445 West 20th Street
445 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011
BBL 1007187503 · BIN 1088963
- Year built
- 1836
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 23
- Floors
- 4
- Landmark
- Designated
- Pets
- Pets permitted under the condominium rules
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium declaration
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
445 West 20th Street is one of the most unusual for-sale propositions in Chelsea: a condominium carved from a Gothic Revival building first erected in 1836, on the campus of the General Theological Seminary, inside the Chelsea Historic District. The West Building — Manhattan schist, pointed-arch detailing, four stories — was among the seminary's original structures. The Brodsky Organization's 2013 project converted it to eight condominium residences and added a new annex on the site of a former seminary tennis court, joining the two with a recessed, two-story glass court. The result is a 23-residence condominium with a provenance no new-construction tower on the corridor can replicate.
The address sits on the block that defines historic Chelsea. The General Theological Seminary's interior garden — "the Close" — is one of the largest privately held green spaces in the neighborhood, and the surrounding blocks hold the Greek Revival and Italianate row houses (including Cushman Row) that anchored the Chelsea Historic District designation. Buyers here are purchasing into that architectural context as much as into the residences themselves.
This is a small, architecturally specific building. It does not compete on amenity breadth with the glass condominiums along the High Line a few blocks west; it competes on rarity, on the historic-district setting, and on interiors that were specified for a trophy buyer pool — units ranged from roughly 1,191 to 3,790 square feet at first sale, with duplexes and penthouses carrying private outdoor space.
Architecture and unit composition
The historic West Building's eight residences retain the bones of the 1836 structure — masonry walls, generous ceiling heights, and the Gothic Revival window rhythm — reworked for contemporary residential use. The 15 annex residences are new construction in brick and glass, scaled to the historic district and connected to the West Building through the glass court. Interiors throughout were designed by Alan Wanzenberg, with the finish package pitched at the high end of 2013-era Chelsea new development.
Layouts run from one-bedrooms through three-bedroom duplexes and penthouses; the larger residences carry private outdoor space, and several units draw light and views from the seminary garden. The combination of historic-district setting, garden adjacency, and low unit count is the building's core identity.
Building operations
445 West 20th Street operates as a full-service boutique condominium: full-time doorman, resident manager, fitness center, bicycle room, and private storage, with access to the seminary's landscaped block interior. Common charges and property taxes reflect a small building with a high service level and a historic structure to maintain — buyers should model the full monthly carry and review the building's reserve position and any capital-improvement history, as is prudent with any building that includes a nearly two-century-old structure.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- Per unit / month range
- —
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 →Recent sales
445 West 20th is a low-turnover building — 23 residences, long holds, and a buyer pool drawn specifically to the historic-district setting. As a condominium, pricing is best read on a price-per-square-foot basis against the larger residences, with the historic West Building units and the garden-facing annex residences commanding the building's premiums. Sponsor sales in 2013 moved quickly at launch; resale inventory surfaces only intermittently, and individual residences have traded in the multi-million-dollar range (for example, a three-bedroom combination unit recorded a transfer at $6.5M in 2022). Because so few units exist, each closing carries outsized weight in the comparable set; apartment-level context — historic building versus annex, floor, exposure, and outdoor space — drives the number more than any building-wide average.
Recent closings at this building, sourced from NYC Department of Finance records. Apartment-level detail (line, condition, asking-price context) verified upon consultation request.
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 10, 2012 | — | $18,500,000 |
Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-00718-7503) 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 historic-district provenance is the asset. You are buying into the General Theological Seminary block and the Chelsea Historic District. That setting is permanent and unreproducible; price it accordingly.
Historic structure means diligence on building systems. The West Building dates to 1836. Review the reserve study, recent financial statements, and any capital-improvement plan during due diligence.
Condo flexibility is real. Pied-à-terre, subletting, foreign buyers, and LLC/trust ownership are permitted under the condominium declaration; closings run on condo timelines.
Mansion tax thresholds apply. At this building's pricing, the $1M, $2M, $5M and higher cliffs are routinely in play. Run pricing through the Mansion Tax Calculator.
Variable board financial policy — confirm at offer stage. Financing percentages and any sublet terms specific to your situation should be confirmed in writing before you commit.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the provenance. The 1836 West Building, the seminary garden, and the Chelsea Historic District setting are the story; marketing should foreground them.
Pricing requires apartment-level comps. With 23 residences and thin turnover, comparable selection is delicate — historic building versus annex, floor, exposure, and outdoor space all move the number.
The buyer pool is specific. Architecturally motivated buyers and those who want historic-district permanence are the core audience; reach matters more than volume.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 445 West 20th Street, also evaluate:
- 245 Tenth Avenue — Della Valle Bernheimer 2010; nearby High Line boutique condominium
- The Caledonia (450 W 17th) — Handel 2008; nearby Chelsea full-service condominium
- 100 Eleventh Avenue — Jean Nouvel 2010; nearby Chelsea architectural condominium
- 519 West 23rd Street — Lindy Roy 2008; nearby boutique High Line condominium
- 252 Seventh Avenue (Chelsea Mercantile) — 2000 conversion; large-format Chelsea condominium
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Chelsea — read The Roebling Team Guide to Chelsea.
Considering a move at 445 West 20th 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 445 West 20th 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.