20 East 30th Street Co-op: A straightforward 1920s co-op in the sweet spot of NoMad — no frills, solid location, reasonable pricing for the neighborhood.
42 units · Co-op · built 1925
Pets allowedCity views
Scorecard
Prestige
45
Location
88
Investment
62
Value / sqft
75
Building quality
68
Livability
72
History
55
Transparency
40
The Honest Verdict
20 East 30th Street Co-op: This is the kind of building that doesn't show up in neighborhood guides but keeps longtime NoMad residents happy: a modest 1920s co-op with zero HPD violations, reasonable maintenance, and a location that puts you three blocks from Madison Square Park without paying Madison Square Park prices.
The public records here are clean — zero open violations across HPD and DOB, no active litigation, which in a nearly 100-year-old building tells you the co-op board and management are staying on top of basic maintenance. That matters more than marble lobbies when you're talking about day-to-day livability.
The trade-off is transparency: this is a small building with minimal online presence, which means you're buying based on broker intel and whatever the seller's attorney provides. No doorman, no gym, no roof deck — you're paying for location and solid bones, not amenities.
For buyers who've been priced out of the Grand Madison or similar trophy addresses but want to stay in the NoMad core, this represents genuine value at roughly $1,200 per square foot versus $1,800+ for comparable park-adjacent buildings.
Pros and cons
Pros
+ Zero HPD and DOB violations — clean building record
+ Mid-block quiet location on residential 30th Street
+ $1,200/sqft significantly under comparable NoMad co-ops
+ 3 blocks from Madison Square Park, walkable to everything
+ Multiple subway lines within 3-4 blocks (6, N/R/W)
Cons
− No doorman or concierge service
− Limited building amenities — no gym, roof deck, or parking
− Thin sales volume affects resale liquidity
− Minimal online presence makes due diligence challenging
− Prewar quirks: no central air, in-unit laundry varies
Approx. low end — varies by unit. Use the calculator below to add your mortgage.
~$1,400/mo
Common charges and tax figures shown are sourced from current active listings and vary by unit size and floor. Verify all figures with building management, the offering plan, and your attorney before closing. MeetFlatiron makes no representations as to the accuracy of financial figures shown.
Payment calculator
Purchase price$650,000
Down payment20%
Interest rate6.75%
Principal and interest—
Common charges (enter your unit's figure)$/mo
Property taxes (enter your unit's figure)$/mo
Total monthly—
For illustrative purposes only. Common charges and taxes vary by unit — verify exact figures with building management. Actual mortgage rates vary by lender. Co-op buyers receive a share loan — not a traditional mortgage. Consult your lender.
Red flag —
The primary concern here is transparency — this building has minimal online presence and limited sales history, making due diligence more challenging than comparable addresses. Request detailed financial statements including reserve fund balances and any planned capital improvements. While current violation records are clean, the age of the building means periodic assessments for roof, elevator, or façade work are predictable but not necessarily budgeted.
What agents won't tell you
Board dynamics
With limited public information available, board assessment relies heavily on the building's maintenance record and financial stability indicators. The fact that HPD shows zero violations suggests responsible building management, but prospective buyers should request detailed financial statements and board meeting minutes. As a small co-op, approval processes may be more personal and informal than larger buildings, but financial requirements are typically standard for the neighborhood — expect 20% down minimum and debt-to-income ratios under 30%.
What it's actually like to live here
The mid-block location on 30th Street is legitimately quieter than avenue-facing buildings — you're dealing with residential foot traffic rather than commercial delivery trucks and bus routes. Units vary significantly in layout and condition since this is a prewar conversion, so the specific apartment matters more than the floor or exposure. No central air means window units, and no in-unit laundry means trips to the basement or local laundromats. The trade-off for the lower price point is a more hands-on living experience compared to full-service buildings.
Services and amenities
Elevator
Storage space
Laundry in building
Live-in super
Hardwood floors
Dishwasher
Pets allowed
No Gym
No Pool
No Roof deck
No Parking
Pet policy: Policy details unknown - inquire with co-op board
Amenity information sourced from building listings and public records. Amenities are subject to change — verify current offerings with building management before closing.
Transit
28th St (Park Ave South)
6
~3 blocks
28th St (Broadway)
NRW
~4 blocks
33rd St (Park Ave South)
6
~3 blocks
Union Square-14th St
NRW6
~8 blocks
Walk Score 98Transit Score 96Bike Score 88Source: Walk Score
Commute times from this building
Destination
🚶 Walk
🚇 Subway
Lines
The Flatiron Building (175 Fifth Ave)
13 min
10 min
N/A
Midtown (47th & Park Ave)
22 min
6 min
4 Line
Hudson Yards (30th & 10th Ave)
25 min
23 min
N/A
World Trade Center (Fulton St)
63 min
23 min
6 Train
Times Square (42nd & Broadway)
23 min
9 min
4 Line/S
Grand Central (42nd & Park Ave)
14 min
6 min
6 Train
Door-to-door estimates via Google Maps transit directions. Times reflect typical weekday conditions.Source: Google Maps
Nearby schools
3
PS 116 Mary Lindley Murray
Public · Grades K–5
0.3mi
8
IS 104 Simon Baruch
Public · Grades 6–8
0.4mi
9
NYC Lab School
Public · Grades 6–12
0.7mi
Nearby colleges: Baruch College (0.2mi), FIT (0.4mi), Parsons/The New School (0.5mi), SVA (0.6mi)
School ratings sourced from GreatSchools and are subject to change. School zone boundaries are not guaranteed — verify current zoning directly with NYC DOE at myschools.nyc before purchasing.
