- Year built
- 1930
London Terrace Towers is Chelsea's only prewar coop trophy — and the full-block 14-building complex was, when completed in 1930, among the largest residential developments in the city. The structural identity rests on three features.
First, the half-Olympic indoor swimming pool — one of the more elegant residential pools in NYC. Second, the Towers/Gardens dual-structure provenance — the four corner buildings comprise the Towers cooperative (~712 units, converted 1986); the ten middle buildings remain the Gardens rental. Third, the Henry Mandel / Farrar & Watmough developer-architect pedigree — Mandel leased the site from descendants of Clement Clarke Moore in 1929 and told the New York Times he saw the project as akin to Rockefeller Center: "large-scale projects conserve valuable space."
Daytonian in Manhattan describes the architects' style as "Tuscan-themed architecture used vertical rows of alternating red and cream-colored brick, terra cotta ornamentation, whimsical carvings and exuberant mosaics."
Recent sales
- 405 W 23rd #12A — $835,000 (December 3, 2024)
- 470 W 24th #19E-F — $7.5M penthouse listing 2024 (Robb Report)
- Average $/sf 2024: ~$1,179–$1,442 across the four towers
What to know if you’re buying
The half-Olympic indoor pool is structurally distinguishing among Chelsea cooperatives.
The 80% financing maximum is among the most accommodating in Chelsea.
The 2% buyer/seller-split flip tax is structurally balanced.
The pied-à-terre tolerance is uncommon for a Chelsea cooperative.
The full-block complex and the Towers-vs-Gardens distinction are real institutional context. Verify which Tower the apartment is in.
The Babe Ruth / Sontag / Leibovitz / Harry cultural resident roster supports premium positioning.
Comparable buildings
- Walker Tower (212 West 18th Street) — Walker 1929 / 2014 condo conversion; nearby Chelsea trophy peer
- The Caledonia (450 West 17th Street) — Handel 2008; nearby Chelsea peer
- The Chelsea Mercantile (252 Seventh Avenue) — Gruzen Samton 2000; nearby Chelsea peer
- Lantern House (515 West 18th Street) — Heatherwick 2021; nearby Chelsea trophy peer
- One Madison (23 East 22nd Street) — CetraRuddy 2010; nearby Flatiron trophy peer
The Roebling Team at London Terrace Towers
Corey Cohen · The Roebling Team at Compass 646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com
Sources: Wikipedia (London Terrace); CityRealty building pages 3714, 18061, 18428, 282; Daytonian in Manhattan ("1931 London Terrace Apartments"); Brick Underground; Chelsea News "City Within a City"; Historic Districts Council "Six to Celebrate"; Compass and Douglas Elliman PM building pages; NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers.