- Year built
- 1942
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 65
- Floors
- 6
- Pets
- Permitted
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium declaration
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2025
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $896
- Listing discount
- 4.2%
- Recorded sales
- 43
- On record
- 2003–2025
305 West 52nd Street — the same building as 879 Eighth Avenue, sitting on the northwest corner of Eighth Avenue and West 52nd Street — is a well-serviced prewar Art Deco condominium a few blocks from Columbus Circle, Central Park, and the Theater District. Built in 1942 to a design by H. Herbert Lilien and converted to a condominium in 1986, the six-story building offers something increasingly scarce at its price point: genuine prewar bones with a condominium's flexibility, in one of Midtown West's most convenient locations.
For buyers, the draw is a manageable, well-run building — attended lobby, live-in superintendent, elevator, and full building services — steps from a Whole Foods and the Columbus Circle transit hub. As a condominium rather than a co-op, it accommodates pied-à-terre use, investment ownership, and subletting.
Architecture and unit composition
The building rises six stories in beige/tan brick with the restrained geometric detailing of its 1942 Art Deco vintage. Its corner siting gives many apartments strong light and multiple exposures.
The condominium holds 65 residential units. Asking prices have averaged around $1,074 per square foot, with recently closed sales averaging closer to $931 per square foot — a spread that reflects both the age of the building and the negotiating room typical of prewar Midtown West inventory. There are no balconies and no roof deck; value here is in the prewar layouts and the location rather than in outdoor space.
Building operations
305 West 52nd Street operates as a well-serviced prewar condominium with an attended lobby and part-time doorman, a live-in superintendent, an elevator, a laundry room, a mail and package room, owner storage lockers, and a bike room. There is no garage and no roof deck. The minimum down payment is 20%. Buyers should review the building's reserve position and any capital plans for a structure of this age during due diligence.
Recent sales
The building trades as a value-oriented prewar Midtown West condominium — recent closed sales averaging roughly $931 per square foot against asking prices near $1,074, indicating a market where well-priced units move and overreaches sit. The corner location near Columbus Circle and the Theater District, combined with condominium flexibility, underpins steady end-user and investor demand.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 31, 2025 | 2E | 2 BR · 1 BA · 1,150 sf | $999,000 | $869/sf | -23.2% |
| Dec 29, 2023 | 2E | 2 BR · 1 BA · 1,150 sf | $830,000 | $722/sf | off-mkt |
| May 9, 2023 | 4G | 5 BR · 1 BA · 500 sf | $600,000 | $1,200/sf | +9.3% |
| May 20, 2022 | 2L | 1 BR · 1 BA · 765 sf | $785,000 | $1,026/sf | off-mkt |
| Sep 6, 2019 | 4A | 5 BR · 1 BA · 510 sf | $570,000 | $1,118/sf | -4.2% |
| Jan 31, 2019 | 2C | 1 BR · 1 BA · 832 sf | $730,000 | $877/sf | -5.2% |
| Sep 17, 2018 | 5G | 1 BR · 542 sf | $619,000 | $1,142/sf | -1.7% |
| Aug 1, 2018 | 3D | 1 BR · 741 sf | $875,000 | $1,181/sf | -2.7% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $896/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 4.2% 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 1-01043-7501) 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
One building, two addresses. 305 West 52nd Street and 879 Eighth Avenue are the same corner structure — don't treat listings under the two addresses as separate buildings.
Condo flexibility applies. Pied-à-terre use, investment ownership, and subletting are all workable under the declaration.
Diligence the prewar systems. A 1942 building warrants a careful look at reserves, mechanicals, and any planned capital work.
Location is the core value. Columbus Circle, Central Park, the Theater District, and a nearby Whole Foods are all within a short walk.
What to know if you’re selling
Price to the closed comps. The gap between asking and closed pricing rewards realistic positioning.
Market the corner and the location. Light, exposures, and Columbus Circle proximity are the differentiators.
Closing timelines are condo-fast. 30–45 days from contract to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 305 West 52nd Street, also evaluate:
- 162 West 56th Street (Carnegie Plaza) — Bing & Bing 1925 prewar condo near Carnegie Hall
- 303 East 57th Street — full-service Midtown condo
- 335 East 51st Street — 1963 Midtown East condo with garage
- 240 East 46th Street — postwar Turtle Bay condo
The Roebling Team at 305 West 52nd Street (879 Eighth Avenue)
The Roebling Team at Compass publishes building-specific profiles because buyers and sellers deserve architecture, operational reality, and transactional mechanics — not generic market commentary. If you're considering a purchase or sale at 305 West 52nd Street, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Chelsea — read The Roebling Team Guide to Chelsea.
Get the full picture on this building.
The full comp set, a private valuation of your line, or current and off-market availability — sent to you directly.