80 John Street (The South Star)
80 John Street, New York, NY 10038
Financial District
BBL 1000687501 · BIN 1001115
- Year built
- 1926
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 145
- Floors
- 23
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Permitted under condominium rules
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium declaration
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
Every recorded sale at this building, 2007–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,090
- Listing discount
- 4.3%
- Recorded sales
- 309
- On record
- 2007–2026
80 John Street is a well-executed example of the Financial District's defining real-estate story: the conversion of pre-war office towers into residential buildings. The building was constructed in 1926–1927 as the Insurance Center Building, a purpose-built Art Deco office tower and one of architect Ely Jacques Kahn's early Financial District commissions through the firm Buchman & Kahn. It was converted to rental apartments in the late 1990s and to condominium ownership in 2006 under WSA Equities, taking the marketing name The South Star.
The building's appeal is a specific combination that the FiDi conversion category does well: genuine pre-war architecture — Art Deco detailing, a granite-and-limestone base, a chevron frieze, and generous ceiling heights — paired with the transactional flexibility of a condominium. Buyers get the substance of a 1920s tower with the day-one flexibility, financing latitude, and quick closings that a condo declaration provides.
Its position at the corner of John and Gold Streets places it in the heart of the residential Financial District, within walking distance of the Fulton Center transit hub, the Seaport, and the broader Lower Manhattan amenity base that has matured substantially since the neighborhood's residential conversion wave.
Architecture and unit composition
The approximately 145 residences occupy roughly 23 stories within the original Art Deco envelope. The building steps back through a series of upper-floor setbacks, a characteristic 1920s massing that produces terraces and light on the higher floors and gives the tower its Art Deco silhouette.
Apartments run from studios through three-bedroom layouts. The conversion preserved the pre-war ceiling heights — approaching eleven feet in many units — a genuine differentiator against the lower ceilings of newer ground-up FiDi construction. Renovated apartments typically feature hardwood floors and updated kitchens with Sub-Zero and Bosch appliances. Condition and view — some upper-floor units capture harbor and skyline sightlines — are the primary pricing variables within the building.
Building operations
80 John Street operates as a full-service condominium: 24-hour concierge, a live-in resident manager, a fitness center, an on-site parking garage with elevator access, and per-floor laundry. Pets are permitted under building rules.
As a condominium, the building offers standard condo flexibility — pieds-à-terre, investment use, and subletting are permitted under the declaration, and closings are fast. Common charges and property taxes should be modeled for the specific apartment; buyers should review the current financials, any assessments, the reserve position, and the building's capital plan during due diligence, as is prudent with any pre-war conversion.
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 filing classified the facade as Unsafe — conditions requiring corrective action, which under FISP means a protective sidewalk shed and repairs. Review the subsequent filings, the repair status, and the building’s board and financial materials — we pull the repair scope and funding picture 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
- Sublet policy
- Allowed; processing fee $250
- Notable fees
- Application fee $750 (sale); closing $350; documentation $250; move-in fee $400 + deposit $1,000
Recent sales
80 John Street trades as a mid-market Financial District condominium, read on a price-per-square-foot basis. Recent closings have run around the low-to-mid four figures per square foot, with pricing driven by floor, exposure, ceiling height, outdoor space where present, and renovation condition. Verified resales across recent years have ranged from the high six figures for smaller units into the low seven figures for larger and higher-floor apartments.
The building's value proposition — pre-war Art Deco architecture and ceiling height at a Financial District price point, inside a flexible condominium structure — supports steady demand from buyers who want character and space downtown without paying trophy-tower pricing.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 31, 2026 | 7G | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,000 sf | $990,000 | $990/sf | -5.7% |
| Feb 20, 2026 | 2A | 1 BR · 1 BA · 674 sf | $695,000 | $1,031/sf | -1.4% |
| Oct 22, 2025 | 11I | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,153 sf | $850,000 | $737/sf | -9.4% |
| Apr 30, 2025 | 9B | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,056 sf | $1,160,000 | $1,098/sf | -5.3% |
| Aug 29, 2024 | 8A | 1 BR · 1 BA · 708 sf | $732,000 | $1,034/sf | -8.5% |
| May 29, 2024 | 5C | 3 BR · 2 BA · 1,412 sf | $1,360,000 | $963/sf | -2.2% |
| May 10, 2024 | 6D | 1 BA · 800 sf | $680,000 | $850/sf | +0.0% |
| Apr 18, 2024 | 8I | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,153 sf | $940,000 | $815/sf | -10.0% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,090/sf across 2 sales. Median listing discount 4.3% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.
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 1-00068-7501) 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 from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
What to know if you’re buying
This is a pre-war conversion. You are buying into a 1926–1927 Art Deco building. Review the conversion history, the building's capital plan, the reserve position, and any assessments — standard and important diligence for any office-to-residential conversion.
Ceiling height and character are the draw. The pre-war ceiling heights and Art Deco detailing are genuine differentiators against newer FiDi construction. Confirm the specifics for the unit you are considering.
Condo flexibility is real. Pieds-à-terre, investment use, and subletting are permitted under the declaration, with fast closings.
Model the full carry. Confirm common charges, property taxes, and any assessment for the specific apartment, and factor the Financial District tax profile.
Views vary by floor and line. Some upper-floor apartments capture harbor and skyline views; lower and interior units do not. Confirm exactly what a given apartment sees.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the architecture. Art Deco character and pre-war ceiling height are the building's marketing edge over ground-up FiDi condos. Foreground them.
Condition and view set the price. Renovation quality and floor/exposure drive the pricing spread. Prepare the apartment and price against genuinely comparable units.
Position within the FiDi conversion set. Buyers cross-shop 80 John against other Lower Manhattan conversions. A clear, apartment-level comparable story matters.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 80 John Street, also evaluate:
- 20 Pine Street — pre-war office-to-residential conversion in the Financial District
- 99 John Street — large FiDi condominium conversion nearby
- 90 John Street — Financial District residential building on the same block
- 50 Pine Street — pre-war conversion condominium in the Financial District
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Financial District — read The Roebling Team Guide to Financial District.
Considering a move at The South Star?
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 The South Star 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.