornament. The rooftop addition rises above the older masonry envelope, with barrel-vaulted skylights visible in its profile.
The smaller apartments include studios in the low-400-square-foot range and one-bedroom homes of varying proportions. Some regular-floor plans have separate kitchens, while renovated homes may connect the kitchen more directly to the living area. Closet placement and entrance circulation account for part of the difference between otherwise similarly sized apartments.
The upper inventory includes larger homes and penthouses with extensive glazing. A corner penthouse sold in 2025 with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large skylight over its principal living space. Other upper homes have different room counts and window arrangements, so the rooftop level should not be treated as one repeated plan.
In-unit laundry is installed in some apartments, alongside the common laundry room. An existing washer and dryer in one residence isn't a building-wide installation right; alterations remain subject to the condominium's requirements.
Building operations
A staffed entrance and resident superintendent serve the residential portion. Bicycle storage and private storage facilities provide additional space outside the homes. Elevator service connects the residential floors, and a shared laundry room supports apartments without their own equipment.
The property has one commercial condominium unit alongside its residential tax lots. Its legal separation matters where commercial operations require access to shared parts of the building. The courtyard roof, for example, became the subject of a dispute over proposed kitchen ventilation for a commercial tenant.
In October 2025, a court granted the condominium board a preliminary injunction preventing the commercial owner from installing the disputed vent through common elements while the action continued. The decision treated the courtyard roof as a general common element for that preliminary determination. It was not a final judgment on the entire case.
Policy framework
Pets: Not permitted under the stated building policy — confirm with the managing agent.
Smoking: The building has a no-smoking policy — confirm its scope with the managing agent.
Application and transaction fees
Fees below are from building management's published schedule, as of October 2026. They are shown as published, item by item; no total is added because the total depends on the transaction. Deposits are listed apart from nonrefundable charges.
Purchase
9 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing FeePaid to management | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $700 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeePer applicantPaid to management | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $150 per applicant/adult applicant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move Out Fee contact akam for exact figuresPaid to the building | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $0.75 per square foot for apartments on floors 1-7, $1.00 per square foot of the apartment on the 8th floor | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Major/Minor AlterationsConditionalConditions: If ApplicablePaid to the building | Paid by Buyer | When Upon approval | Amount $750 for major alterations, $300 for minor alterations | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move in Fee Contact akam for exact figuresPaid to the building | Paid by Buyer | When Upon approval | Amount $0.75 per square foot for apartments on floors 1-7, $1.00 per square foot of the apartment on the 8th floor | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Closing Document Preparation FeePaid to management | Paid by Seller | When At closing | Amount $350 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move-In DepositPaid to the building | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
| Move-Out DepositPaid to management | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
| Escrow DepositPaid to management | Paid by Buyer | When At closing | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
Rental or lease
8 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing FeePaid to management | Paid by Landlord | When With the application | Amount $650 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeePer applicantPaid to management | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $150 per applicant/adult applicant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move In Fee contact akam for exact figuresPaid to the building | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $0.75 per square foot for apartments on floors 1-7, $1.00 per square foot of the apartment on the 8th floor | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move Out Fee contact akam for exact figuresPaid to the building | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $0.75 per square foot for apartments on floors 1-7, $1.00 per square foot of the apartment on the 8th floor | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move Out Fee contact akam for exact figuresPaid to the building | Paid by Landlord | When Upon approval | Amount $0.75 per square foot for apartments on floors 1-7, $1.00 per square foot of the apartment on the 8th floor | Refundable Non-refundable |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move-In DepositPaid to the building | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
Lease renewal
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing FeePaid to management | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $225 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Building Application FeePaid to the building | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $150 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Management updates its schedule without a public filing. The date is when management last updated the page, not when a rule changed. Confirm the current schedule with management before you apply.
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.
- Leasing by owners
- Not verified
- Short-term rentals
- Not permittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of October 2026
- Pied-à-terre ownership
- Not verified
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
- Dogs and cats
- Not permittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of October 2026
- 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
- Common charges + taxes, per room
- $630 per room a monthMedian of 4 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
- Common charges + taxes, per square foot
- $2.95 per square foot a monthMedian of 4 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
- Common charges alone, per square foot
- $1.68 per square foot a monthMedian of 4 listings since October 2023 that give the annual taxSource: listing records, refreshed October 2026
- Real estate taxes alone, per square foot
- $1.27 per square foot a monthMedian of 4 listings since October 2023 that give the annual taxSource: listing records, refreshed October 2026
Common charges plus real estate taxes, combined into one monthly figure the way New York condominium listings show them. Add a mortgage payment for the monthly outlay. The split into common charges and taxes comes from the listings that also give the annual tax, a different sample, so the two lines need not add up exactly to the combined median; a tax abatement can hold taxes below the full amount until it expires. A summary of recorded sales and listings, not a current bill; charges change.
