51 Jay Street
51 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
DUMBO, Brooklyn
BBL 3000317504 · BIN 3000036
- Year built
- 1905
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 76
- Floors
- 7
- Landmark
- Designated
- Pets
- The building's pet-washing station signals a pet-tolerant framework; specific rules should be confirmed at offer stage
Every recorded sale at this building, 2017–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,358
- Listing discount
- -1.4%
- Recorded sales
- 97
- On record
- 2017–2026
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at 51 Jay 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.
51 Jay Street is one of the clearest expressions of DUMBO's second conversion wave. The first wave — Two Trees' 1990s-and-2000s remaking of the Gair buildings and the Clocktower block — established that the neighborhood's reinforced-concrete and masonry factories could carry residential trophy value. The second wave, of which 51 Jay is a leading example, applied that lesson to the district's smaller masonry industrial stock with a more surgical architectural method. When Adam America Real Estate and Slate Property Group acquired the former E.W. Bliss machine shop at Jay and Water Streets, they retained ODA New York — Eran Chen's firm, among the most active residential architects in 2010s Brooklyn — and the resulting conversion (2015–2017) rebuilt the building from the inside out: interior floors removed and reconstructed for residential structure, the historic masonry shell restored under Landmarks Preservation Commission oversight, a planted courtyard cut into the center of the floorplate to bring light to the deep interior, and a glass penthouse level set back so it reads minimally from the street.
The provenance matters to the architecture. E.W. Bliss was one of the defining industrial concerns of the district — the machinery trades, alongside Robert Gair's paper-and-box empire that gave "Gairville" its name, are why DUMBO's building stock has the window spans, ceiling heights, and structural mass that loft buyers pay for. The building later housed Ben Forman & Sons, a metal-stamping firm, before the residential conversion. Because 51 Jay sits within the DUMBO Historic District (designated 2007), that industrial envelope is protected: the streetscape of Belgian-block streets and masonry factories around the Jay/Water corner is a stable asset rather than a redevelopment risk.
Inside the district's condo hierarchy, 51 Jay occupies a specific position: newer and more finish-consistent than the first-wave conversions, more intimate than the large new-construction projects on the neighborhood's eastern edge, and located on the quieter, Vinegar Hill-facing side of DUMBO rather than in the bridge-adjacent tourist core. For buyers who want authentic loft fabric with 2017-vintage systems and a full amenity floor, the building is one of a short list of candidates in the neighborhood.
For sellers, the building's story is easy to market and easy to verify: named original industry (Bliss), named conversion architect (ODA), historic-district protection, and a unit mix — studios through four-bedrooms, penthouses, and a townhouse with its own Water Street entrance — that reaches several distinct buyer pools.
Architecture and unit composition
The 75 residential units (per the condominium's audited financial statements; conversion-era reporting cites 74 residences) run from studios and one-bedrooms through three- and four-bedroom lofts, a seventh-floor penthouse tier — several configured as duplexes with large terraces within the glass addition — and a three-bedroom townhouse of approximately 3,473 square feet with a private Water Street entrance. Ground-floor units front the planted central courtyard, ODA's principal architectural move, which converts the deep industrial floorplate from a liability into a shared garden.
The conversion's design logic is preservation outside, replacement inside. The masonry façade and industrial window rhythm were restored; the interior structure was rebuilt to residential standards, which distinguishes 51 Jay from lighter-touch conversions where original slabs and columns constrain layouts and acoustics. Loft signatures — oversized windows, generous ceiling heights, wide living spaces — carry through the inventory, with penthouse-level units trading masonry character for glass, terraces, and skyline views toward the Manhattan Bridge.
Building operations
51 Jay Street operates as a staffed condominium with unionized (SEIU Local 32BJ) building employees, documented in the condominium's audited financial statements. The amenity package — fitness center, lounge, playroom, courtyard, roof terrace with outdoor cooking, bike storage, pet wash, commercial-grade laundry — is full-service by DUMBO conversion standards.
Two diligence items are documented in the condominium's audited financial statements held in The Roebling Research Library and should be checked for current status in any transaction. First, the condominium disclosed litigation against the sponsor over construction defects in the development of the property; the outcome was not determinable at the time of the 2020 statements. Second, in 2020 the NYC Department of Transportation notified the condominium of an estimated $800,000 cost to fill sidewalk vaults beneath the building's frontage, and the board was evaluating financing options including a potential special assessment. The same statements document common-charge increases of 15 percent (2019), 9 percent (2020), and approximately 5 percent (2021) — a steeper early-years trajectory than typical, consistent with a young condominium truing up its budget. None of this is unusual for a 2017-vintage conversion, but buyers should obtain the current financial statements, board minutes, and litigation status during diligence rather than relying on the marketing story alone.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- Per unit / month range
- —
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City record last verified September 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →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.
How to read this, and where it comes from
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. City record last verified September 2026.
