- Year built
- 1891
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 15
- Floors
- 5
- Landmark
- Designated
- Pets
- Pets permitted with board approval
- Subletting
- Liberal sublet policy relative to most Village co-ops, subject to board approval
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
Every recorded sale at this building, 2006–2025
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 1BR median
- $650K
- Recent range
- $620K – $685K
- Listing discount
- 1.1%
- Recorded transfers
- 16
53 West 11th Street is an intimate brownstone cooperative on the Gold Coast of Greenwich Village — the tree-lined stretch of West 11th between Fifth and Sixth Avenues that city historians have called one of the finest blocks in the Village. Designed by George F. Pelham and dating to the 1890s, the building carries the quiet, residential character that makes this corner of the Village so sought after: low-rise, brownstone-scaled, and set within the Greenwich Village Historic District.
What buyers respond to here is the pairing of a landmark-district block with a genuinely boutique building. With roughly three homes per floor across five stories, 53 West 11th is small, owner-occupied, and secure — a townhouse-scale co-op rather than an anonymous elevator building. Unusually for a Village co-op of this pedigree, the building maintains a relatively liberal sublet policy, which adds flexibility that comparable buildings often lack.
The building is for buyers who want an intimate, historic Village co-op on a premier block, with the calm and privacy that a small brownstone building delivers.
Architecture and unit composition
53 West 11th is a five-story brownstone by George F. Pelham, the prolific New York architect whose residential work defined blocks across Manhattan around the turn of the century. The building reads as a townhouse-scaled masonry structure in the Village vernacular — modest in height, historic in detail, and entirely in keeping with the landmark-district block it sits on.
Inside, the building holds 15 homes, roughly three to a floor, which keeps the scale intimate and the common areas quiet. Layouts reflect the building's age and townhouse origins: pre-war proportions, period character, and homes that vary by floor and exposure. In a building this small, the specific residence — its light, its layout, and its condition — matters far more than any building-wide generalization.
Building operations
53 West 11th operates as an intimate, self-contained cooperative — intercom-secured entry rather than a staffed lobby, with a small shareholder base and correspondingly modest maintenance. That structure keeps monthly carry low relative to full-service Village buildings, which is part of the appeal. The building is mainly owner-occupied and describes itself as intimate and secure, while maintaining a liberal sublet policy relative to peers. As with any brownstone co-op of this age, buyers should review the building's financials, reserves, and any capital history during due diligence, and confirm the current board policy on financing, pieds-à-terre, and subletting.
Recent sales
As a cooperative, 53 West 11th Street prices on a price-per-room basis rather than strict price-per-square-foot, with floor, light, layout, condition, and the building's low maintenance all shaping value. Turnover is light in a 15-home building, and pricing is driven by the specific apartment and the strength of the Gold Coast block far more than by any building average. Buyers should expect a board-approval process and should confirm financing and sublet terms in writing before committing.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 16, 2024 | 2E | 1 BR · 1 BA | $620,000 | -4.5% | |
| Oct 20, 2021 | 5W | 1 BR · 1 BA | $900,000 | +31.4% | |
| Mar 26, 2021 | 3E | 1 BR · 1 BA | $520,000 | -13.3% | |
| Nov 28, 2017 | 4R/5R | 1 BR | $1,495,000 | -9.4% | |
| Aug 2, 2017 | 1R | 1 BR | $675,000 | +2.4% | |
| Nov 9, 2015 | G | 1,000 sf | $1,237,500 | $1,238/sf | -11.6% |
| Nov 8, 2012 | 4W | 1 BR · 1 BA · 700 sf | $560,000 | $800/sf | -6.5% |
| Nov 6, 2012 | 4/5 | 1 BR · 2 BA · 1,200 sf | $1,870,000 | $1,558/sf | off-mkt |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2015): a median $1,238/sf across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2025. Median listing discount 3.0% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 5, 2025 | 4W | $650,000 |
| Sep 6, 2023 | 3E | $685,000 |
| Nov 12, 2021 | 4E/5E | $1,800,000 |
| Jul 25, 2013 | 5R | $610,000 |
| Oct 4, 2006 | RES | $520,000 |
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 1-00575-7501) 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 block is the asset. The Gold Coast stretch of West 11th is among the most desirable in the Village; the address and the landmark-district setting support value.
This is a townhouse-scale co-op. Roughly three homes per floor across five stories — intimate, owner-occupied, and secure, with low maintenance rather than tower amenities.
Sublet flexibility is a real feature. The building's relatively liberal sublet policy sets it apart from many Village co-ops; confirm the current terms with the board.
Co-op process applies. Expect board approval, a financials package, and cooperative closing timelines; pieds-à-terre and pets are permitted with approval.
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.
Variable board financial policy — confirm at offer stage. Financing percentages, sublet terms, and pied-à-terre rules specific to your situation should be confirmed in writing before you commit.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the block and the pedigree. The Gold Coast setting, the Pelham brownstone, and the intimate scale are the story; marketing should foreground them.
Pricing requires apartment-level comps. With 15 homes, floor, light, layout, and condition all move the number; price-per-room context matters more than any average.
The sublet policy is a selling point. For the right buyer, the building's flexibility relative to peers is a genuine differentiator.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 53 West 11th Street, also evaluate these West Village and Greenwich Village buildings:
- 15 West 11th Street — nearby Village co-op on the same block
- 31 West 11th Street — nearby Village building
- 126 West 11th Street — nearby West Village building
- 45 West 10th Street — nearby Village townhouse-scale building
- 35 West 9th Street — nearby Village co-op
The Roebling Team at 53 West 11th Street
The Roebling Team at Compass works the full Greenwich Village and West Village market, including its intimate brownstone cooperatives. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers of boutique historic buildings deserve building-level intelligence — architecture, board reality, and apartment-level pricing context — rather than generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 53 West 11th Street, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point. We'll bring the full context this page provides plus the transactional specifics your situation requires.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across West Village — read The Roebling Team Guide to West Village.
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