- Year built
- 1922
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 26
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; in the NoHo Historic District
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission records, updated February 2026
- Leasing by owners
- Permitted
- Pied-à-terre
- Permitted
- Dogs and cats
- Permitted with conditions
- Washer/dryer
- Permitted
- Doorman
- Full-time doorman
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at The Carl Fischer Building 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.
56 Cooper Square is part of the Carl Fischer Building — one of downtown's prestigious prewar loft conversions. Built in 1922–23 for the Carl Fischer Music Company and converted to a 26-unit condominium in 2001, it delivers genuine prewar loft scale — high ceilings, big multi-paned windows, open floor plates — in a full-service, doorman-staffed building at the seam of NoHo, the East Village, and Greenwich Village. For the buyer who wants loft volume with hotel-style service and the title flexibility of a condominium, it is a standout.
The location is one of downtown's most dynamic: Cooper Square and Astor Place sit at the meeting point of NoHo, the East Village, and the Village, a short walk from the Bowery's galleries and restaurants, the shops of Lower Broadway, and the transit at Astor Place and Union Square. The Carl Fischer Building's distinctive signage and clock are part of the neighborhood's identity.
Architecture and unit composition
The principal twelve-story Carl Fischer Building was erected in 1922–23 to designs by W. K. Benedict for the Carl Fischer Music Company; the adjoining four-story buildings at 52 and 54 Cooper Square are older, dating to about 1850, and the combined condominium spans 52–62 Cooper Square. Converted to residential condominium use in 2001, it offers 26 loft apartments — open, full-floor-style layouts with high ceilings and the large multi-paned windows characteristic of prime prewar loft stock. Penthouse-level residences carry the lower (52/56) Cooper Square addresses.
Because these are converted lofts, layouts and renovation levels vary substantially unit to unit, which is part of why pricing here is so apartment-specific.
Building operations
56 Cooper Square / the Carl Fischer Building operates as a full-service loft condominium with a 24-hour doorman/concierge, an on-site superintendent, a common roof deck, and access to an off-site health-and-racquet club. As a condominium, monthly common charges cover building operations and staff, with real-estate taxes billed separately to each unit. The building is pet-friendly — both cats and dogs are permitted under its rules.
Buyers should review the offering plan, current financials, board minutes, and any reserve study during due diligence — standard practice for a prewar loft conversion, where building-systems history and reserves are worth close reading.
Application and transaction fees
Fees below are from building management's published schedule, as of September 2026. They are shown as published, item by item; no total is added because the total depends on the transaction. Deposits are listed apart from nonrefundable charges.
Purchase
9 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $700 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Background Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $100 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeeConditional · Per applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $75 per applicant/occupant (LLC required to submit fee for business credit check - if applicable) | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fees | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $65 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move In Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Closing Document Preparation Fee | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move Out Fee | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move In Deposit | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $1,000 | Refundable Refundable |
| Move Out Deposit | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $1,000 | Refundable Refundable |
Rental or lease
10 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move Out Fee | Paid by Landlord | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Application Processing FeeIncludes one free credit check | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $700 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Background Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $100 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Bed Bug Disclosure Form Fee | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $25 | Refundable Not stated |
| Credit Check FeeConditional · Per applicant | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $75 per applicant/occupant (LLC required to submit fee for business credit check - if applicable) | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move In Fee | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move Out Deposit | Paid by Landlord | When With the application | Amount $1,000 | Refundable Refundable |
| Security Deposit | Paid by Landlord | When With the application | Amount $10,000 | Refundable Refundable |
| Move In Deposit | Paid by Tenant | When With the application | Amount $1,000 | Refundable Refundable |
Lease renewal
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lease Renewal Fee | Paid by Landlord | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Management updates its schedule without a public filing. The date is when management last updated the page, not when a rule changed. Confirm the current schedule with management before you apply.
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the building's costs and purchase requirements.
Own an apartment here? Request an apartment-specific pricing review.
Financing and purchase requirements
- Guarantors
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
- Parent buying for an employed child
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
- Parent buying for a student child
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
- Purchase or lease by a corporation
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Sublet and pied-à-terre policy
A condominium owner leasing a unit and a co-op shareholder subletting are different rules, and a building-wide rule is different from a restriction on one apartment. This is the building's rule; confirm it for the specific apartment.
- Leasing by owners
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
- Pied-à-terre ownership
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
- Short-term rentals
- Not permittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the sublet and pied-à-terre rules for that apartment.
Pets and in-unit washer/dryer
- Dogs and cats
- Permitted with conditionsOnly Dogs, Cats, caged birds & fishSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
- In-unit washer/dryer
- PermittedSource: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to confirm the pet and washer/dryer rules for that apartment.
