- Year built
- 1987
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 121
- Floors
- 9
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Pet-friendly; cats and dogs permitted under the condominium framework
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $806
- Listing discount
- 2.0%
- Recorded sales
- 144
- On record
- 2003–2026
The Soundings is one of the original Rector Place condominiums — part of the mid-1980s building campaign, developed in large part by The Related Companies, that turned Battery Park City from a planning document into a neighborhood. It sits beside Rector Park at the center of the South neighborhood's master plan, a boutique nine-story building of 121 units that is frequently read as a complementary pair with Battery Pointe at 300 Rector Place at the esplanade end of the block.
Architecturally, The Soundings sits on the quieter, traditional end of the Rector Place spectrum. Where some neighbors made flamboyant postmodern statements, Bond Ryder Associates produced a restrained Neo-Georgian building: red brick over a two-story light-stone base, a high but shallow crowning cornice, and a canopied entrance. It was built under the Rector Place design guidelines that gave the neighborhood its cohesive masonry character — stone bases, defined cornices, and a contextual relationship to Rector Park — and it reads as one of the more classical, understated expressions of that program.
The ownership structure is the building's defining economics, and it is the diligence item that decides outcomes here. The Soundings is a leasehold condominium: unit owners hold deeded condominium interests, but the land beneath is leased from the Battery Park City Authority. The Authority's master ground lease runs to June 18, 2069, and no building-level lease extends beyond that horizon absent a future Authority agreement. Ground rent and PILOT (payments in lieu of taxes) flow through common charges rather than a conventional property-tax bill — documented here as covering ground rent, civic fees, water, heat, and cooking gas. That structure is why Battery Park City carrying costs read high against the apartment prices, and why the prices themselves sit at a structural discount to fee-simple downtown condominiums.
Architecture and unit composition
The building rises nine stories in red brick over a light-stone base, with the canopied entrance and shallow cornice that give it its Neo-Georgian character. The unit count of 121 places it at the boutique end of Rector Place scale, between the smaller houses and the 548-unit Liberty Court across the neighborhood. The mix runs from one-bedrooms through larger family layouts; Rector Park and esplanade-direction outlooks and upper floors carry the premium. The lobby is a notable interior — marble floors, leather seating, and a working fireplace. Finishes vary by renovation cycle, as the building is now nearly four decades past its sponsor finishes.
Building operations
Full-service at a boutique scale: 24-hour doorman and concierge, porters, and a live-in superintendent; a fitness center with a mirrored exercise studio; a residents' lounge with a kitchen, a billiards room, and a children's playroom; a roof deck; a bicycle room and secured storage; an attached parking garage; and laundry on every floor — a genuine convenience that substitutes for in-unit machines in many lines. Rector Park, the esplanade, and the neighborhood's recreation infrastructure are the building's outdoor amenity program. As with all Battery Park City buildings, the operating budget carries ground rent and PILOT inside common charges. The offering plan and the ground-lease materials available for this building are held in The Roebling Research Library and shared with clients during diligence.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $3,146/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $2
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The facade passed its last inspection with no required repairs — nothing to budget for here, and no facade assessment on the horizon for roughly five years.
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 →Recent sales
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 13, 2026 | 1I | 1 BR · 1 BA · 625 sf | $450,000 | $720/sf | -9.8% |
| Feb 6, 2026 | 2K | 1 BA · 592 sf | $495,000 | $836/sf | +2.1% |
| Jan 28, 2026 | 4L | 1 BA · 564 sf | $499,000 | $885/sf | +0.0% |
| Feb 7, 2025 | 5L | 1 BA · 564 sf | $480,000 | $851/sf | -3.0% |
| Aug 28, 2024 | 7O | 1 BR · 1 BA · 625 sf | $528,000 | $845/sf | -3.1% |
| Aug 21, 2024 | 5IJ | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,269 sf | $1,300,000 | $1,024/sf | +8.3% |
| Jul 17, 2024 | 6EF | 3 BR · 3 BA · 1,469 sf | $1,515,000 | $1,031/sf | -5.3% |
| Jul 8, 2024 | 5A | 1 BR · 1 BA · 625 sf | $555,000 | $888/sf | -1.8% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $806/sf across 3 sales. Median listing discount 2.0% 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.
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 1-00016-7506) 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
Underwrite the ground lease first. This is the central diligence item. The Soundings is a leasehold condominium under the Battery Park City Authority, whose master lease runs to June 18, 2069; building-level lease terms and any Authority agreement on ground-rent steps should be reviewed directly. Your attorney should review the lease documents; we provide what is on file from The Roebling Research Library.
Carry is the real price. Common charges here bundle ground rent and PILOT. Run the True Monthly Carrying Cost Calculator on the specific unit and compare total monthly cost — not just price per foot — against fee-simple alternatives.
The 2069 horizon is part of the math. Because no building-level lease extends past the master lease's 2069 horizon absent a future Authority agreement, buyers and their lenders should factor the lease term into financing and long-term value. This is a standard Battery Park City consideration, not a building-specific defect, but it should be modeled honestly.
The neighborhood is the amenity. Rector Park at the doorstep, the esplanade a short walk west, and some of the lowest ambient traffic in Manhattan. Price the commute honestly: subway access is across West Street.
Condo mechanics are a genuine flexibility. Condominium transfer mechanics apply — no co-op board interview — which widens what is possible for relocating professionals, international buyers, and parents buying with children. Pets, pied-à-terre use, and subletting are all permitted under the condominium framework.
What to know if you’re selling
Sell the documents, not just the apartment. Ground-lease anxiety is the most common buyer objection in Battery Park City, and it is best answered with the actual lease and rent schedule rather than reassurance. We put the primary documents in front of serious buyers' counsel early — it shortens diligence and protects price.
Position against the right comparables. The honest comp set is other Rector Place leasehold condominiums, not fee-simple downtown towers. Within that set, the building's quiet Neo-Georgian character, boutique scale, full-service staffing, and floor-by-floor laundry are differentiators worth stating plainly.
Light and view drive the spread. Park-facing and upper-floor lines carry the building's premium; price to line-specific history rather than building averages.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering The Soundings, also evaluate:
- Battery Pointe (300 Rector Place) — the complementary 1980s condominium at the esplanade end of Rector Place
- Hudson View East (250 South End Avenue) — original Rector Place leasehold condominium of the same vintage
- Liberty Court (200 Rector Place) — the 548-unit condominium in Rector Place; the scale-and-amenity alternative
- The Cove Club (2 South End Avenue) — Polshek 1989 waterfront condominium on South Cove
- The Regatta (21 South End Avenue) — esplanade-front Rector Place condominium of the same vintage
The Roebling Team at The Soundings
The Roebling Team at Compass works Battery Park City and the broader Financial District waterfront as a core practice area, with particular depth in ground-lease diligence — the issue that decides outcomes in this neighborhood. We publish this building profile because Soundings buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — lease documentation, design context, and corridor-level comparables — not generic neighborhood commentary.
If you're considering a transaction at The Soundings, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Battery Park City — read The Roebling Team Guide to Battery Park City.
Get the full picture on this building.
The full comp set, a private valuation of your line, or current and off-market availability — sent to you directly.
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A broker’s honest answer to three questions — what your apartment would likely sell for today, what it costs to sell, and what you’d walk away with — for your apartment at The Soundings, in this market. Put together by a person, not an algorithm.