50 West 96th Street
50 West 96th Street, New York, NY 10025
Upper West Side
BBL 1012090053 · BIN 1031740
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 1999–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,242
- Listing discount
- 2.5%
- Recorded sales
- 55
- On record
- 1999–2026
50 West 96th Street is one of the more visually striking pre-war cooperatives on the upper reaches of the Upper West Side — a fifteen-story Italian Renaissance palazzo in red brick and terra cotta, set a half-block from Central Park between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. Designed by the prolific George F. Pelham in the late 1920s and converted to a cooperative in 1980, it pairs serious pre-war architecture with a location that puts the park, the express subway, and the Columbus Avenue retail spine all within a block or two.
The building's case is space plus ornament plus access. Pelham gave it a richly decorated entrance under a canopy, a detailed base, and an elaborate crown — the kind of terra-cotta program that signals a building built to last rather than to a budget. Inside, large pre-war layouts have been improved over the decades by combinations into bigger family homes, and the cooperative permits the upgrades modern buyers want, including in-unit washer/dryers — a meaningful differentiator at this vintage.
Architecture and unit composition
Pelham designed across the Upper West Side and Washington Heights in the 1910s and 1920s, and 50 West 96th is among his more elaborate residential outings: an Italian Renaissance composition with a strong base, restrained shaft, and an ornamented crown, executed in red brick with generous terra-cotta detail. The result is a building that holds the corner of its block with real presence.
Behind the façade, the 61 apartments run from one- and two-bedrooms to larger three-bedroom combinations, with the wide windows, high ceilings, and hardwood floors expected of the era. Because owners have combined units over time, the building offers an unusually broad range of sizes for its unit count, and the better lines capture either open city light or partial park-and-skyline views from the upper floors.
Building operations
50 West 96th runs white-glove: a 24-hour doorman, a live-in superintendent, a landscaped and furnished roof garden, central laundry, bike storage, and additional storage available by waitlist. The cooperative is pet-friendly and permits individual washer/dryers — both genuine conveniences not guaranteed at pre-war co-ops. The building allows up to 75% financing, a comparatively accommodating cap that widens the buyer pool, and considers pied-à-terre ownership on a case-by-case basis. A flip tax applies on transfer per the cooperative's policy. The combination of strong staffing, a usable roof amenity, and flexible financing makes this a notably livable full-service building.
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2026 | 11A | 4 BR · 3 BA · 2,200 sf | $2,722,500 | $1,238/sf | -1.0% |
| May 6, 2026 | 6A | 4 BR · 3 BA · 2,200 sf | $2,525,000 | $1,148/sf | -6.1% |
| Dec 23, 2024 | 3D | 3 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,275,000 | +6.7% | |
| Oct 15, 2024 | 16C | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,220,000 | -11.3% | |
| Jul 8, 2024 | 11D | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $1,320,000 | +14.8% | |
| Nov 8, 2023 | 6C | 2 BR · 1 BA | $949,000 | -4.6% | |
| Apr 17, 2023 | 12B | 2 BR · 3 BA · 1,720 sf | $1,800,000 | $1,047/sf | -9.8% |
| Apr 13, 2022 | 6D | 2 BR · 1.5 BA | $937,500 | -14.8% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,242/sf across 2 sales. Median listing discount 2.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 13, 2012 | 16C | $999,000 |
| Oct 2, 2003 | 12CD | $1,595,000 |
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 1-01209-0053) 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
Buy the line and the floor. Upper-floor apartments and the lines that catch park or open-skyline light carry the premium for good reason; lower and rear units trade at a discount that can be the building's best value. Because combinations are common, walk the actual flow — two "two-bedrooms" here can live very differently.
The cooperative's terms are friendlier than most pre-war boards: up to 75% financing, washer/dryers allowed, pets welcome, and pied-à-terre purchases considered case by case. That flexibility broadens both your financing latitude and your eventual resale audience. A standard board package and interview apply; we help buyers assemble a clean file and read the building's maintenance against its full staffing and amenities.
What to know if you’re selling
Sell the architecture, the roof, and the access. The Italian Renaissance façade, the landscaped roof garden, and the half-block walk to Central Park and the express train are the differentiators against plainer Columbus and Amsterdam stock. The washer/dryer allowance and 75% financing cap should be stated up front — they materially expand the buyer pool.
Comp to configuration and exposure, not the building average. With combinations skewing the mix, the right set is apartments of the same layout and light here and in the immediate upper-CPW pre-war cluster. High-floor lines with views reward staging; clean financials and a well-prepared board package keep deals on schedule.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 50 West 96th, also evaluate nearby Upper West Side pre-war cooperatives:
- 41 West 96th Street — pre-war co-op on the same block
- 12 West 96th Street — pre-war cooperative near the park
- 35 West 90th Street — established UWS co-op to the south
- 275 West 96th Street — full-service pre-war co-op nearby
- 250 West 94th Street — pre-war cooperative peer
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 50 West 96th 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 50 West 96th 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.