949 Columbus Avenue
$5,500,000
MLS# RLS20106083 · Upper West Side
Listed July 28, 2026 · 106 days on the market
20 Beds 11 Baths 7,750 Sq.Ft.
About This Property
A 7,750 SF mixed-use walk-up with nine free-market three-bedroom apartments over two commercial spaces: an operating restaurant with basement dining and a retail storefront leased to a shoe store.
The headline: six of the nine apartments will be delivered vacant on September 1, and every unit in the building is free-market. An investor can start renovating the majority of the residential portion on day one, with no buyouts to negotiate and no regulated leases to work around.
The value-add math is straightforward. Each apartment is a three-bedroom, one-bath layout. Add a second bathroom, in-unit laundry, and updated finishes, and these units rent at a different number. The two commercial tenants keep paying while the work happens, so the building produces income through the entire reposition.
The location does the rest: two short blocks to Central Park, roughly ten blocks to Columbia University, with the 1, B, and C trains nearby and the restaurants of Columbus and Amsterdam at the doorstep.
Most value-add deals make you wait years for the vacancy. This one hands it to you at closing.
Agent's Note
From Curtis Bain. Details about the apartment are drawn from the listing information provided through RLS by Compass.
This walk-up was built in 1900 and rises five stories, with nine apartments sitting above two commercial spaces. Downstairs, a restaurant runs out of the ground floor with dining in the basement, and a shoe store occupies the storefront.
Six of the nine apartments are set to be delivered vacant on September 1. All nine are free-market, so there aren't regulated leases to work around. For a buyer planning a full renovation, that means work can start on most of the residential floors without buyouts to negotiate, and the commercial tenants keep paying while it happens.
Pre-war buildings often suit buyers who want defined rooms and original proportions, though the layout and condition of each apartment matter more than the year alone. Each apartment has one bathroom now. The listing points to a second bathroom, in-unit laundry and updated finishes as the improvements a renovation would add.
Central Park is about 4 minutes away on foot, and the 103 St station is about 6 minutes away for the B and C.
Quick answers+
Is the building a walk-up?
Yes. It is a five-story walk-up with nine residences and two commercial spaces.
Is there private outdoor space?
Yes. The building has private outdoor space of over 60 square feet.
Are pets allowed?
Yes, cats and dogs are allowed.
Curtis Bain
Brown Harris Stevens
Property Features
Policies
- Cats and dogs allowed
Home features
- Private outdoor space (over 60 sq ft)
Estimate
Monthly Cost & Closing Costs
The rate is a placeholder, not a quote. Enter the one your lender gives you.
$37,627 / month
- Principal and interest$27,811
- Property taxes$9,816
Due at closing
- Down payment (20%)$1,100,000
- NYS “mansion tax” (2.25%)$123,750
- Mortgage recording tax (1.925%)$84,700
Not included: attorney, title insurance, lender and appraisal fees, board application and move-in fees, flip tax and prepaid items. Estimates only, based on the published New York State rates. Your attorney and lender will confirm the real figures.
About the Building
949 Columbus Avenue is a 5-story walk-up apartments in Upper West Side, completed in 1900 and home to 9 residential units. The most recent major alteration on record was in 1986.
The closest subway is Cathedral Pkwy (110 St) (B, C), about a 6-minute walk. Booker T. Washington Playground is roughly 2 minutes away on foot.
Compiled from NYC public records and open data.
- Year Built
- 1900
- Stories
- 5
- Units
- 9
- Building Type
- Walk-Up Apartments
View 949 Columbus Avenue building profile and all listings →
Location & Nearby
Map
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949 Columbus Avenue
Subway
- BCCathedral Pkwy (110 St)About 6 min walk
- BC103 StAbout 6 min walk
- 1103 StAbout 8 min walk
- 1Cathedral Pkwy (110 St)About 10 min walk
Parks
- Booker T. Washington PlaygroundAbout 2 min walk
- Central ParkAbout 4 min walk
- Morningside ParkAbout 5 min walk
Public schools · Elementary schools
- P.S. 145, The Bloomingdale SchoolAbout 4 min walk
- P.S. 165 Robert E. SimonAbout 8 min walk
- Success Academy Charter School - Harlem 4 · CharterAbout 10 min walk
Middle schools
- J.H.S. 54 Booker T. WashingtonAbout 2 min walk
- West Prep AcademyAbout 7 min walk
High schools
- Young Women'S Leadership SchoolAbout 7 min walk
- Opportunity Charter School · CharterAbout 10 min walk
Colleges & universities
- Bank Street College of EducationAbout 12 min walk
- Columbia UniversityAbout 16 min walk
- Barnard CollegeAbout 18 min walk
- Teachers College, Columbia UniversityAbout 20 min walk
Museums
- Nicholas Roerich MuseumAbout 11 min walk
- Museum of the City of New YorkAbout 19 min walk
- Raices Latin Music MuseumAbout 19 min walk
Walking times are estimates. Schools shown are the nearest public and charter schools and are not zone assignments; a nearby school is not necessarily the one an address is zoned for. Confirm zoning with the NYC Department of Education. Sources: MTA, NYC Parks and NYC Department of City Planning open data.
The Neighborhood
About Upper West Side
Grand prewar residences flanked by two iconic parks and world-renowned cultural institutions.
Walkability
9/10
Public transit
9/10
Schools
10/10
Dining
9/10
Groceries & parks
9/10
Schools in Upper West Side
Strong public schools like PS 87 and PS 199, top progressive private schools, and many students who transition into elite NYC high schools.
Private schools in the area include Collegiate School, Trinity School, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, The Calhoun School.
Gallery
Property Photos
Listing Courtesy of Compass
This information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. ©2026 The Real Estate Board of New York, Inc., All rights reserved.