Building staffing and amenities
- Doorman
- Full-time doormanSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Concierge
- YesSource: recent listing records
- Live-in superintendent
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of Buildings elevator records
- Amenities noted
- Roof deckSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Staffing and amenities as our building profile and recent listing records describe them. A feature not listed is not confirmed absent. Outdoor space, parking and some facilities can belong to particular apartments or to a separate owner; confirm access for the specific apartment.
Local Law 97
This building is below the 25,000 sq ft threshold at which LL97 limits apply to a building on its own. It is still covered if it shares a tax lot or condominium board with buildings totaling over 50,000 sq ft; confirm on DOB’s covered-buildings list.
See full Local Law 97 analysis →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. A filed Safe grade is not a guarantee of current condition: owners still maintain the facade and, where required, observe parapets each year. Future inspection timing (Local Law 49 of 2025 changed the cycle framework from October 1, 2026), repair and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — a licensed professional engineer or registered architect who meets DOB’s FISP qualifications and signs the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Penalties shown are amounts DOB assessed against filings on record across 2005–10 to 2025–30. The FISP dataset does not record whether they were paid, contested or remain open, so treat the figure as history rather than a current balance and confirm the building’s standing with the managing agent.
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
Recent sales
56 Cooper Square trades as a condominium, so pricing is read on a price-per-square-foot basis — and because the apartments are full-floor loft-scale, absolute prices are high. Pricing is driven by floor, ceiling height, light, layout, and renovation level, with the full-service operation and the prewar loft volumes supporting premium pricing. Larger full-floor and penthouse residences in the building have carried multi-million-dollar asking prices. With only 26 heterogeneous units, sales are genuinely apartment-specific, and the most reliable pricing evidence is the building's own trade history adjusted for size, floor, and condition.
Recent closings at this building, from The Roebling Research Library. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 15, 2015 | 4 | 4 BR · 4,916 sf | $15,500,000 | $3,153/sf | +0.0% |
| May 4, 2004 | 3 | 3 BR · 2,950 sf | $2,400,000 | $814/sf | +0.0% |
| Apr 26, 2004 | 2 | 2 BR · 2,724 sf | $1,950,000 | $716/sf | +0.0% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2015) cleared a median $3,153/sf (recorded) across 1 sale.
Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-00544-7501; each condominium apartment is its own tax lot). Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified in The Roebling Research Library. 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 would your apartment rent for?
Enter your apartment and I'll send you what it would rent for, from comparable closed leases at The Carl Fischer Building and nearby.
Buying here? Condo closing costs with a mortgage typically run 3 to 6% of the price. See NYC co-op and condo closing costs, line by line.
Keep up with The Carl Fischer Building and its market
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What to know if you’re buying
You're buying full-service prewar loft scale. High ceilings, big windows, and open floor plates behind a 1920s façade, in a 24-hour doorman building — an uncommon combination.
Condo flexibility is real. Pied-à-terre, investor, and foreign-buyer use permitted; subletting allowed under the declaration.
Pets are welcome. Both cats and dogs are permitted under the condominium rules.
Each loft is different. Ceiling height, light, floor, and renovation vary unit to unit; price and compare carefully within the building.
Confirm the address-and-association structure. The condominium spans 52–62 Cooper Square as a single building; understand how your unit sits within it during diligence.
What to know if you’re selling
The loft volume and the service are the headline. Full-floor light, ceiling height, and the doorman/roof-deck package sell this building. Stage and photograph to show scale.
Price to the building's own comps. With 26 heterogeneous loft units, the persuasive evidence is the Carl Fischer Building's recent trades adjusted for floor, size, and renovation level.
Lead with the address and the architecture. The Cooper Square / NoHo location and the recognizable Carl Fischer Building are a durable selling story.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 56 Cooper Square, also evaluate:
- 445 Lafayette Street (Astor Place Tower) and 21 Astor Place — full-service buildings steps away at Astor Place
- 1 Bond Street, 40 Bond Street, and 48 Bond Street — NoHo loft and contemporary condominiums nearby
- 36 Bleecker Street and 40 Bleecker Street — NoHo condominiums
- 718 Broadway — downtown loft condominium nearby
More NoHo buildings
- 48 Bond Street — 2008 condop by Deborah Berke Partners
- 48 Great Jones Street — 1896 co-op
- 54 Bleecker Street (The NoHo Star) — 1896 condominium
- Bond Street Lofts — condominium
- 298 Elizabeth Street — condominium
- 306 Mott Street — 1988 condominium
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across NoHo — read The Roebling Team Guide to NoHo.
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.
Considering a move at The Carl Fischer Building?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com