The Osborne
205 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019
BBL 1010290027 · BIN 1024903
- Year built
- 1883
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 84
- Floors
- 11
- Landmark status
- Individual landmark; not in a historic district
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission records, updated February 2026
- Subletting by shareholders
- Permitted with conditions
- Pets
- Pets permitted; species and limits not stated
- Maximum financing
- 50% of the purchase price
- Flip tax
- 3% of the purchase price, paid by the buyer
- Doorman
- Full-time doorman
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2025
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 1BR · combo median, 2023–2024
- $649K
- 5 qualifying sales
- Recent range
- $390K – $2.6M
- Listing discount
- 5.6%
- Recorded transfers
- 104
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at The Osborne 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.
The Osborne is one of the oldest luxury apartment buildings in New York City — and one of the most architecturally distinguished by any measure. James E. Ware's 1883–1885 Romanesque composition, developed by Irish-born stone contractor Thomas Osborne as a private commission and named for himself, was constructed at a moment when the luxury apartment-house concept was still establishing itself in New York. The Osborne and The Dakota were near-simultaneous completions (1885 and 1884 respectively); The Osborne survives in active residential use today.
The building's significance is anchored by three layers:
1. Architectural and craft significance. The deeply rusticated brownstone exterior is unmatched among the city's residential stock — a fortress-massing composition that reads as institutional rather than residential. The exterior detailing — carved stone, deeply set windows, the arched portico — was executed at a level of craft typical of major institutional commissions of the era.
2. The lobby. The Osborne's lobby is among the most architecturally distinguished pre-war residential lobbies in New York City. Mosaic floor work, gold-leaf surfaces, polychrome marble, and integrated decorative arts executed in collaboration with Tiffany Studios (Louis Comfort Tiffany), John La Farge (the painter and stained-glass artist), and Augustus Saint-Gaudens (the sculptor). Few buildings of any era — residential or institutional — combine craft authorship of that caliber in a single common space.
3. The 1962 preservation story. In 1962, developer Sarah Korein acquired the building with the intention of demolishing it for a 17-story replacement. The shareholders organized, raised approximately $500,000, and bought the building back from Korein to prevent the demolition — converting the rental property into the cooperative that operates today. The shareholder-led purchase saved one of the most architecturally significant pre-war buildings in the city. The 1991 NYC Landmark designation, 1993 state designation, and 1993 National Register listing followed.
Notable original and later residents included U.S. Senator John Coit Spooner; later residents Imogene Coca, Lynn Redgrave, Clifton Webb, Vera Miles, and Leonard Bernstein.
Notable historical events. In addition to the 1962 preservation story, the building is associated with a notable tragedy: on October 19, 1978, actor Gig Young fatally shot his new wife and himself in his Osborne apartment, three weeks after their wedding.
Architecture and unit composition
The Osborne's exterior is rusticated brownstone Romanesque — a fortress massing on the 57th Street side with a deeply arched portico entrance. The carved exterior detailing was executed at the craft level of major late-19th-century institutional commissions.
The lobby is the building's most singular architectural element. The mosaic, gold-leaf, and polychrome marble surfaces collaborate with the work of Tiffany Studios, John La Farge, and Augustus Saint-Gaudens to produce a residential common space of museum-grade decorative-arts significance.
The 84 apartments distribute across 11 stories on West 57th Street and 14–15 stories at the rear. Original apartments were substantial — 38 large units at construction; the building's subsequent history produced subdivision and reconfiguration to the current ~84 units. Apartment quality varies meaningfully across the building's apartments; the 140-year operational history has produced a wide range of renovation states.
Pre-war signatures throughout: substantial ceiling heights, formal entry arrangements, the building's signature decorative-arts integration in common areas, and the distinct fortress massing visible from inside the apartments through the deeply set windows.
Building operations
The Osborne operates as a full-service pre-war cooperative with full-time doorman, attended elevator, on-site superintendent, the historic lobby, and private storage. The minimum down payment is 50% (financing up to 50% of the purchase price); confirm the board's other liquidity and occupancy requirements from its governing documents and application instructions.
