5 min walk to Abraham and Joseph Spector Playground
A prewar co-op along Central Park West honors its past life as a hotel
Looking at The Alden at 225 Central Park West, it’s surprisingly easy to picture this exact building nearly one century ago. That’s because, to the delight of residents and neighbors, very little has aesthetically changed since the building debuted in 1926. “In the early days, it was a hotel, as many of the grand old buildings along Central Park were,” tells Jannette Patterson, a 16-year resident of the building and a broker with Compass. Visual hints of the building’s origin story remain today: “Because it was originally constructed with the idea that people were traveling for extended stays, we have these large walk-in closets where people were meant to put their steamer trunks. And we have smaller kitchens from the original hotel rooms, too.” Joining the Manhattan-wide conversion surge throughout the ’80s, Hotel Alden became a co-op in 1984.
“The Alden remains a grand building in people’s eyes,” Patterson says. “When you step into the lobby, you feel like you’re walking through the most elegant prewar flavor of New York that anyone could hope to find.” The bones of the lobby, including herringbone floors and molded walls and ceilings, are so impressive that the space requires little else, though the multiple seating areas are equally classy. In-the-know residents will find bits of Hotel Alden throughout. For example, it’s easy to imagine guests ringing for the bellhop decades ago at the hotel’s original reception desk, where the concierge now works, and visits to the on-site management office might conjure up images of the old hotel bar. Even the elevators provide a glimpse into the building’s past. “We’ve maintained the original elevators, which have a Chinese-inspired artwork on the walls,” Patterson says. In the lobby, the most overt (and darling) reference to the hotel comes from Patterson, herself. “Years ago, when I was working with another agent in a different building, he learned that I lived in The Alden, and he said, ‘Oh, I have something for you,’” Patterson recalls. “He said, ‘I helped my elderly neighbor move and he has a hanger from Hotel Alden with the name on it.’ So I got it and had it professionally framed in a shadow box, and I hung it in the lobby. It’s a really sweet nod to our history.”
Eager-to-stay residents have combined and customized apartments over the years
When the hotel rooms were converted to co-op units, many of the original footprints remained, hence the relatively large closets and small kitchens. According to Patterson, those in studios consider their unit’s small size, only 350 to 450 square feet, an expected trade-off for the excellent location along Central Park West. Plus, each unit still has beamed ceilings slightly over nine-feet high and oversized windows, some with direct Central Park views, which make the residences feel larger. “We’ve had a growing number of owners buy the apartment next door and expand, because they just love living here,” Patterson says. “It's a testimony to the building that people want to stay.” So far, most have combined two or three apartments, but one lucky shareholder combined six units into one grand residence. “This building is really conducive to growing the larger apartments that people want,” Patterson says, noting that two-story duplexes and the purchase of hallway space is allowed. As of August 2024, there are roughly 244 units across 16 floors, but, as emphasized by Patterson, that number is shrinking every year due to combinations.
Apartments range from small studios to six-bedroom pads
In recent years, studios have sold between $450,000 and $520,000, while one-bedrooms have ranged from $435,000 to $1.3 million. Two-bedroom units are at least 1,000 square feet and typically cost anywhere from $1.4 million to $4.65 million. Prices for larger units are slightly higher, ranging between $1.9 million and $4.95 million.
A landscaped and furnished roof deck with prime views
As with most co-ops, amenities are limited, but service is extensive thanks to a team of on-site managers and door attendants, plus the concierge and live-in superintendent. The rooftop garden, the only recreational amenity space, gets spectacular sunset views to the west, as well as Central Park and reservoir views to the northeast. “I would say the rooftop is our living lounge, if you will, and the lobby certainly serves us. We don’t have a gym — we call it Central Park,” Patterson quips. Otherwise, residents may be able to rent or purchase a parking space in the attached garage, which is accessible along West 82nd Street.
Central Park is across the street and the Natural History Museum a few doors down
As with any address containing the words “Central Park West,” the best perk is obvious. “This part of Central Park, in particular, is just extraordinary,” Patterson says. “I’ve lived on the south and north ends of the park, but here you have The Ramble, The Great Lawn. It’s just a sanctuary.” Right at the West 81st Street entrance is the Diana Ross Playground with its wooden jungle gym and splash pad. The more obvious attraction at that entrance, however, is the American Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium, both all-time favorites for slews of locals. “On the next block over, Columbus Avenue, we have Italian, Mexican, Japanese, a kosher restaurant, all on one block,” Patterson says, citing both Blossom on Columbus and Thyme & Tonic as two go-to eateries for The Alden’s residents. “The restaurant scene right there is amazing. And then you go another block over to Amsterdam [Avenue], and it’s a whole ’nother scene — more pubs, a little more nightlife-y.” Both avenues offer all of the essentials, as well, like grocery stores, delis, dry cleaners and pharmacies.
Subways and the crosstown bus are located one block south
Travel throughout Manhattan is convenient thanks to the buses running along Central Park West, as well as the crosstown bus and subway station (serviced by the A, B and C trains) both accessible one block south.
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Quantarium
Current List Price
Sold Price
Area Factors
Low Crime
Crime Score®
3/ 10
Very Bikeable
Bike Score®
74/ 100
Walker's Paradise
Walk Score®
91/ 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
Abraham and Joseph Spector Playground
5 min walk
Playground
Theodore Roosevelt Park
5 min walk
Dog Park
Picnic Area
Trails
W 87th Street Park & Garden
7 min walk
Picnic Area
Playground
Great Lawn
8 min walk
Picnic Area
Trails
Events
Tecumseh Playground
10 min walk
Basketball
Picnic Area
Soccer
Playground Eighty Nine LXXXIX
10 min walk
Playground
St Gregory's Playground
12 min walk
Basketball
Playground
Sol Bloom Playground
12 min walk
Basketball
Picnic Area
Playground
Central Park
13 min walk
Schools
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