Building staffing and amenities
- Doorman
- Full-time doormanSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Concierge
- YesSource: recent listing records
- Live-in superintendent
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of Buildings elevator records
- Amenities noted
- Garden, bike storage, 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
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $2,898/yr
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $63,113/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $4 – $88
- Modeled exposure split equally across 60 units (the residential count on the city's lot record). Not an assessed amount; condominium owners are typically charged by each unit's common-interest percentage.
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the inspector (QEWI) identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair, with repairs due by the deadline stated in the filing. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
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 2025–30. 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
Recent closings 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 | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 5, 2026 | 802 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 881 sf | $1,275,000 | $1,447/sf | +0.0% |
| Apr 23, 2026 | 508 | 1 BA · 425 sf | $545,000 | $1,282/sf | -5.2% |
| Sep 23, 2025 | 304 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 673 sf | $862,500 | $1,282/sf | -4.1% |
| Apr 28, 2025 | 404 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 794 sf | $899,000 | $1,132/sf | +0.0% |
| Mar 17, 2025 | PH803 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,205 sf | $1,800,000 | $1,494/sf | +0.0% |
| Oct 6, 2022 | 204 | 772 sf | $1,950,000 | $2,526/sf | — |
| Nov 11, 2021 | 509 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 700 sf | $975,000 | $1,393/sf | +0.0% |
| Oct 7, 2021 | 206 | 2 BR · 1 BA · 813 sf | $950,000 | $1,169/sf | +5.7% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026 to date) cleared a median $1,365/sf (recorded) across 2 sales. Median listing discount 0.6% 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 1-01235-7501; each condominium apartment is its own tax lot). 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; square footage from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
Closed rents at The Central, last 36 months
| Size | Leases | Median / month |
|---|---|---|
| 2 bedroom | 2 | $4,975 |
3 closed leases, October 2023 to September 2026. Most recent lease March 2024. Based on few leases. Sizes with fewer than 2 leases are not shown. Compiled by The Roebling Team at Compass from closed leases.
What would your apartment rent for?
The figures above are the building's closed leases. Enter your apartment and I'll send you what yours would rent for, from comparable leases at The Central and nearby.
At the recent median sale of $899K (5 sales in the past 24 months, since November 12, 2024), a buyer putting 25% down would pay about $33,182 to close, or 3.7% of the price.
- Mansion tax: $0
- Mortgage recording tax: $12,979
- Title insurance: $4,045
- Attorneys, lender, building fees, reserves and filings: $16,158
Assumes a resale (the seller pays transfer taxes), a $4,500 attorney fee and a mortgage on the rest.
Keep up with The Central and its market
The Roebling Report, monthly: Manhattan sales data and analysis, including buildings like The Central. Unsubscribe anytime.
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What to know if you’re buying
Courtyard-facing homes have a specific commercial-use question. The proposed ventilation installation described in the 2025 case would pass through the courtyard roof. A purchase facing that area should confirm the current court and construction status directly, including the final route of any approved exhaust equipment; the preliminary ruling doesn't tell you what was ultimately installed or authorized afterward.
Comparable buildings
- 595 West End Avenue — A prewar condominium with a similar residence count, distributed through a taller building.
- The Admaston — Another nearby prewar condominium, useful for comparing older apartment-house architecture under the same tenure.
- 215 West 88th Street — A larger prewar condominium on the same street, with a taller residential form.
- Haroldon Court — A larger prewar condominium for comparing apartment scale and services around Broadway.
- The Netherlands — A prewar condominium closer to Riverside Drive, with a comparable overall residential inventory.
- 317 West 89th Street — A smaller prewar condominium for buyers prioritizing fewer apartments within an older building.
More Upper West Side buildings
- 250 West 90th Street (The New West) — 1985 condominium by Philip Birnbaum & Associates
- 250 West 94th Street (The Stanton) — 1924 co-op by Sugarman & Berger
- 250 West 96th Street (96+Broadway) — new-construction condominium by Thomas Juul-Hansen
- 251 West 89th Street (The Admaston) — 1911 condominium by George and Edward Blum
- 252 West 85th Street — 1914 co-op by Schwartz & Gross
- 253 West 73rd Street (The Level Club) — 1925 condominium
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Upper West Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper West Side.
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 The Central?
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