321 West 78th Street
321 West 78th Street, New York, NY 10024
Upper West Side
BBL 1011860059 · BIN 1031114
- Year built
- 1925
- 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
- $1.6M
- Recent range
- $562K – $2.5M
- Listing discount
- 4.0%
- Recorded transfers
- 66
321 West 78th Street sits on one of the most charming residential blocks on the Upper West Side — a tree-lined townhouse street between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive, a short walk from Riverside Park. Built in 1925 and designed by Sommerfeld & Sass, the nine-story building is a graceful pre-war: red brick and limestone, with three-story pilasters rising to frame a canopied entrance. On a corridor where the celebrated full-service towers can feel imposing, 321 West 78th is the human-scaled alternative — a doorman pre-war on a quiet block, close to the river.
Built as a rental and converted to cooperative ownership in 1979, the building has been a share-and-board co-op for more than four decades. What makes it stand out among pre-wars is its accommodating house rules: it is pet-friendly, permits washer/dryers in apartments, and allows pied-à-terre purchases with board approval — a combination of flexibilities that many older West Side co-ops still resist, and one that materially widens the building's appeal.
Architecture and unit composition
The building is a well-mannered example of mid-1920s Upper West Side design. The red-brick façade is detailed with limestone, and the entrance is framed by pilasters that rise three stories and sheltered by a canopy — a dignified, restrained street presence that fits the townhouse block rather than overpowering it. At nine stories, the building keeps a low, neighborly profile that the side-street setting rewards.
The 56 apartments carry the pre-war virtues — solid room proportions, real foyers, good light — on a comfortable scale. Because the building permits washer/dryers, owners can install in-unit laundry, a convenience that older pre-wars frequently forbid and that buyers increasingly require. A renovation and alteration cycle in 1987 modernized common systems while preserving the building's character. The combination of pre-war bones and contemporary-friendly rules is the building's core value.
Building operations
321 West 78th Street is run as a full-service cooperative with a full-time doorman and a live-in superintendent. On-site amenities include a central laundry room, common storage, and bicycle storage. The house rules are notably accommodating: the building is pet-friendly, permits washer/dryers in apartments, and allows pied-à-terre purchases with board approval. On the financial side, the co-op permits financing up to 75% of the purchase price and charges a 2.5% flip tax at closing. That flexible posture — doorman service paired with modern-living rules — is unusual for a pre-war of this vintage and is a genuine differentiator on the corridor.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $55,199/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $82
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
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 →Management & transfer contacts
- Flip tax
- 2.5% of the sales price
- Sublet policy
- Allowed. Sublet Fee 10% of monthly maintenance
- Notable fees
- Application Processing Fee $700; Move In Fee $500
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 | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 7, 2026 | 5B | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,595,000 | +0.0% |
| Jan 7, 2026 | 5A | 3 BR · 2 BA | $2,400,000 | -4.0% |
| Jul 14, 2025 | 6F | 1 BR · 1.5 BA | $562,000 | -10.1% |
| Mar 4, 2024 | 8C | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $950,000 | -20.5% |
| Sep 7, 2023 | PHC | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $2,250,000 | +12.8% |
| Sep 7, 2023 | 10C | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $2,250,000 | +12.8% |
| May 12, 2023 | PH10B | 1 BR · 1 BA | $1,185,000 | -13.8% |
| Apr 28, 2023 | 9A | 3 BR · 2.5 BA | $2,500,000 | +0.2% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2018): a median $1,668/sf across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 2.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2006 | 6B | $625,000 |
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 1-01186-0059) 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.
What to know if you’re buying
The house rules are the differentiator. Pet-friendly, washer/dryers permitted, and pied-à-terre purchases allowed — for a 1925 co-op, that flexibility is rare and valuable. If in-unit laundry or a part-time home is a requirement, this building accommodates where many neighbors will not.
The terms are reasonable. Financing to 75% and a 2.5% flip tax are standard for a full-service pre-war; budget the flip tax as a seller cost at exit.
Buy for the block. The tree-lined townhouse setting between West End and Riverside, a short walk to Riverside Park, is a durable amenity in itself — quiet, central, and close to the river, with the doorman service that supports value.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the flexibility. A pet-, washer/dryer-, and pied-à-terre-friendly pre-war reaches buyers that stricter co-ops turn away — make those rules a headline, not a footnote.
Position the block and the service. The townhouse-street location near Riverside Park and the full-time doorman are the lifestyle case; pair them with the pre-war room proportions in the marketing.
Benchmark to flexible doorman pre-wars in the West 70s. Comparable analysis belongs against other full-service co-ops on the prized side streets between West End and Riverside, not against generic inventory — the rules and the location set the building's tier.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 321 West 78th Street, also evaluate these nearby pre-war Upper West Side cooperatives:
- 320 West 83rd Street — pre-war cooperative on a nearby side street
- 324 West 83rd Street — neighboring West 83rd Street cooperative
- 329 West 77th Street — pre-war cooperative one block south
- 322 West 72nd Street — full-service pre-war nearby
- 680 West End Avenue — West End Avenue cooperative nearby
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper West Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper West Side.
The full playbook — what goes in the package, how boards read your financials, the interview, and the timeline — plus sample cover, reference, and personal letters you can adapt.
Considering a move at 321 West 78th Street?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 321 West 78th Street would likely sell for today, what it costs to sell, and what you’d walk away with — reviewed personally against condition, exposures, renovation quality, and the competition actually on the market.