255 West 90th Street
255 West 90th Street, New York, NY 10024
Upper West Side
BBL 1012380010 · BIN 1033555
- Year built
- 1909
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2005–2024
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- Recent range
- $4.7M – $4.7M
- Listing discount
- 3.2%
- Recorded transfers
- 36
The Cornwall is one of the genuinely memorable buildings of the Upper West Side — a 1909 corner block whose roofline alone makes it a landmark in the colloquial sense even if not the legal one. Designed by Neville & Bagge and rising twelve stories at the northwest corner of Broadway and 90th Street, it is best known for its extraordinary crown: a riot of bold Art Nouveau ornament, foliate detail, and sculptural cresting that erupts above an otherwise composed red-brick-and-limestone façade. On a Broadway corridor full of dignified pre-war stock, The Cornwall stands out at a glance.
It is also a building with the right bones for living. Converted to a cooperative in 1981, the apartments preserve the full vocabulary of early-twentieth-century craftsmanship — high ceilings, pocket French doors, intricate woodwork, glass transoms, and in some homes onyx fireplace surrounds — within gracious, well-proportioned layouts. For buyers who want character and architecture rather than a glass tower, this is a building that delivers both.
The corner location is among the most convenient on the Upper West Side. The 1, 2, and 3 trains stop directly at the 96th Street and 86th Street stations a short walk in either direction along Broadway, with the 1 local at 86th and the express stops bracketing the building. Broadway's restaurants, markets, and shops are at the door; Riverside Park is two blocks west and Central Park roughly three blocks east.
Architecture and unit composition
Neville & Bagge were among the most prolific apartment-house architects of pre-war New York, and The Cornwall is one of their most exuberant survivors. The composition is classic Beaux-Arts in structure — a rusticated three-story limestone base, a long red-brick midsection, and an ornamental crown — but the crown is where the building departs from its peers, breaking into Art Nouveau cresting and foliate sculpture that few Broadway buildings attempt. It is a façade designed to be looked up at.
Behind it, the residences carry the period's better detailing. With roughly three to three-and-a-half dozen homes across twelve stories, the building runs a relatively low unit-per-floor count, which preserves generous room dimensions and quiet apartments. Buyers will find high ceilings, hardwood floors, original woodwork and transoms, and the deep layouts that the era favored — entry foyers, separated rooms, and proper kitchens. Renovation levels vary unit to unit, from carefully preserved original homes to fully modernized interiors.
Building operations
The Cornwall is run as a doorman cooperative with a resident superintendent and an attended step-up lobby. A roof deck takes advantage of the building's height and corner exposure, and shared infrastructure includes elevator service, a central laundry room, and basement storage. The building is pet-friendly.
As a cooperative, purchases require board approval, a financial and personal package, and an in-person interview. Monthly maintenance covers the building's underlying mortgage, real-estate taxes, staff, heat, and reserves. The board operates in the manner typical of an established West Side co-op — primary-residence orientation, customary financing limits, and a sublet policy oriented toward owner-occupancy. We help buyers review the current rules, financing cap, and any flip tax before they commit.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $2,123/yr
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $76,382/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $5 – $168
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the engineer identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair before the next inspection cycle. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
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
- Flip tax
- 1% of purchase price, paid by seller from buyer
- Sublet policy
- Sublet Surcharge 20% of monthly maintenance, billed monthly (upon approval)
- Notable fees
- Financing limited to 75% of appraised value; Recognition Agreement Fee $400 if mortgage
Recent sales
Recent transfers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2024 | 9C | 4 BR · 3 BA | $4,650,000 | -6.9% | |
| Jun 15, 2022 | 2A | 4 BR · 2.5 BA · 2,134 sf | $3,600,000 | $1,687/sf | +0.0% |
| Jul 9, 2019 | 8D | 1 BR · 1 BA · 825 sf | $875,000 | $1,061/sf | -1.7% |
| Mar 6, 2019 | PH | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,925 sf | $2,500,000 | $1,299/sf | -16.5% |
| Dec 28, 2016 | 8D | 1 BR · 1 BA · 825 sf | $825,000 | $1,000/sf | -3.5% |
| Mar 29, 2016 | 12B | 3 BR · 3 BA | $2,300,000 | -23.2% | |
| Aug 6, 2015 | 5C | 4 BR | $3,175,000 | -3.8% | |
| Jul 20, 2015 | 3D | 2 BR · 900 sf | $780,000 | $867/sf | +4.7% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2022): a median $1,236/sf across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2024. Median listing discount 3.2% 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 1-01238-0010) 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 on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
What to know if you’re buying
Buying here means buying architecture — the façade and the period interiors are the asset, and a renovation here should respect rather than erase the original detail. Plan for the co-op fundamentals: board approval, a documented package, an interview, and maintenance that reflects a fully staffed pre-war building. Confirm the financing limit, sublet policy, pet rules, and any flip tax as part of your offer strategy, since these govern resale liquidity. Inventory is thin, so a buyer who finds the right apartment in this building should be prepared to move decisively.
What to know if you’re selling
The Cornwall sells itself on distinction — the roofline, the corner, the original interiors, and the Broadway-at-90th convenience. Lead with what cannot be replicated: the Neville & Bagge architecture and the preserved pre-war detail. Renovated homes should be benchmarked against the best Broadway-corridor pre-war co-ops; original homes priced to reflect both their charm and the work a buyer will take on. Scarcity works in a seller's favor here — a well-presented apartment in a building that rarely lists draws focused demand. We position the listing against the right comparable set and manage the board package end to end.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Cornwall, also evaluate these nearby Upper West Side cooperatives:
- 35 West 90th Street — pre-war co-op a block east toward Central Park
- 127 West 79th Street — full-service pre-war cooperative on the corridor
- 145 West 79th Street — West 79th Street pre-war co-op
- 164 West 79th Street — Italian Renaissance cooperative near the Museum of Natural History
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper West Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper West Side.
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.
Considering a move at The Cornwall?
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 Cornwall 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.