253 West 73rd Street (The Level Club)
253 West 73rd Street, New York, NY 10023
Upper West Side
BBL 1011657501 · BIN 1030558
- Year built
- 1925
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 144
- Floors
- 19
- Landmark
- Designated
- Pets
- Pet-friendly (owners; policy may differ for renters and is at management discretion)
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium bylaws (confirm current house rules)
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
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
- $1,270
- Listing discount
- 3.3%
- Recorded sales
- 199
- On record
- 2003–2026
The Level Club is one of the most storied conversion buildings on the Upper West Side — a landmarked 1920s Masonic clubhouse turned residential condominium, and one of the few Manhattan apartment buildings whose façade tells a genuine iconographic story. Built in the mid-1920s by a group of Freemasons and named for the Masonic "level" symbol, the Level Club was a monumental Neo-Romanesque clubhouse and hotel: a reported multi-million-dollar program that included an Olympic-size swimming pool, a theater, and a gymnasium, wrapped in a façade dense with Masonic symbolism — columns corbeled as the heads of King Solomon and Hiram Abiff, bronze globes crowning its twin towers, and carved emblems across the base.
The building's later life reads like a New York morality tale. The club failed at the end of the 1920s and passed into foreclosure; the building then served as a hotel, and later as a drug-rehabilitation center, before a 1984 conversion re-imagined it as residential condominiums. That history left behind a building of rare architectural character — nineteen stories of setbacks and twin towers, with apartments carved from an institutional structure of unusual scale and craft.
Its landmark status is now secure. The Level Club is a contributing building in the West End–Collegiate Historic District Extension, designated by the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2013 — protection that recognizes both the building itself and its place in one of the West Side's most cohesive prewar streetscapes.
The location is core Upper West Side. Mid-block on West 73rd between Broadway and West End Avenue, the building sits in the West End–Collegiate landmark corridor, a short walk from Riverside Park, Lincoln Center, and the express subway at 72nd Street.
For buyers, the Level Club offers something distinct: landmarked architectural character with a genuine story, full-service condominium living, and condo flexibility, at price points below the trophy tiers of the neighborhood.
Architecture and unit composition
The building's Neo-Romanesque design — from a Clinton & Russell-lineage firm — is its signature. The nineteen-story massing steps back to twin towers crowned by bronze globes, and the base carries the Masonic iconography that makes the façade one of the most recognizable on the West Side.
The residences run from studios through three-bedrooms, including duplexes and a penthouse, reflecting the flexibility of the converted institutional floor plate. Prewar character is common — hardwood floors, high ceilings, and, in some homes, private outdoor space and city views. In-unit washer/dryers are permitted in some apartments with board approval. Upper-floor and tower units capture the strongest light and the best outlook.
Building operations
The Level Club operates as a full-service condominium with a 24-hour doorman, concierge and porter staff, a resident superintendent, and elevators, supported by a central laundry, a children's playroom, secure bike storage, and a package room. The condominium is investor- and pied-à-terre-friendly — listing practice across the building has long welcomed pied-à-terre and investor buyers, consistent with condo ownership.
As with any landmarked prewar conversion, buyers should confirm the current common-charge and tax picture, review the reserve position and any assessments, and check recent capital work — with attention to the landmark façade and the building's twin-tower massing — during due diligence. Confirm current sublet and pet rules with management at offer stage.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- Per unit / month range
- —
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
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 →Management & transfer contacts
- Sublet policy
- Allowed; board has 30-day waiver review; short-term/AirBnB not allowed
- Notable fees
- Buyer application $700; credit report $125/applicant; move-in fee $500; move-in/out refundable deposit $3,000; transfer fee $500; transfer agent closing fee $1,000; guarantors allowed
Recent sales
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 29, 2026 | 9G | 1 BR · 1 BA · 800 sf | $1,150,000 | $1,438/sf | +0.0% |
| Jun 26, 2026 | 3A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,662 sf | $1,573,000 | $946/sf | -1.6% |
| Apr 3, 2026 | 5O | 1 BA · 641 sf | $749,000 | $1,168/sf | -6.3% |
| Mar 9, 2026 | 2G | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,263 sf | $1,475,000 | $1,168/sf | -1.6% |
| Dec 16, 2024 | 2M | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,094 sf | $1,450,000 | $1,325/sf | -1.3% |
| Nov 25, 2024 | 14DE | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,796 sf | $3,275,000 | $1,823/sf | -6.3% |
| Nov 21, 2024 | 5M | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,063 sf | $1,600,000 | $1,505/sf | -1.2% |
| Oct 22, 2024 | PH1D | 1 BR · 1 BA · 720 sf | $1,025,000 | $1,424/sf | -6.4% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,270/sf across 4 sales. Median listing discount 3.3% 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.
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 1-01165-7501) 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
Condo flexibility is real. Straightforward financing, foreign-buyer friendly, pied-à-terre and investor use permitted, and subletting allowed under the bylaws. Confirm current house rules with management.
You're buying a landmark with a story. The Level Club's Neo-Romanesque façade, Masonic iconography, and twin-tower silhouette are genuinely distinctive. That character is the value — prioritize floor, tower position, light, and condition.
Underwrite a landmarked conversion. As a designated contributing building, exterior work is subject to landmark review, and the twin-tower massing is a substantial structure to maintain. Review common charges, taxes, reserves, assessments, and the façade / capital history closely.
Layouts vary widely. Apartments carved from a former institutional building differ meaningfully in proportion and configuration. See units in person and evaluate each layout on its own terms.
Location is a strength. Mid-block on a landmarked block near Riverside Park, Lincoln Center, and the express subway.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the architecture and the story. The Level Club's landmark status, Masonic history, and twin-tower façade are a marketing asset few buildings can match.
Price at the apartment level. Floor, tower position, outdoor space, and condition drive value more than any building average. Comparable analysis should be apartment-specific.
Position against landmarked UWS conversions and full-service condominiums. The right comparables are character-rich West Side prewar condominiums, not new-construction towers.
Closing timelines are condo-fast. 30–45 days from contract to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 253 West 73rd Street, also evaluate:
- 105 West 73rd Street — prewar building on the same block
- 123 West 74th Street — prewar residential building one block north
- 200 West 72nd Street — full-service Broadway-corridor condominium
- 200 Amsterdam Avenue — modern new-construction UWS condominium tower
- The Dakota (1 West 72nd Street) — the archetypal Upper West Side landmark cooperative
- The San Remo (145 Central Park West) — twin-towered Emery Roth cooperative on Central Park West
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper West Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper West Side.
Considering a move at The Level Club?
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 The Level Club 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.