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.
- Terms
- Equal to 3% of Purchase Price
- Rate
- 3% of the purchase price
- Paid by
- Buyer
Source: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Purchase
12 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Background Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $100 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Building Application Processing Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $1,200 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Report FeePer applicantRequired | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $75 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $65 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move In Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $2,500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move Out Fee | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $2,500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Recognition Agreement FeeConditionalConditions: If financing involved | Paid by Buyer | When At closing | Amount $300 (if applicable) | Refundable Not stated |
| Managing Agent's FeeConditional | Paid by Seller | When At closing | Amount $900 if an individual or $1000 if an estate sale | Refundable Non-refundable |
| New York State Stamp Tax | Paid by Seller | When At closing | Amount $0.05/share | Refundable Non-refundable |
Deposits
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move In Deposit | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
| Move Out Deposit | Paid by Seller | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Refundable |
Sublet
9 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Move-Out Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Background Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $100 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $75 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Move-In Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Pre-paid Move-out Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Sublet FeeRecurring | Paid by Shareholder | When Upon approval | Amount Equal to 25% of the monthly maintenance fees to be billed monthly | Refundable Non-refundable |
Sublet renewal
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sublet Renewal Fee | Paid by Subtenant | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Sublease FeeRecurring | Paid by Shareholder | When Upon approval | Amount Equal to 25% of the monthly maintenance fees to be billed monthly | Refundable Non-refundable |
Refinance
5 items
Management's “less refinance” schedule
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fees | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $35 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Management's “more refinance” schedule
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $500 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Check Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $100 per shareholder | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fees | Paid by Shareholder | When With the application | Amount $35 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Ownership transfer
4 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Background Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $100 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Report FeePer applicantRequired | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $75 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $65 | 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
- Maximum financing
- 50% of the purchase priceSource: 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.
- Subletting by shareholders
- Permitted with conditionsRestrictedSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Pied-à-terre ownership
- Not verified
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
- Pets
- Pets permitted; species and limits not statedSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- In-unit washer/dryer
- Not verified
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to confirm the pet and washer/dryer rules for that apartment.
Monthly carrying charges in recent sales
- Maintenance, per room
- $940 per room a monthMedian of 7 recorded sales since October 2023Source: recorded sales, refreshed October 2026
Maintenance as recorded with each sale. A co-op's maintenance already covers the building's real estate taxes and the building's own mortgage, if it has one; add your own loan payment for the monthly outlay. A summary of recorded sales, not a current bill; charges change.
Building staffing and amenities
- Doorman
- Full-time doormanSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Live-in superintendent
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of City Planning records (PLUTO)
- Amenities noted
- StorageSource: 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
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $53,379/yr
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $196,649/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $39 – $142
- Modeled exposure split equally across 115 units (the residential count on the city's lot record). Not an assessed amount; co-op shareholders are typically charged by share allocation.
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 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 inspector (QEWI) identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair, with repairs due by the deadline stated in the filing. 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 — 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
The Osborne's apartment-level activity in the public record is thin — the landmarked 1885 James E. Ware design runs to small, infrequent arms-length sales of often-irregular layouts, with deep preserved historic detail (Byzantine lobby, original mosaics, intact carved-mahogany interior elements) shaping per-foot pricing more than typical floor or line conventions. Larger inventory is essentially unrepresented in the recent recorded record; some of the building's most architecturally significant apartments have been re-listed but not yet closed at the time of writing. Buyers benchmarking The Osborne should expect significant per-unit price variance based on condition and preserved original detail, rather than relying on a stable PSF baseline.