Noise Level
Loud
Overall noise level
72/100 noise score
Primary source: Mid-block location on 30th Street provides relative quiet compared to avenue-facing buildings
30th Street between Park and Fifth is quiet and well-lit, patrolled by the 13th Precinct. The mid-block location means less foot traffic than avenue addresses, but nearby Baruch College keeps the area active during weekday hours.
🚗
Parking
Edison ParkFast on 31st Street runs about $400-450/month for residents. Street parking on 30th Street has alternate side Tuesday/Friday — competitive but doable if you're out early.
📦
Storage
The building has basement storage but availability varies. Manhattan Mini Storage on Seventh Avenue is the closest off-site option, about 10 minutes on foot.
🛒
Grocery and daily errands
Your best bet is Whole Foods at Union Square — 6 blocks south on foot or one subway stop on the 6. Trader Joe's is in the same complex. Korean delis on Park Avenue South stay open late.
🔊
Noise and street life
Mid-block 30th Street is genuinely quieter than Park Avenue South or Fifth Avenue addresses. Rear-facing units are the quietest in the building. Morning delivery trucks on 30th Street are minimal compared to the avenues.
🚇
Getting around
The 6 train at 28th Street is your workhorse — 3 blocks east, direct to Midtown East and Grand Central. For Midtown West, walk to 28th and Broadway for N/R/W. Citi Bike dock at 30th and Park keeps decent availability.
At roughly $1,200 per square foot, 20 East 30th Street trades at a meaningful discount to comparable NoMad co-ops — the Grand Madison runs $1,860+ per square foot, and even lesser-known buildings closer to Madison Square Park command $1,400-1,500. Sales volume is thin — maybe 2-3 transactions per year — which affects liquidity but also means pricing stays rational. The building's appreciation has been steady but modest, tracking broader NoMad trends without the premium of trophy addresses.
Past appreciation is not a guarantee of future performance. Real estate values fluctuate. All investment decisions should be made with independent financial and legal advice.
Sale price history
2024
$1.13M avg
sales
2023
$1.05M avg
3 sales
2022
$0.98M avg
sales
2021
$0.93M avg
sales
2020
$0.85M avg
sales
Source: NYC ACRIS · Past sales are not indicative of future value.
Building history timeline
1925
Original Construction
Built as part of the 1920s NoMad residential development boom, originally designed as rental apartments during the pre-Depression building surge.
1950s-1960s
Co-op Conversion Era
Like many similar buildings in the area, likely converted from rental to cooperative ownership during the post-war housing conversion wave.
1980s-1990s
Neighborhood Transition
Survived the difficult decades when this area was more commercial wholesale district than residential neighborhood, maintaining stable co-op ownership.
2000s
NoMad Renaissance
Benefited from the broader NoMad transformation as Madison Square Park was renovated and the neighborhood became a dining and residential destination.
2010-Present
Stable Residential Building
Maintains its character as an affordable co-op option in an increasingly expensive neighborhood, with clean violation records and steady ownership.
Frequently asked questions
Is 20 East 30th Street a condo or co-op?
20 East 30th Street is a cooperative (co-op), which means buyers purchase shares in the corporation that owns the building rather than owning their unit directly. This requires board approval and comes with restrictions on subletting and resale that condos don't have.
What subway lines serve 20 East 30th Street?
The building is well-served by the 6 train at 28th Street (3 blocks east) and 33rd Street (3 blocks north), plus the N/R/W trains at 28th Street and Broadway (4 blocks west). Union Square with multiple lines is about 8 blocks south.
Does 20 East 30th Street have HPD violations?
As of April 2026, the building has zero open HPD violations across all classes and zero total violations over the past 5 years. This clean record suggests responsible building management and maintenance.
What amenities does 20 East 30th Street offer?
This is a basic co-op building with essential amenities: elevator, live-in superintendent, basement storage, and laundry facility. It does not have a doorman, gym, roof deck, or parking garage.
How much do apartments cost at 20 East 30th Street?
Based on recent sales, apartments typically range from $650,000 to $1.8 million, averaging around $1,200 per square foot. This represents good value compared to other NoMad co-ops which often exceed $1,400-1,500 per square foot.
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