- Year built
- 2005
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 36
- Floors
- 11
- Landmark
- No
- Amenities
- Virtual doorman, elevator, common laundry, bicycle storage, private storage, roof deck, and a landscaped garden; many units have private balconies or terraces — no staffed doorman, gym, or parking
Every recorded sale at this building, 2007–2025
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,238
- Listing discount
- 0.0%
- Recorded sales
- 86
- On record
- 2007–2025
502 Ninth Avenue — marketed as 38NINE — is boutique contemporary condominium ownership at the busiest crossroads of Midtown West: the corner of Ninth Avenue and West 38th Street, walking distance to Penn Station, Port Authority, Times Square, and the Hudson Yards edge. A 36-unit, 11-story building here is a scarce ownership product in a corridor otherwise defined by rentals, hotels, and commercial towers — an owner-occupier foothold at a transit crossroads that most people only pass through.
The thesis is access and value. The address buys the deepest transit connectivity in Manhattan — nearly every subway line converges within a few blocks, plus the regional rail hub — at a price point below the branded towers of Hudson Yards a few blocks west. The trade is service model: a virtual doorman rather than a staffed lobby, and a boutique amenity package rather than a full-service stack. For a buyer who prizes the location and the lower carry, that is a deliberate exchange.
The corner carries neighborhood history. This stretch of Ninth Avenue was the heart of Paddy's Market, the immigrant pushcart market that ran roughly from the 1880s until the city shut it down in 1938 amid the Lincoln Tunnel's arrival — a history since recognized in the Paddy's Market Historic District listing. That working-class, immigrant, industrial past is the Hell's Kitchen story, and it still sets the neighborhood's texture around the building today.
Architecture and unit composition
The building rises 11 stories in a contemporary boutique idiom, with large windows drawing light into open-plan layouts and deep setback terraces and balconies stepping the upper floors. Units carry noise-reducing double-sealed glazing — a meaningful feature at a busy avenue corner — with rift-cut wood cabinetry, stainless appliances, imported porcelain baths, hardwood floors, and central air. The unit mix runs from one-bedrooms through two- and three-bedroom homes and a penthouse tier, with the terraced upper floors carrying the light and outdoor space that define the building's premium. Lower and avenue-facing units should be evaluated in person for light and street noise, though the sealed glazing is designed to address the latter.
Building operations
This is boutique self-service ownership: a virtual doorman rather than staffed lobby, an elevator, common laundry, bicycle and private storage, a roof deck, and a landscaped garden, with private balconies or terraces on many units. There is no staffed doorman, gym, or on-site parking. Buyers coming from full-service buildings should price the trade consciously — a lower monthly carry against package logistics and a lighter amenity package. Common charges are spread across a modest owner base; the offering plan, by-laws, budget, and reserve study should be reviewed carefully during diligence. We obtain current building documents from the managing agent for clients at offer stage.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $2,073/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $5
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the engineer identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair before the next inspection cycle. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
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
- 1% of purchase price (seller)
- Notable fees
- Condo (36 units, Hudson Yards). Buyer sale processing $1,000; credit $100; move-in/out $500 fee + $500 deposit; closing doc prep $200; alteration $250-$750
Recent sales
Recent closings 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 12, 2025 | 4A | 1 BR · 1 BA · 550 sf | $655,000 | $1,191/sf | -2.2% |
| May 12, 2023 | 1A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 980 sf | $950,000 | $969/sf | +6.1% |
| Oct 5, 2021 | 8B | 2 BR · 2 BA · 950 sf | $1,055,000 | $1,111/sf | -2.3% |
| Mar 31, 2021 | 6A | 1 BR · 486 sf | $725,000 | $1,492/sf | off-mkt |
| Jul 1, 2020 | COMSponsor Sale | 1,796 sf | $2,750,000 | $1,531/sf | off-mkt |
| May 20, 2020 | 9C | 2 BR · 2 BA · 950 sf | $1,100,000 | $1,158/sf | -2.2% |
| Oct 12, 2018 | 7C | 2 BR · 2 BA · 859 sf | $1,090,000 | $1,269/sf | -11.0% |
| Jun 4, 2018 | 4D | 1 BR · 550 sf | $747,000 | $1,358/sf | -0.4% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $1,238/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 0.0% from the last ask.
The retrade record
Lines that have traded more than once in the public record — the building’s appreciation arc, apartment by apartment.
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 1-00762-7502) 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 from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
What to know if you’re buying
You are buying the transit crossroads. The value here is unmatched connectivity — Penn, Port Authority, Times Square, and nearly every subway line within a short walk. If daily access drives your decision, this corner is hard to beat; price the location premium against the lighter service model.
Terrace and floor drive the price. The building's outdoor space and light concentrate in the setback upper floors. Confirm the specific unit's exposure and terrace — the premium lives there, and lower avenue-facing lines are a different product.
Self-service is the trade. A virtual doorman and a boutique amenity set mean a lower carry but more package and delivery logistics. Run the True Monthly Carrying Cost Calculator against full-service alternatives before deciding the format fits.
Verify the policy stack. The building is pet-friendly per listing records, and condominium subletting and pied-à-terre use are generally permitted, but leasing specifics and financing minimums are thinly documented publicly. We verify against the offering plan and managing agent during diligence.
Mansion tax applies at the top of the building. Larger and terraced units cross the $1 million and $2 million thresholds — run the Mansion Tax Calculator at the intended price before offering.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with access and value. The pitch is a rare ownership foothold at a transit crossroads, below Hudson Yards pricing. Position honestly against the branded towers — lower carry, lighter service — and let the location-and-value argument do the work.
Market the outdoor space. Terraces and balconies are the building's differentiator in a corridor short on private outdoor space. Photograph and price the terraced units on that feature.
Use adjacent-building comps. With a modest unit count, your own building's history is too thin to anchor pricing. Hell's Kitchen and Midtown West condominium trades are the right comp set, adjusted for floor, terrace, and layout.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 502 Ninth Avenue, also evaluate:
- 505 West 43rd Street — condominium a few blocks north in the same corridor
- 500 West 43rd Street — larger condominium on the same block
- 529 West 42nd Street — full-amenity condominium on the western edge of Hell's Kitchen
- 457 West 57th Street — the amenity-tower alternative at the corridor's northern edge
- 500 West 21st Street — boutique Chelsea condominium, the neighboring-corridor alternative
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Chelsea — read The Roebling Team Guide to Chelsea.
Considering a move at 502 Ninth Avenue (38NINE)?
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 502 Ninth Avenue (38NINE) 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.