A brownstone apartment may be the best way to enjoy intimate, low-scale living in the heart of the city. Sometimes, housing options in New York City can seem highly binary. On one hand, there are many large multi-family buildings with generic layouts lacking in personal touches. On the other hand, suburban areas inside and outside of the city often lack community and walkability, necessitating a car (and parking) to travel longer distances for basic needs and activities.
However, townhouses scattered throughout the five boroughs can be considered a middle ground. Most of NYC's historic rowhomes were built as single-family residences, and many have since been divided into smaller rental apartments. For homebuyers, the single-family townhouse option may not be realistic for those who don't have the budget or who don't need such a large amount of space. Owning an entire building also comes with its pitfalls.
In this article:
Fortunately, rowhouse condo, condop, and co-op apartments have become increasingly popular among buyers in recent years. These buildings are ideal for those who appreciate the character and timeless grace of townhouse living but prefer smaller, renovated apartment units. A typical brownstone can comfortably house two to four residences. Renovators often spare no expense in updating the mechanicals, utilities, and layouts to modern standards. In highly sought-after areas, they may divide the brownstone into floor-through or duplex units, offering the top-floor owner a private roof deck through a small addition and providing the parlor/garden-level unit with a backyard. As you'll see below, there are instances where owners or shareholders can also enjoy shared outdoor amenity spaces.
One last benefit of rowhouse apartments is low carrying costs. The lack of elevators, fancy amenities, attended lobbies, and staff allows maintenance and common charges to be much lower than in larger condo/co-op buildings. Lastly, these buildings also benefit from a loophole in the city's tax code, bestowing them extremely low taxes. Take a look at some recent brownstone apartments on the market now. Be aware these homes are relatively rare and typically don't spend much time on the market.
161 West 133rd Street, #1A
$450,000
Harlem | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 608 ft2Monthly Common Charges: $637
161 West 133rd Street, #1A (Compass)
145 West 80th Street, #1F
$505,000
Broadway Corridor | Cooperative | Studio, 1 BathMonthly Maintenance: $974
145 West 80th Street, #1F (Corcoran Group)
846 President Street, #3F
$599,000
Park Slope | Cooperative | Studio, 1 BathMonthly Maintenance: $584
846 President Street, #3F (Compass)
19 Seventh Avenue, #3F
$599,000
Park Slope | Cooperative | 1 Bedroom, 1 BathMonthly Maintenance: $721
19 Seventh Avenue, #3F (Serhant LLC)
111 West 70th Street, #3R
$650,000
Broadway Corridor | Cooperative | 1 Bedroom, 1 BathMonthly Maintenance: $1,817
111 West 70th Street, #3R (Compass)
265 West 131st Street, #5
$699,000
Harlem | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 922 ft2Monthly Common Charges: $1,133
265 West 131st Street, #5 (Compass)
50 Eighth Avenue, #4R (Corcoran Group)
661 Lafayette Avenue, #3
$895,000
Bedford-Stuyvesant | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath | 756 ft2Monthly Common Charges: $357
661 Lafayette Avenue, #3 (Compass)
91 Sixth Avenue, #1 (Compass)
102 Prospect Park West, #1
$1,100,000
Park Slope | Cooperative | 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
Monthly Maintenance: $1,091
102 Prospect Park West, #1 (MANTUS REAL ESTATE)
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98 Bond Street, #3
$1,300,000
Boerum Hill | Condop | 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath | 940 ft2
Monthly Maintenance: $1,167
98 Bond Street, #3 (Compass)
747 Union Street, #1
$1,400,000
Park Slope | Cooperative | 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath
Monthly Maintenance: $725
747 Union Street, #1 (Brown Harris Stevens Brooklyn LLC)
303 Sixth Avenue, #4 (Garfield Realty Corp)
561 5th Street, #4
$1,695,000
Park Slope | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
Monthly Common Charges: $982
561 5th Street, #4 (Corcoran Group)
146 West 74th Street, #4
$1,950,000
Broadway Corridor | Cooperative | 2 Bedrooms, 1.5 Baths
Monthly Maintenance: $1,689
146 West 74th Street, #4 (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
105 Butler Street, #3
$2,000,000
Boerum Hill | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,541 ft2Monthly Common Charges: $758
105 Butler Street, #3 (Compass)
80 Pierrepont Street, #4
$2,095,000
Brooklyn Heights | Cooperative | 2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
Monthly Maintenance: $2,714
80 Pierrepont Street, #4 (Compass)
120 Prospect Park West, #2
$2,250,000
Park Slope | Cooperative | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 2,000 ft2
Monthly Maintenance: $1,300
120 Prospect Park West, #2 (Serhant LLC)
22 Jefferson Avenue, #PARLOR
$2,350,000 (-3.9%)
Bedford-Stuyvesant | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths | 1,997 ft2Monthly Common Charges: $815
22 Jefferson Avenue, #PARLOR (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
345 West 4th Street, #3
$2,450,000
West Village | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths
Monthly Maintenance: $4,119
345 West 4th Street, #3 (Compass)
23 Wyckoff Street, #ONE
$2,575,000
Boerum Hill | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 1,670 ft2Monthly Common Charges: $1,230
23 Wyckoff Street, #ONE (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
37 Tompkins Place, #3
$2,950,000
Cobble Hill | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 1,673 ft2Monthly Common Charges: $1,025
37 Tompkins Place, #3 (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
Alphonse Montant House, #GARDEN (Compass)
853 Carroll Street Condominium Residences, #1
$3,280,000
Park Slope | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths | 2,049 ft2Monthly Common Charges: $2,704
853 Carroll Street Condominium Residences, #1 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
22 West 96th Street, #45
$3,495,000
Central Park West | Co-op | 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths
Monthly Maintenance: $3,290
22 West 96th Street, #45 (Corcoran Group)
303 Warren Street, #1
$3,495,000
Boerum Hill | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 2,156 ft2Monthly Common Charges: $1,740
303 Warren Street, #1 (Compass)
119 West 82nd Street, #1
$4,200,000 (-6.7%)
Broadway Corridor | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths | 3,000 ft2
119 West 82nd Street, #1 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Would you like to tour any of these properties?
Just complete the info below.
Or call us at (212) 755-5544
Would you like to tour any of these properties?