The Oldest Condo Buildings in the Lower East Side

The oldest condo building in the Lower East Side of Manhattan dates back to 1872. Most condo developments in LES today are new construction buildings, and condo conversions are increasingly rare. There are many other historic, pre-war apartment buildings in the Lower East Side, however the vast majority of them are rental buildings, single or multifamily homes or co-op buildings.

The Oldest Condo Buildings in the Lower East Side:

215 Bowery [1872]

215 Bowery was constructed in 1872 as the New Amsterdam Savings Bank, and it subsequently served as the headquarters of Germania Bank from 1878 to 1989 before it moved to its newly-built headquarters at 190 Bowery. Built on an irregularly narrow corner lot at Rivington Street and The Bowery, 215 Bowery features an Italian Renaissance facade which was carved from from sandstone quarried in Ohio in the late 19th Century.

215 Bowery was constructed in 1872 and converted to condos in 1990. It was built as the New Amsterdam Savings Bank, and it subsequently served as the headquarters of Germania Bank from 1878 to 1989 before it moved to its newly-built headquarters at 190 Bowery. Built on an irregularly narrow corner lot at Rivington Street and The Bowery, 215 Bowery features an Italian Renaissance facade which was carved from sandstone quarried in Ohio in the late 19th Century. Actor Nicholas Braun purchased #5R for $1,910,000 in December 2019.

215 Bowery - View on Google Maps

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184 Bowery [1887]

184 Bowery was built in 1887 and converted to condos in 1999. It features four, full-floor loft apartments and a ground floor commercial unit. The Renaissance Revival style structure was designed by William Graul and originally used as a commercial space. Subsequently, the building was converted to a hotel in 1924 and artist lofts in 1969, according to the Bowery Alliance of Neighbors. There have been no resales in over two decades, and residents of the building have lived there for lengths of time ranging from 12 to 38 years.

184 Bowery - View on Google Maps

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115 Allen Street [1889]

115 Allen Street was built in 1889 and converted to condos in 2005. Floors two through five are keyed-elevator, full floor units, while floors six and seven comprise a duplex penthouse with over 2,000 SqFt of outdoor space. Apartment #3 went into contract in just 12 days in July 2020 asking $2,250,000.

115 Allen Street - View on Google Maps

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2 Prince Street [1900]

2 Prince Street was built in 1900 and converted to condos in 1986. It is a boutique, walk-up building with just 10 apartments. The building sits at the corner of Prince and Bowery, the de-facto border between Nolita and the Lower East Side in the heart of Lower Manhattan. The most recent sale was Apartment #4B which sold for $2,300,000 in December 2016.

2 Prince Street - View on Google Maps

195 Bowery [1900]

195 Bowery was built in 1900 and converted to condos in 2004. The former gaslight factory was originally five stories, but 11 floors were added during the condo conversion to make for a total of 16 stories with one apartment per floor accessible by keyed elevator. The most recent apartment to change hands was Unit #11 which sold for $2,925,000 in September 2018.

195 Bowery - View on Google Maps

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15 Rivington Street [1900]

15 Rivington Street was built in 1900 and converted to condos in 2006. It is an intimate building with only 5 apartments in total. The most recent sale was Apartment #4 which sold for $2,765,000 in May 2019. The 2,300 SqFt Penthouse, which features a private roof deck, lap pool and outdoor grill, was listed for rent in 2020 asking $16,000/month.

15 Rivington Street - View on Google Maps

52 Rivington Street [1900]

52 Rivington Street was built in 1900 and converted to condos in 1988. It’s an intimate building with just 5 units, one per floor, and there’s no elevator. While very few apartments have changed hands over the years, Apartment #4 sold for $2,250,000 on 11/28/18.

52 Rivington Street - View on Google Maps

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75 Ludlow Street [1900]

75 Ludlow Street was built around 1900 and converted to condos in 2007. The 7 story building contains 13 units and a keyed elevator. The most recent sale was #2C which sold for $1,925,000 in November 2019.

75 Ludlow Street - View on Google Maps

17 Orchard Street [1900]

17 Orchard Street was built around 1900 and converted to condos between 2009 and 2011. The elevator building features one unit per floor and a total of 7 stories. The most recent sale was Apartment #7 which sold for $2,200,000 in June 2019.

17 Orchard Street - View on Google Maps

155 Henry Street [1907]

155 Henry Street was built in 1907 and converted to condos in 1986. The building abuts the Captain Jacob Joseph Playground and is technically part of the Two Bridges neighborhood which is considered to be an extension of the Lower East Side. Initial sales in the 24 unit elevator building began in the early 2000s and ranged anywhere from $90,000 to $276,000. While very few apartments have changed hands over the years, the most recent sale was Apartment #201 which sold for $398,000 in February 2019.

155 Henry Street - View on Google Maps

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345 Grand Street [1910]

345 Grand Street is a 5 story cast-iron facade building constructed in 1910 as The Grand Street Museum. The building is one of only a handful in the Lower East Side with a cast-iron facade which is much more common in SoHo. It was converted to condos in 2002. The most recent sale was Apartment #2 which changed hands for $3,850,000 in June 2015.

345 Grand Street - View on Google Maps

175 East Broadway [1912]

175 East Broadway, known as The Forward Building, is a Beaux Arts style structure built in 1912 as the headquarters of the Jewish Daily Forward newspaper. It was converted to luxury condos between 2001 and 2006. The most recent sale was Apartment #6D which changed hands in November 2019 for $2,375,000.

175 East Broadway - View on Google Maps

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142 Henry Street [1912]

142 Henry Street, also known as The Garfield Building, is a loft building constructed in 1912 and converted to condos in 2005. The 9 story elevator building has just 13 units, with several of the apartments consisting of entire floors. The most recent unit to change hands was Apartment #3E which sold for $1,505,000 in June 2019.

142 Henry Street - View on Google Maps

18 Orchard Street [1920]

18 Orchard Street was built in 1920 and converted to condos in 1999. The five story building contains just 4 units, one of which is a duplex penthouse with a multi level outdoor space. The most recent sale was Apartment #5 which changed hands for $3,910,000 in September 2014.

18 Orchard Street - View on Google Maps

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60 Orchard Street [1920]

60 Orchard Street was built in 1920 and is one of the more recent condo conversions in the Lower Side, with sales commencing in 2010. As part of the conversion, several stories were added and the facade was heavily modified featuring a composition of glass and steel. The most recent sale was Apartment #8 which sold for $2,475,000 in December 2017.

60 Orchard Street - View on Google Maps

165 Henry Street [1928]

165 Henry Street was built in 1928 as the original Rabbi Jacob Joseph School building, and the first condos were sold between 1997 and 2003. The building made worldwide headlines in 2019 when several unit owners were busted for illegally splitting their apartments into micro-units. One owner was fined over $145,000 for subdividing her 634 SqFt condo into nine single occupancy rooms, some of which had ceiling heights of just 4.5 feet.

165 Henry Street - View on Google Maps

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20 Clinton Street [1930]

20 Clinton Street is a classic art-deco building which was constructed in 1930 and converted to condos in 1999. With 38 units, it’s one of the largest pre-war condo buildings in the Lower East Side. Resales in the building are more common than with other pre-war condo buildings in LES due to the larger number of apartments. The most recent unit to change hands was Apartment #1G which sold for $840,000 on 9/6/19.

20 Clinton Street - View on Google Maps

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Posted: 8/22/20

Disclosure: Hauseit® and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal, financial or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal, financial or accounting advice. No representation, guarantee or warranty of any kind is made regarding the completeness or accuracy of information provided.

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