316 West 79th Street

Schwartz & Gross gave The Kelmscott the disciplined Renaissance Revival composition that was their stock-in-trade: a masonry facade with a clearly articulated base, midsection, and crowning cornice, detailed with the restrained classicism that has kept these buildings in demand for more than a century. As the architectural twin of The Hereford next door, the building reads as part of a deliberate streetscape rather than a one-off — a hallmark of the West End–Collegiate district's pre-war coherence.

The twenty-five residences are pre-war apartments in the truest sense: generous room proportions, hardwood floors, and the high ceilings and good light that twelve-story 1910 construction allowed. Layouts run to roomy multi-bedroom homes, including three-bedroom apartments, with the gracious entry foyers and separated living and sleeping zones that pre-war buyers prize. With only about two residences per floor on most levels, the building offers a quiet, private feel uncommon at its price point.

The Kelmscott operates as a pet-friendly cooperative. Day-to-day service is provided by part-time door staff and a live-in resident superintendent, and shared amenities include a central laundry room, a bike room, a private storage room, and a roof deck with the open sky and river-adjacent light the location affords.

The building's policies are notably buyer-friendly for a pre-war co-op: financing is permitted up to 75% of the purchase price, and subletting is allowed on one-year terms with board approval, up to a maximum of roughly three years. Pets are welcome. These terms make The Kelmscott more flexible than many neighboring cooperatives and broaden its appeal to buyers who value the option of subletting or who simply want a co-op that does not impose the strictest financing limits.

Recent sales

Recent transfers at this building, from The Roebling Research Library. Prices are the transfer amounts recorded with the NYC Department of Finance; apartment-level detail is checked against the building’s own file in The Roebling Research Library before publishing.

Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2004): a median $813/sf (recorded) across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2024. Median listing discount 3.1% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.

Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01186-0091). Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified in The Roebling Research Library. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price.

The Kelmscott rewards buyers who want pre-war character and real square footage. Confirm the 75% financing allowance in the current application instructions; pets are permitted, and subletting is permitted with conditions. Buyers should still expect a standard cooperative board package and interview, and should budget for maintenance consistent with a century-old masonry building.

The location is the durable draw: a quiet block between Riverside Drive and West End Avenue, Riverside Park at the corner, and Broadway's restaurants, markets, and the 1 train within a couple of blocks. For a buyer who values that setting, The Kelmscott offers an accommodating path into it.

A sale here leads with the building's strengths: a named Schwartz & Gross pre-war cooperative, the architectural-twin distinction shared with The Hereford, genuine pre-war proportions, and an unusually flexible policy set. The 75% financing allowance widens the qualified buyer pool meaningfully relative to stricter co-ops, and the pet-friendly, sublet-permissive posture is a real marketing asset.

Pricing should be benchmarked against comparable pre-war co-ops on the Riverside and West End corridor, with adjustments for floor, light, and layout. The buyer here is someone seeking pre-war space and park proximity at a value to Central Park West — a deep and consistent segment of the West Side market. A well-presented residence, accurately positioned, tends to find that buyer efficiently.

If you're considering 316 West 79th Street, also evaluate these nearby Upper West Side cooperatives:

• 310 West 79th Street — The Hereford, the building's architectural twin next door
• 112 West 79th Street — pre-war co-op nearby
• 145 West 79th Street — Upper West Side pre-war cooperative
• 100 Riverside Drive — pre-war co-op on the Riverside corridor
• 300 West 83rd Street — West End-area pre-war cooperative