313 West 119th Street (Brownstone Lane II)

Per the offering plan, the north building on West 120th Street has three ground-floor residences with private rear yards, four residences a floor on the second through sixth floors, and two a floor on the seventh and eighth. The south building on West 119th Street has seven duplexes across the first and second floors, each with a private front entrance and a private rear yard; eight residences a floor on the third and fourth floors; and four duplexes across the fifth and sixth. The common courtyard between the two buildings holds the playroom and recreation area.

The residence count therefore breaks out 27 and 27. The duplexes with their own street entrances are the building's signature product and the closest thing in the building to a townhouse; they are also the residences most exposed to garage noise, which the plan discloses for certain first-floor units near the parking unit.

The parking unit and the storage unit have been held by a sponsor-affiliated entity since December 2007, per ACRIS. The plan requires that any parking spaces offered for sale or lease go first to unit owners, as Section 60 of the Multiple Dwelling Law requires. One residence, 3G, is owned by the condominium itself.

The offering plan budgeted a superintendent and a 24-hour doorman, which is a heavier staff load than most 54-unit Harlem condominiums carry. The first-year budget is now nearly two decades old and should not be used for underwriting. Request the current budget, the most recent audited statements, the reserve position, and the Local Law 11 facade status from the managing agent. Ask as well about compliance with the 421-a building-service prevailing-wage requirement. HPD has pursued that requirement against other condominiums on this corridor, including 2280 Frederick Douglass Boulevard.

The HPD enforcement mortgage. At each original closing the purchaser signed a Secured Enforcement Note and Mortgage in favor of HPD for the unit's share of the land debt, set by the offering plan at between $5,000 and $450,000 depending on the unit. The note bears no interest and requires no payments while the conditions are met. In ACRIS, most residences carry the $5,000 minimum and sixteen carry six-figure amounts. If the initial purchaser sells before the 25-year period ends, the outstanding balance is paid to HPD from the sale proceeds. ACRIS records many of these mortgages as satisfied, typically at resale.

Primary residence for 25 years. HPD's eligibility guidelines, per the plan, required each original purchaser to be a New York City resident at application and to occupy the unit continuously as a primary residence for at least 25 consecutive years after buying from the sponsor. For the earliest closings that period runs to 2032. Whether any occupancy obligation binds a later owner depends on the recorded instruments for the specific unit, not on this summary. That is a title question.

Right of first refusal, leasing, pets: The by-laws and house rules are on file in the Compass Offering Plan Library. Sublet terms, pet rules and any board waiver process should be confirmed with the managing agent. On units still under an HPD enforcement mortgage, the occupancy covenant limits leasing and pied-à-terre use.

Flip tax / resale contribution: Not documented in the material reviewed. Confirm with the managing agent.

Real estate taxes — the 421-a, with the years. The Department of Finance exemption file carries exemption code 5114, the 25-year 421-a, on all 56 unit lots, with a 2005 base year, a benefit start of fiscal 2009 and the benefit still at 100 percent on the fiscal 2027 roll. The offering plan states the schedule for this program area (Manhattan north of 110th Street): full exemption on the increase in assessed value during construction and for 21 years, then a 20-point reduction each year for four years. From a fiscal 2009 start that means full benefit through fiscal 2029 (the year ending June 2029), then 80 percent in fiscal 2030, 60 in 2031, 40 in 2032 and 20 in 2033, with full taxation from fiscal 2034 (July 2033). The exemption covers only the increase above the 2005 base value, so the land-era base is taxed now.

Recent sales

Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01946-7501) 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.

Get the HPD mortgage status on the specific unit first. Pull ACRIS for the unit lot. If the original Secured Enforcement Mortgage is still open of record, your attorney needs a payoff or satisfaction from HPD at closing. Budget time for it, because HPD payoffs do not move at the speed of a bank payoff.

Model the tax step-up now. A buyer closing in 2026 is three fiscal years from the first 421-a reduction and seven from full taxes. Run the True Monthly Carrying Cost Calculator on both the current and the post-2033 tax.

Know which building you are in. The north and south buildings have different floor plans, heights and exposures. The duplexes are in the south building on West 119th Street.

Parking is not included. The garage is a separate unit held by a sponsor affiliate. Ask what spaces are available and on what terms.

Clear the HPD mortgage before you list, not after you sign. If you are the original purchaser, the note balance is due from proceeds. Order the payoff letter early, and give the buyer's attorney the satisfaction or payoff position up front.

Lead with the tax dates, stated exactly. "25-year 421-a, fiscal 2009 start, full benefit through fiscal 2029" holds up when a buyer's attorney checks it. "Tax abated" does not.

Correct the city data. PLUTO's 56 units includes the parking and storage lots, and the 8-story figure describes only the north building. Some records list 313 West 119th Street and others 310 West 120th Street. Put all of that in the listing file.

If you're considering Brownstone Lane II, also evaluate:

• 309 West 118th Street (Brownstone Lane) — the first phase, one block south, by the same design firm; the same townhouse-scale idea on a through-block lot, with its own active 25-year 421-a
• 301 West 118th Street (SoHa 118) — the larger full-service condominium at the Frederick Douglass Boulevard corner of the adjoining block
• 2280 Frederick Douglass Boulevard — a later HPD-assisted mixed-income condominium on the boulevard, also on a 25-year 421-a
• 2131 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (The Livmor) — boulevard condominium with a 25-year 421-a starting three years later
• 1400 Fifth Avenue — the larger HPD-assisted mixed-income condominium of the same era, with a stricter deed-level occupancy covenant
• 88 Morningside Avenue — a later GF55 condominium a few blocks west
• 100 West 119th Street (The Normandie) — the prewar-conversion alternative on the same street
• 300 West 122nd Street (300 West) — newer corridor condominium with no abatement; the carrying-cost counterexample