421-a Tax Abatement
- Last year of benefit
- FY2033
- Years remaining
- ~8 yrs
- Program
- 421-a (15-year)
A long-dated tax benefit still in place — a meaningful carrying-cost advantage today. Note the eventual step-up toward full taxes when the abatement ends.
Source: NYC Dept. of Finance property-tax exemption records (421-a), refreshed 2026-09-06 · The Roebling Research Library. Confirm the exact step-up schedule on the building’s DOF tax bill. Years shown are NYC tax years, which start July 1 — FY2034 runs July 1, 2033 to June 30, 2034.
Recent sales
Recent closings at this building, curated by The Roebling Team research desk. Prices are the transfer amounts recorded with the NYC Department of Finance; apartment-level detail is checked against the building’s own file in The Roebling Research Library before publishing.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25, 2026 | 5K | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 894 sf | $1,225,000 | $1,370/sf | -2.0% |
| Mar 18, 2026 | PHB | 4 BR · 4.5 BA · 2,973 sf | $5,650,000 | $1,900/sf | -5.8% |
| Feb 25, 2026 | 5J | 3 BR · 3.5 BA · 1,757 sf | $2,365,000 | $1,346/sf | -2.2% |
| Dec 19, 2025 | 3D | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,382 sf | $1,848,500 | $1,338/sf | -14.0% |
| Oct 29, 2025 | 5D | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,382 sf | $1,830,000 | $1,324/sf | -1.1% |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 4 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,287 sf | $1,649,000 | $1,281/sf | -2.9% |
| Jun 18, 2025 | 4S | 1 BA · 665 sf | $995,000 | $1,496/sf | +4.7% |
| Jun 17, 2025 | 4H | 1 BR · 1 BA · 623 sf | $935,300 | $1,501/sf | off-mkt |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,358/sf across 2 sales. Median listing discount -1.4% over 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 3-00031-7504) 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
The conversion quality is structural, and it is verifiable. Interior floors were removed and rebuilt rather than patched. Ask for the offering plan's description of the work and compare against lighter conversions elsewhere in the district.
Check the two documented financial items. The sponsor-defect litigation and the DOT sidewalk-vault obligation are both disclosed in the condominium's audited financial statements. Confirm current status, any special assessments, and the reserve position during diligence.
Historic-district rules run both ways. LPC protection stabilizes the surrounding streetscape, and it also constrains façade and window alterations. Factor approval timelines into any renovation plans.
Condo flexibility applies. Right of first refusal rather than board approval; 30–45 day closing pacing is typical. Confirm sublet minimums and building fees with management at offer stage.
Location is the quiet side of DUMBO. The Jay/Water corner sits away from the bridge-adjacent retail core, closer to Vinegar Hill's row houses east of DUMBO. The York Street F station is the closest subway; buyers commuting via the A/C at High Street should walk the route before committing.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with provenance and architect. E.W. Bliss machine shop, ODA New York conversion, historic-district fabric — the story differentiates the building from generic new construction and supports the $/sf ask.
Segment the comp set by tier. Courtyard-level, masonry-floor lofts, and glass-level penthouses price on different curves; anchor to same-line and same-tier comparables rather than building averages.
Be transparent on building financial items. Sophisticated DUMBO buyers will find the disclosed litigation and DOT vault items in diligence; addressing them up front, with current status from management, protects deal momentum.
Outdoor space is the swing variable. Terraces, courtyard access, and the roof amenity carry outsized weight in DUMBO pricing; market private exterior square footage explicitly.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 51 Jay Street, also evaluate:
- 1 Main Street (The Clock Tower Building) — the trophy Gair-era concrete conversion; DUMBO's original loft benchmark
- 30 Main Street (The Sweeney Building) — Two Trees-era conversion with classic loft stock
- 70 Washington Street — the district's largest first-wave loft conversion; broadest comp set
- 100 Jay Street (J Condominium) — new-construction tower alternative one block north
- 37 Bridge Street (Kirkman Lofts) — boutique soap-factory conversion on the Vinegar Hill side
- 205 Water Street — small-scale 2000s loft-style condominium on the same quiet edge of the district
- 168 Plymouth Street — 2010s artist-loft conversion peer near the waterfront
- 1 John Street — boutique new construction on Brooklyn Bridge Park; the contemporary-design alternative
How to read the facts on this page. Items attributed to an offering plan describe the building as it was offered at that filing — unit mix, square footage, the amenity program as planned. They are not a statement about how the building operates today. Tax and compliance figures are sourced separately to current City records and carry their own dates. House rules, staffing and fee policy can change by board resolution without any public filing: treat every policy line here as a starting point for diligence and confirm it with the managing agent. Where this page compares one building or neighborhood to another, that is our analysis of the recorded record — it names the measure, the period and the sample it rests on, and it is an observation about medians rather than a prediction about any particular apartment.
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