Recent transfers 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 28, 2025 | 6DE | 2 BR · 1 BA | $699,000 | -6.7% | |
| Dec 23, 2024 | 10DC | 1 BR · 1 BA · 868 sf | $965,000 | $1,112/sf | -12.3% |
| Nov 26, 2024 | 9AB | 1 BR · 1 BA | $649,000 | +0.0% | |
| Nov 7, 2024 | 2DE | 1 BR · 1 BA | $430,000 | -4.4% | |
| Jun 13, 2024 | 2DB | 2 BR · 1 BA | $850,000 | -2.9% | |
| May 31, 2024 | 2CA | 2 BR · 2 BA | $2,650,000 | -3.6% | |
| Mar 28, 2024 | 2CC | 1 BR · 1 BA | $390,000 | -8.2% | |
| Jun 7, 2023 | 9DB | 1 BR · 1 BA | $999,999 | -9.1% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2024): a median $1,051/sf (floor-adjusted) across 1 sale. The building has traded as recently as 2025. Median listing discount 4.5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 15, 2003 | 3A | $7,900,000 |
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 1-01029-0027). 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 on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
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 Osborne and nearby.
At the recent median sale of $699K (3 transfers in the past 24 months, since November 13, 2024), a buyer putting 50% down would pay about $31,268 to close, or 4.5% of the price.
- Mansion tax: $0
- No mortgage recording tax or title insurance on a co-op purchase
- Building transfer fee (flip tax), 3% of the purchase price, paid by the buyer per building management's published schedule, as of September 2026: $20,970
- Attorneys, lender, building fees and filings: $10,298
Assumes a resale (the seller pays transfer taxes), a $4,500 attorney fee and a mortgage at the building's 50% financing limit. Confirm the current transfer fee with building management; the linked calculator does not include it.
Keep up with The Osborne and its market
The Roebling Report, monthly: Manhattan sales data and analysis, including buildings like The Osborne.
We’ll use your email for The Roebling Report and note your interest in this building. See our privacy policy.
What to know if you’re buying
The architectural and craft significance is genuinely singular. The Tiffany / La Farge / Saint-Gaudens lobby alone places The Osborne in a category of one. Buyers of architectural significance will find nothing comparable in the Manhattan residential market.
Keep the preservation history separate from current finances. The shareholder purchase in 1962 prevented demolition and led to cooperative ownership. That event does not establish today’s capital stewardship, reserve adequacy or ownership horizons; review current audited statements, engineering reports and funded preservation plans.
Apartment quality varies substantially. The 140-year operational history and subsequent subdivision have produced apartments of materially different states. Diligence on the specific apartment is essential.
The location is distinctive. Opposite Carnegie Hall and within walking proximity to Lincoln Center, Central Park, Columbus Circle, and Billionaires' Row — a particular Midtown West positioning unmatched elsewhere.
The financing terms are strict. 50% minimum down payment (50% maximum financing), and subletting is permitted with conditions. Confirm the building's current liquidity, ownership and occupancy requirements from its governing documents and application instructions.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Osborne, also evaluate:
- The Dakota (1 West 72nd Street) — Hardenbergh 1884; nearly-simultaneous completion; the closest peer in pre-war architectural significance
- The Apthorp (2207 Broadway) — Clinton & Russell 1908; full-block palazzo; condominium structure
- The Belnord (225 West 86th) — Hiss & Weekes 1909; full-block palazzo with RAMSA-led condominium conversion
- The Beresford (211 Central Park West) — Emery Roth 1929; CPW three-towered Park-fronting peer
- The Plaza (1 Central Park South) — Hardenbergh 1907; mixed-use trophy peer
More Central Park South buildings
- 162 West 56th Street (Carnegie Plaza) — 1925 condominium
- 171 West 57th Street — 1922 condominium by Warren & Wetmore
- 200 Central Park South — 1963 co-op by Wechsler & Schimenti
- 210 Central Park South — 1968 co-op
- 240 Central Park South — 1940 by Mayer & Whittlesey
- 333 West 57th Street (The Westmore) — 1940 condop by Boak & Paris
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Central Park South — read The Roebling Team Guide to Central Park South.
The full playbook — what goes in the package, how boards read your financials, the interview, and the timeline — plus sample cover, reference, and personal letters you can adapt.
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 Osborne?
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