- Year built
- 1920
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 16
- Floors
- 6
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2004–2025
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,300
- Listing discount
- 2.7%
- Recorded sales
- 22
- On record
- 2004–2025
50 Avenue A — Hearth House — is a boutique Alphabet City building whose defining features are in its name: wood-burning fireplaces and, in many residences, large private terraces overlooking the East Village. It sits on Avenue A between East 3rd and East 4th Streets, one block from Tompkins Square Park, directly across from the limestone bulk of the historic Church of the Most Holy Redeemer, whose facade fills the view from the building's east-facing outdoor space. This is a prewar structure, dated to around 1920, that was gut-renovated into a set of high-specification homes and now trades as one of Alphabet City's more sought-after small buildings.
An important correction to the record: despite being labeled a condominium in some databases, 50 Avenue A is legally a cooperative — specifically a condop, a co-op corporation (Hearth House Owners Corp) that operates with condo-like flexibility on financing, subletting, and pieds-à-terre. Individual apartments here genuinely trade as co-op shares, and recent closings confirm an active ownership market at the top of the Alphabet City range, including a large terraced residence that sold in the high-$2 millions in early 2025. This is an ownership building, not a rental.
What buyers respond to here is scarce in the neighborhood: a real fireplace, genuine private outdoor space measured in the hundreds of square feet, and a boutique, quiet building steps from Tompkins Square Park — with a board posture far more flexible than the prewar co-op norm.
Architecture and unit composition
Hearth House is a six-story prewar masonry building that was comprehensively renovated into a small collection of individually distinct homes. The apartments are high-specification: renovated kitchens with premium appliances, in-unit washer/dryers as standard, individual thermostats, and — the building's signature — wood-burning fireplaces. Many residences carry large private terraces, with the top-floor duplex and triplex penthouses adding private roof terraces and solariums; terraces here have been cited at 880 to 950 square feet, a genuinely rare amount of private outdoor space for the neighborhood.
At six stories and roughly 16 to 17 residences served by a single elevator, the building is firmly boutique. There is no doorman; Hearth House runs quiet and low-key, with a handful of homes per floor.
Building operations
50 Avenue A runs as a boutique condop cooperative without a doorman: elevator, bicycle room, and common storage, with the building's character carried by the individual residences rather than a shared amenity package. As a condop, the board applies more flexible financing, subletting, and pied-à-terre policies than a traditional Manhattan co-op, subject to board approval and interview. Maintenance runs on the higher side, consistent with the individual heating systems and high-specification renovations. Variable board financial policy to be confirmed at offer stage — financing limits, the specifics of the sublet policy, and any flip tax should be confirmed in writing before you commit.
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 | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 28, 2025 | 2AB | 3 BR · 2.5 BA | $2,875,000 | -0.9% | |
| Oct 5, 2023 | 5D | 2 BR · 2 BA · 940 sf | $1,200,000 | $1,277/sf | -4.0% |
| Mar 29, 2022 | PH6B | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,750,000 | -2.5% | |
| Jul 27, 2021 | PH6A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $2,177,000 | +9.1% | |
| Aug 20, 2018 | PH6B | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 975 sf | $1,555,000 | $1,595/sf | -2.8% |
| Feb 1, 2017 | 2D | 2 BR | $1,175,000 | -6.0% | |
| Sep 29, 2015 | 6B | 1 BR · 975 sf | $1,225,000 | $1,256/sf | +11.4% |
| Dec 5, 2013 | 2D | 2 BR | $845,000 | -0.6% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2023): a median $1,300/sf across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2025. Median listing discount 2.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 3, 2006 | RES | $1,305,000 |
| Aug 30, 2006 | 6C | $1,250,000 |
| Oct 24, 2005 | 2D | $785,000 |
| Oct 21, 2005 | RES | $785,000 |
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 1-00399-7501) 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; square footage on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
What to know if you’re buying
The fireplaces and terraces are the asset. Wood-burning fireplaces and large private outdoor space are genuinely scarce in the East Village; they define value here. Price and prioritize accordingly.
Confirm the condop terms. This is a co-op with condo-like flexibility, but the exact financing limits, sublet policy, and any flip tax vary — get them in writing before you commit.
Expect prewar individuality. The building was gut-renovated into distinct homes, several as duplexes or triplexes with private roof space. Walk each unit on its own terms; no two are identical.
Budget the carry. Maintenance runs on the higher side given individual systems and premium finishes; model the full monthly cost.
Mansion tax thresholds apply. At this building's pricing, the $1M and $2M cliffs can be in play. Run pricing through the Mansion Tax Calculator.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the hearth and the terrace. The fireplace, the private outdoor space, and the Tompkins Square location are the marketing story; foreground them.
Comp at the apartment level. With roughly 16 heterogeneous units, generic neighborhood averages mislead. Price from the building's own recent trades and the closest boutique peers, adjusted for floor, terrace size, and condition.
Pace for a discerning buyer pool. The natural buyer wants a fireplace and real outdoor space in the East Village and values the condop flexibility. A focused, patient strategy serves the larger terraced homes best.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 50 Avenue A, also evaluate these nearby East Village and Alphabet City buildings:
- 143 Avenue B — nearby Alphabet City building near Tompkins Square Park
- 89 Avenue A — nearby Avenue A boutique building
- 97 Avenue B — nearby Alphabet City building
- 217 East 7th Street — nearby Alphabet City boutique condominium
- 115 East 9th Street — nearby East Village building
The Roebling Team at 50 Avenue A (Hearth House)
The Roebling Team at Compass works the full East Village and Alphabet City market, including its boutique co-ops and condops. We publish this profile because ownership buildings like Hearth House trade on factors generic market commentary misses — the fireplaces, the private outdoor space, the condop board posture, and the apartment-level idiosyncrasies of a gut-renovated prewar building.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 50 Avenue A, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point. We'll bring the building-specific context this page provides plus the transactional specifics your situation requires — board strategy, comparable analysis, and pacing.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across East Village + NoHo — read The Roebling Team Guide to East Village + NoHo.
Get the full picture on this building.
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