- Year built
- 1914
- Type
- Cooperative
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 2BR median
- $1.4M
- Recent range
- $1.4M – $1.4M
- Listing discount
- 5.0%
- Recorded transfers
- 34
309 West 86th Street is a 1914 Schwartz & Gross cooperative on one of the Upper West Side's most coveted residential corridors — the double-wide, non-through stretch of West 86th Street between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive. That siting is the building's quiet advantage: a wide block with no through-traffic produces a hush and a light exposure that the avenue blocks cannot match, and it is the reason this short run of West End-to-Riverside cross streets has held its value across a century of market cycles.
Schwartz & Gross were among the most prolific apartment-house architects of pre-war New York, and their hand is visible here in the disciplined masonry composition: a grounded base, evenly spaced windows, and the kind of generous floor plates that the 1914 cooperatives delivered before the Depression compressed room counts. At roughly two apartments per floor across thirteen stories, the building was conceived for buyers who wanted space and privacy on a block of equally serious neighbors — and it remains exactly that today.
For a buyer, the appeal is specific: a true pre-war cooperative, intimate in scale, on a postcard West Side block a few hundred feet from Riverside Park, with the layouts and ceiling heights that only the early-twentieth-century buildings provide.
Architecture and unit composition
The building is a thirteen-story masonry pre-war in the Schwartz & Gross idiom — a substantial base, a regular grid of windows, and a roofline detailed in the firm's restrained classical manner rather than the ornamented towers of the 1920s. The double-wide block lets the front rooms take in real light and air, and the rear exposures look out over the protected interior of the block.
Inside, the 26 residences run large by Upper West Side standards, with the high ceilings, hardwood floors, and proper room separations characteristic of the era — formal entry foyers, gracious living and dining rooms, and bedroom wings held apart from the entertaining space. With only about two homes per landing, most apartments enjoy multiple exposures and a sense of a private floor. Layouts range from well-scaled two- and three-bedroom homes up to the larger full- and near-full-floor configurations that pre-war buyers prize.
Building operations
309 West 86th Street runs as a self-contained, well-kept pre-war cooperative. A full-time live-in superintendent maintains the building, with a first-floor laundry room, shared storage on each floor plus additional basement storage, a bike room, and video security. There is no doorman — common and expected for a boutique pre-war of this size on the side streets — which keeps monthly carrying costs in the moderate band for the corridor while preserving the building's quiet, residential character. The building is pet-friendly, a meaningful detail on a block this close to Riverside Park.
As with most pre-war cooperatives on the Upper West Side, purchases are subject to board review and a financing posture typical of the corridor, with subletting permitted under board policy rather than as a matter of right. These are owner-occupant terms, consistent with the building's long-standing residential character.
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
An active hazard: the building must keep a sidewalk shed up and make repairs now — expect construction, disruption, and a likely special assessment. We’d get you the repair scope and the building’s funding plan up front, so you go in knowing exactly what’s underway and what it’s likely to cost.
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 →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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2025 | 11B | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,405,000 | +0.7% | |
| May 4, 2023 | 6A | 3 BR · 2 BA | $1,265,000 | -2.3% | |
| Sep 9, 2021 | 8B | 2 BR · 1.5 BA · 1,100 sf | $1,411,000 | $1,283/sf | +4.5% |
| Aug 5, 2019 | 10A | 2 BR · 1.5 BA · 1,200 sf | $1,150,000 | $958/sf | -11.5% |
| Jun 26, 2018 | 11B | 2 BR | $1,360,000 | +5.3% | |
| Mar 29, 2018 | 9B | 2 BR · 1,200 sf | $712,500 | $594/sf | off-mkt |
| Apr 21, 2017 | PH | 3 BR | $2,880,000 | -17.6% | |
| Apr 3, 2017 | 12B | 2 BR · 1,200 sf | $2,880,000 | $2,400/sf | off-mkt |
Market read. Most recent trades (2021) cleared a median $1,283/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 4.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 26, 2026 | 11A | $1,395,000 |
| Oct 25, 2022 | 5A | $1,250,000 |
| Jan 3, 2020 | 11A | $1,500,000 |
| Jun 11, 2019 | 9A | $1,350,000 |
| Jun 23, 2017 | 1C | $1,100,000 |
| May 9, 2014 | PH | $1,375,000 |
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 1-01248-0025) 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
This is a board-approval cooperative, so plan for a complete purchase application and an interview. The reward is a genuinely scarce product: a large pre-war apartment on a double-wide Riverside-adjacent block, in a building small enough to feel personal. Prioritize exposure and floor — the front rooms on the wide block and the higher floors carry the light that defines value here — and weigh the condition of each apartment, since pre-war homes range from estate-condition originals to gut renovations. Buyers who want a quiet, owner-occupied building near the park, rather than a full-service tower with a staffed lobby, are the natural fit. We help buyers read the building's financials, benchmark the asking price against the corridor's recent trades, and prepare a board package that presents cleanly.
What to know if you’re selling
The selling case writes itself around scarcity and provenance: a 1914 Schwartz & Gross cooperative, two homes per floor, on one of the West Side's best blocks a short walk from Riverside Park. Buyers in this segment are paying for space, light, and the address, so presentation and exposure matter enormously. Estate-condition apartments should be marketed honestly to renovation-minded buyers; renovated homes should lead with their layout and light. Pricing belongs against the pre-war cooperative trades on the surrounding West End and Riverside blocks rather than the larger doorman buildings on the avenues. We position each listing to the specific buyer the building attracts and manage the board-package timeline so a deal closes without friction.
Comparable buildings
If you're weighing 309 West 86th Street, also look at these nearby pre-war cooperatives:
- 302 West 86th Street — pre-war cooperative on the same block
- 305 West 86th Street — neighboring West 86th Street cooperative
- 310 West 86th Street — pre-war cooperative across the street
- 320 West 86th Street — larger pre-war on the same block
- 300 West End Avenue — corner pre-war cooperative steps away
- 310 West End Avenue — West End Avenue pre-war cooperative
The Roebling Team at 309 West 86th Street
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Upper West Side's pre-war cooperatives — the West End Avenue, Riverside Drive, and side-street buildings where layout, light, and block quality decide value. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers on these blocks deserve building-specific intelligence rather than a generic listing summary. If you're considering a purchase or sale at 309 West 86th Street, a focused consultation is the right first step.
Get the full picture on this building.
Current availability including off-market, the full comp set, and the board & financials read most listings don't show.