NYC’s charming, pre-war apartment buildings still reign supreme over modern luxury

In an era when Manhattan’s skyline seems to sprout glass-and-steel towers by the week, a devoted subset of buyers is looking in the opposite direction, toward buildings erected long before World War II. 

These apartments, built between the 1880s and the early-1940s, are prized for their craftsmanship and character — things that modern construction often struggles to match.

“Pre-war apartments continue to attract a very specific type of buyer in New York City, someone who values history, craftsmanship, and architectural charm over the sleek amenities of new developments,” Ben Jacobs, a luxury real estate broker at Douglas Elliman, told 6sqft. 

Many clients, he added, are drawn to the high ceilings, thick walls, and intricate moldings that “just ‘feels like New York.’”

The appeal is more than aesthetic, brokers say. 

Steven Gottlieb of Coldwell Banker Warburg told the outlet, “So many of the apartments boast high ceilings, grand room scale, and details like crown moldings, beams, and elegant hardwood floors.” 

Ellen Sykes, also with Coldwell Banker Warburg, pointed to practical benefits such as thicker walls for soundproofing, built-ins, and formal dining rooms.

Yet the same age that gives these homes their charm can complicate ownership. 

“A lot of pre-war buildings haven’t been kept up to date with plumbing, electrical, and overall infrastructure,” Gina Conzo, another Coldwell Banker Warburg broker, said. 

For landmarked buildings, she added, renovations “can be difficult and even sometimes limited.”

Corcoran’s Kirsten Jordan cautioned that older systems can hide costly surprises, with repairs often running higher than expected, along with restrictions on washers, dryers or plumbing changes.

Ownership structure adds another wrinkle. 

Most pre-war properties are co-ops, which operate under a different set of rules than the condos common in newer buildings. 

“Since most pre-war apartments are in co-ops, this is really a co-op vs condo question,” Clif Thorn of Douglas Elliman told 6sqft. 

He argued that co-ops can be “more financially stable overall,” citing the 2008 financial crisis, when “more condos suffered financial hardships than co-ops.” 

Still, co-ops often impose strict financial disclosures, lending rules and limits on subletting. 

“The barrier of entry to get into some of these co-ops is very high,” Conzo said, adding that most do not permit subletting, limiting investment potential. 

Thorn noted that “shareholders in co-ops are having to loosen the reins a bit…in order to compete and maintain their values.”

Some pre-war icons have been updated to meet modern expectations without sacrificing their period character. 

4 East 70th Street and 740 Park Avenue, for example, are considered buildings where “stepping into these lobbies, you immediately feel how meticulously they’ve been preserved,” Kirsten Jordan of Corcoran said. 

580 Park Avenue is also “a classic pre-war that underwent a spectacular gut renovation” and sold quickly at strong prices, Jordan said. 

Other Roth landmarks include The Ardsley, The San Remo, The Shenandoah, The Beresford, and The Normandy. 

The Apthorp, The Belnord, and The Majestic also remain high on buyer wish lists. For those seeking a lower-profile option, Coldwell Banker Warburg’s Veronique Perrin endorsed Tudor City as “the best-kept secret for first-time buyers.”

For Jordan, the draw comes down to scarcity. 

“Pre-war apartments offer something rare in New York: True history you can actually live in. The supply is finite—you can’t just build another 1920s gem,” she told the outlet. 

“There’s magic in owning a piece of architectural heritage…there’s a story and a soul behind every stone.”