- Year built
- 1929
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 81
- Floors
- 12
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Pet-friendly — pets/dogs permitted (board approval applies)
- Subletting
- Cooperative sublet rules apply; confirm current terms at offer stage
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2022
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- Listing discount
- 7.4%
- Recorded transfers
- 15
31 East 12th Street is a 1929 prewar cooperative in the heart of the architecturally rich East 12th Street corridor between University Place and Broadway — two blocks from Union Square and steps from NYU and The New School. It delivers the things prewar Village buyers want most: beamed ceilings, hardwood floors, windowed kitchens, large entry foyers, and wood-burning fireplaces in many apartments, in a full-service building with a 24-hour doorman.
It is worth understanding the building's setting precisely. The Greenwich Village Historic District boundary runs along University Place, which means this stretch of East 12th Street — though full of distinguished prewar buildings — lies outside the protected district. (Only Grace Church and a handful of individually recognized structures in the immediate corridor carry landmark protection.) For an owner, the practical effect is a genuine prewar building without the alteration constraints that come with a landmarked façade.
Architecture and unit composition
31 East 12th Street is a 12-story prewar masonry apartment house of 81 units, served by two passenger elevators. The apartments carry the prewar features the era is known for: beamed ceilings, hardwood floors, separate windowed kitchens, generous foyers, and wood-burning fireplaces in many units. The mix runs from studios through larger combined and duplex layouts. The wood-burning fireplaces are a meaningful and increasingly scarce feature in Manhattan and a real differentiator here.
Building operations
The building operates as a full-service cooperative with a 24-hour doorman and concierge, a live-in superintendent, two passenger elevators, a shared roof deck, central laundry, a bike room, and basement storage. There is no in-building gym and no on-site parking — consistent with a prewar building of this scale.
As with any cooperative, buyers should review the building's financial statements, the most recent reserve study, board minutes, the maintenance history, and any planned assessments or capital projects during due diligence. The board's financing, sublet, and any flip-tax policies are variable and should be confirmed at offer stage.
Recent sales
As a cooperative, 31 East 12th Street prices on a per-room and per-share basis rather than per square foot. Recent recorded sales have run roughly from the high-$300,000s for studios to around $3 million for large combined or duplex units, with normalized pricing near $1,200 per square foot. Room count, ceiling height, the presence of a working fireplace, exposure, maintenance, and renovation level drive most of the spread between comparable apartments. Specific figures should be confirmed against current recorded transfers at offer stage.
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 27, 2021 | 6E | 1 BR · 1 BA | $860,000 | -3.9% | |
| Feb 16, 2021 | 5/6D | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,772 sf | $2,850,000 | $1,608/sf | off-mkt |
| Aug 29, 2019 | 5/6D | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,772 sf | $2,985,000 | $1,685/sf | -0.3% |
| Oct 8, 2014 | 11B | 1 BR · 475 sf | $522,600 | $1,100/sf | off-mkt |
| Sep 27, 2011 | 5/6D | 3 BR · 1,772 sf | $2,550,000 | $1,439/sf | -8.9% |
| Jul 9, 2008 | 9CD | 3 BR · 1,968 sf | $2,450,000 | $1,245/sf | off-mkt |
| Jul 13, 2006 | 11B | 1 BR · 475 sf | $532,500 | $1,121/sf | -7.4% |
| May 18, 2004 | 5/6D | 3 BR · 1,772 sf | $1,995,000 | $1,126/sf | off-mkt |
Market read. Most recent trades (2021) cleared a median $1,608/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 3.9% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 8, 2022 | 5F | $540,000 |
| Mar 16, 2021 | 3D | $800,000 |
| Jul 27, 2016 | 9G | $550,000 |
| May 6, 2008 | 5C | $895,000 |
| Oct 6, 2005 | 1E | $747,000 |
| Aug 8, 2005 | 11A | $710,000 |
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 1-00564-0001) 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
The fireplaces and prewar layouts are the draw. Wood-burning fireplaces, beamed ceilings, and large foyers are what set this building apart from postwar Village inventory. Prioritize the units that have them.
It's outside the historic district. The building is not landmarked, which gives owners more latitude on alterations than landmarked Village buildings allow — a quiet advantage.
It's a co-op — expect a board. Purchases require board approval and a financial package; the board sets the minimum down payment, sublet rules, and any flip tax. Confirm those parameters at offer stage.
Run the co-op math. Factor maintenance and any assessments into your monthly carry, and run the purchase through the Buyer Closing Cost Calculator.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with prewar character and the corridor. The fireplaces, beamed ceilings, and the two-blocks-from-Union-Square location are the differentiators.
Prepare the board package early. Co-op closings move at the pace of board review; a complete package keeps the timeline tight.
Price by room, fireplace, and condition. Comparable co-op sales here turn on room count, prewar features, maintenance, and renovation level.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 31 East 12th Street, also evaluate:
- 10 East 12th Street — condominium on the same block
- 18 East 12th Street — Greenwich Village building on the same block
- 21 East 12th Street — Village peer on the same block
- 40 University Place — nearby Greenwich Village co-op
- 39 Fifth Avenue — prewar Fifth Avenue co-op nearby
The Roebling Team at 31 East 12th Street
The Roebling Team at Compass works across the Greenwich Village and Union Square cooperative market. We publish this profile because co-op buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — operations, board reality, and pricing read at the apartment level — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 31 East 12th Street, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point. We'll bring the full context this page provides plus the transactional specifics your situation requires, including board-package strategy and comparable analysis.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Greenwich Village — read The Roebling Team Guide to Greenwich Village.
Get the full picture on this building.
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