Well-situated Gold Coast Greenwich Village Co-op with sizable, balconied units
The stretch of lower Fifth Avenue between 14th Street and Washington Square Park is often called the ‘Gold Coast.’ “This well-kept neighborhood-within-a-neighborhood, whose residents tend to cite the avenue as their address rather than the encompassing Greenwich Village neighborhood, looks very similar to the way it did in the early-20th century — if one squints away modern cars and traffic lights,” a 2014 “New York Times” article reports. “Some of its terra-cotta-trimmed high-rises, clearly proud of that timelessness, have hung on to the marquees and lobby desks they had in their earliest life as hotels, though apartments are now inside.” Demarcated by the New School’s University Center on one end and much of NYU’s urban campus on the other, this decidedly old New York pocket — ideally situated at the core of Downtown Manhattan — remains exclusive and pricey.
Positioned just off Fifth Avenue on a side street, the postwar 15 W 12th St. building still benefits from this cache and everything the highly sought-after area has to offer but for slightly less. Built in 1959, the 13-story and 75-unit tower rises above the picturesque townhomes in its midst. “It’s a standard red brick co-op with a few favorable policies and features,” says Charles Opolinsky, an agent with Brown Harris Stevens. “Shareholders can utilize their residences as pied-a-terres based on board approval. There’s the possibility of installing in-unit washer/dryers. Most residences include private balconies and on higher levels, large terraces. The main draw, however, is the location. That’s why units in the building sell, not the amenities or any special features. A residence that goes for $2.1 million here would be $1.5 million on the Upper East Side.”
Large studios to expansive combined three-bedrooms with varying degrees of renovation
Incorporating separate sleeping nooks, galley kitchens and multiple closets, 500-square-foot studios sell for $850,000 on average. One-bedrooms with at least 1,000 square feet of space, foyers and large living rooms fetch between $1.6 million and $2.3 million depending on position in the building and how recently updates were introduced. Like any older building, the state of renovation varies greatly from unit to unit. A handful of residences are sprawling combined two- and three-bedrooms selling for as much as $3 million. These tend to have both Northern and Southern exposures with bedrooms facing the quieter rear and what, according to Opolinsky, used to be the Forbes building. Though 15 W 12th St. is ostensibly non-descript from an architectural standpoint — anachronistic to the Beaux-Arts style structures in its vicinity — one of its best features are the curtain wall casement windows wrapping its facade and bringing in tons of natural light. While most units have access to balconies protruding off of either side of the building, setbacks starting on the 10th-floor anchor large terraces with sweeping views of the mostly low to mid-rise surroundings.
Sufficient internal services but external amenities hard to beat
For those residents who don’t want to install in-unit washer/dryers, 15 W 12th St. also has a basement-level laundry room. There’s also a bike room and storage units. The understated-style, wood-paneled lobby is helmed by full-time door attendants. “The building has what people are looking for these days but not all the bells and whistles of a new development,” Opolinsky explains. “Given that Union Square and Washington Square Park are nearby, it isn’t necessary.” While 15 W 12th St. doesn’t have a gym, there are plenty in the neighborhood, which also abounds with some of Manhattan’s best retail, cuisine and entertainment. Just a block away, Union Square is encircled by major big box stores and essential service businesses including Whole Foods and Barnes & Noble.
Quality retailers extend further north along Broadway while University Place to the south is home to many owner-operated restaurants, bars and coffee shops that don’t just cater to the student crowds of either university located here. They include Greek go-to Village Taverna, Thai haunt Pranakhon and Mexican hotspot Tortaria. Da Andrea is a locally beloved Northern Italian eatery one block north. Restaurants and watering holes are also found along MacDougal and Sullivan streets just south of Washington Square Park. A bit further east, Astor Place has a Trader Joe's and Wegmans before giving way to historically counterculture nightlife hub St. Marks Place. The area is also filled with countless concert halls, performance venues, cinemas and comedy clubs. Two blocks east, The Strand is a legendary bookstore with thousands of new and used titles. The building is right across the street from the historic First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York. It also, unsurprisingly, abuts both NYU and The New School facilities.
A transit hub along 14th Street and at Union Square
“While West 14th Street isn’t the most exciting stretch when it comes to shopping or dining, it’s an important transportation hub,” Opolinsky adds. While the Sixth Avenue subway station is served by the F, M and L lines and three Path trains connecting to various parts of New Jersey, Union Square congregates the 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R and W subway lines, as well as the L. The M1, 2, 3 and 55 buses stop at the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 13th Street, one block up. For residents that street park or keep their cars in a third-party-operated garage nearby, there’s access to the West Side Highway at the end of West 14th Street.
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Current List Price
Sold Price
Area Factors
Low Crime
Crime Score®
4/ 10
Biker's Paradise
Bike Score®
92/ 100
Walker's Paradise
Walk Score®
100/ 100
Rider's Paradise
Transit Score®
100/ 100
Sources: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com, Walk Score
Sources: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com, Walk Score
WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com, Powered by CAP Index provides objective, accurate, and consistent data to help measure, compare, and mitigate crime risks. Walk Score® measures the walkability of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Environmental risk data is provided by First Street Foundation® and is designed to approximate risk and not intended to include all possible scenarios.
Parks in this Area
Union Square Park
6 min walk
Dog Park
Picnic Area
Trails
NYC AIDS Memorial Park at St Vincent's Triangle
7 min walk
Picnic Area
Washington Square Park
7 min walk
Dog Park
Picnic Area
Playground
Christopher Park
8 min walk
Picnic Area
McCarthy Square
8 min walk
Picnic Area
Jackson Square
9 min walk
Picnic Area
West 4th Street Courts
10 min walk
Basketball
Minetta Playground
10 min walk
Playground
Walking Paths
Chelsea Green
12 min walk
Picnic Area
Playground
Waterpark
Schools
Source:
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