- Year built
- 1925
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 160
- Floors
- 15
- Landmark
- Designated
- Pets
- Pet-friendly
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,734
- Listing discount
- 1.4%
- Recorded sales
- 291
- On record
- 2004–2026
The Olcott is one of the Upper West Side's most desirable prewar condominiums — a 1925 apartment-hotel by George F. Pelham that operated as a residential hotel for roughly eighty years before its 2005 conversion to condominium ownership. Its address is exceptional: 27 West 72nd Street sits on the same block as The Dakota, half a block from Central Park and Strawberry Fields, running through the block to West 73rd Street. It is a contributing building in the Upper West Side / Central Park West Historic District, and its Neo-Renaissance brick-and-terra-cotta façade over a rusticated limestone base is characteristic of the era's finest West Side apartment houses.
What makes The Olcott stand out in this micro-market is its tenure. The prestige prewar stock immediately around Central Park West is overwhelmingly cooperative — board-approval buildings with strict financing and residency rules. The Olcott is a condominium. That distinction is a genuine selling point: no board interview, financing flexibility, and openness to pied-à-terre, investment, and foreign purchase, all a half-block from the Park in a landmarked prewar building. Buyers who want Central Park West adjacency without co-op friction find very few options as compelling.
The 2005 conversion, sponsored by Brack Capital and Stellar Management, restored the building's grand lobby — marble columns and ornate elevator cabs — and delivered a condominium with a full-service staff and a modern amenity package layered onto prewar bones. The building's history adds texture: over its decades as the Hotel Olcott it housed residents including the actor Martin Balsam and the entertainer Tiny Tim.
Architecture and unit composition
The residences span studios through large three-, four-, and five-bedroom layouts and penthouses, distributed across the building's fifteen floors. Renovated apartments carry high-end kitchens and baths layered onto prewar proportions — high ceilings, thick walls, and the light that the building's West 72nd/73rd through-block footprint provides.
Pelham's Neo-Renaissance exterior is preserved under the historic-district designation; interior conditions vary apartment-to-apartment, from period-sensitive restorations to fully modernized gut renovations. Higher-floor units on the north and south flanks capture open city light, and select apartments enjoy partial Park sightlines given the building's proximity to Central Park West.
Building operations
The Olcott operates as a full-service prewar condominium with a full-time doorman, 24-hour concierge, and a live-in superintendent, plus a fitness center, children's playroom, residents' lounge with a private dining room, cold storage, and bicycle and private storage. The restored grand lobby — marble columns and ornate elevators — is a signature of the building's presentation.
Common charges and property taxes are typical for a full-service prewar condominium; buyers should model the full monthly carry at the apartment level.
Recent sales
As a condominium, The Olcott is priced per square foot. Recent resale activity has generally cleared in the range typical for a landmarked prewar condominium a half-block from Central Park — supported by the building's tenure advantage, its address, and its service level, with larger and higher-floor apartments and penthouses commanding meaningful premiums. Pricing varies with floor, exposure, and renovation condition; apartment-level comparable analysis is the correct basis for pricing any specific unit.
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 25, 2026 | 301 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 731 sf | $1,140,000 | $1,560/sf | -0.9% |
| May 4, 2026 | 605/606 | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,189 sf | $4,000,000 | $1,827/sf | +5.3% |
| Mar 25, 2026 | 209 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 620 sf | $1,075,000 | $1,734/sf | off-mkt |
| Jul 29, 2025 | 314 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 627 sf | $999,000 | $1,593/sf | -4.9% |
| Jun 27, 2025 | 1601 | 4 BR · 4.5 BA · 2,400 sf | $6,400,000 | $2,667/sf | -14.7% |
| May 13, 2025 | 908 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 750 sf | $1,475,000 | $1,967/sf | off-mkt |
| Apr 30, 2025 | G2 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,500 sf | $2,200,000 | $1,467/sf | -10.2% |
| Apr 25, 2025 | 707 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,091 sf | $1,850,000 | $1,696/sf | -11.8% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,734/sf across 3 sales. Median listing discount 1.4% 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.
Other recent transfers
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2022 | 1212 | $1,850,000 |
| Aug 30, 2013 | 214215 | $3,500,000 |
| Dec 18, 2012 | 1008 | $975,000 |
| Dec 18, 2012 | 1105 | $2,850,000 |
| Mar 15, 2011 | 1507 | $1,700,000 |
| Dec 15, 2009 | 507 | $1,495,000 |
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 1-01125-7502) 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
The condominium tenure is the differentiator. On a block dominated by co-ops, The Olcott offers no board interview, financing flexibility, and pied-à-terre, investment, and foreign-purchase openness — a half-block from Central Park.
It is a landmarked prewar building. Exterior alterations are regulated by the historic-district designation; renovation respects the prewar envelope.
Verify the apartment's condition. Interiors range from period restorations to full gut renovations; condition drives pricing at the unit level.
Confirm pet specifics. The building is pet-friendly; confirm the current policy detail with the managing agent for your situation.
Run the cliff thresholds. Larger units and penthouses transact well above the $2M, $3M, and $5M mansion-tax cliffs — run any number through the Mansion Tax Calculator.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with tenure and address. The condominium structure on The Dakota's block, a half-block from Central Park, is a rare combination — market it explicitly.
Price at the apartment level. Building averages blend studios through penthouses and a wide range of renovation conditions; recent comparables on the specific line and condition should anchor positioning.
Closing timelines are condo-fast. 30–45 days from contract to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Olcott, also evaluate:
- The Dakota (1 West 72nd Street) — the iconic co-op on the same block; tenure contrast
- The Majestic (115 Central Park West) — Art Deco co-op nearby on Central Park West
- The Kenilworth (151 Central Park West) — prewar Central Park West co-op comp
- 101 Central Park West — prewar Central Park West co-op with flexible ownership rules
- 15 West 72nd Street — Central Park West-adjacent building on the same block
The Roebling Team at The Olcott
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in Central Park West, the Upper West Side, and the broader Park-facing Manhattan market. We publish this building profile because Olcott buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architecture, tenure advantage, board context, and apartment-level pricing — not generic neighborhood commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at The Olcott, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper West Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper West Side.
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