Walk down the cobblestone stretch of Morton Street in the West Village and you'll find plenty of ivy-covered brick. It's quiet. Almost too quiet for Manhattan. But 96 Morton Street NYC isn’t your typical residential brownstone. It's a massive, eight-story loft building that serves as a literal anchor for the neighborhood's commercial identity.
People often mistake the West Village for being just brunch spots and celebrity townhomes. Honestly, that's only half the story. 96 Morton is a beast of a building that has seen the transition of this area from a gritty industrial printing district into a playground for high-end tech firms and creative agencies. It’s got that classic 1910 aesthetic—red brick, oversized windows, and high ceilings—but inside, it’s basically the "who’s who" of modern business.
I’ve spent years looking at NYC real estate trends, and buildings like 96 Morton are rare. They offer "Class A" office space in a neighborhood that usually resists big commercial footprints. It’s about 200,000 square feet of prime real estate. Think about that. In a neighborhood where people fight over 500-square-foot studios, this building is a titan.
What Actually Happens Inside 96 Morton Street NYC?
If you’re wondering why this specific address keeps popping up in business news, it’s because of the tenants. This isn't a place for startups working out of a garage. It’s for companies that have arrived.
For a long time, the big name here was PayPal. They took up a massive chunk of the building, using it as a creative hub far away from the sterile glass towers of Midtown or the Financial District. Venmo has also had a significant presence here. You’ve probably used their app to split a dinner bill, and there's a good chance the code for that transaction was refined right here on Morton Street.
The Architecture of Productivity
What makes it work? The windows. It sounds simple, but in New York, light is currency. Because 96 Morton is a corner property (sitting at the intersection of Morton and Washington Streets), it gets light from three sides.
- The ceilings are nearly 13 feet high.
- The floor plates are roughly 23,000 square feet.
- It has a rooftop terrace that makes most luxury hotels jealous.
The building underwent a massive renovation a few years back. The owners, Medallion Financial Corp (who sold it) and later various investment groups like RFR Realty and Kushner Companies, realized that the modern worker doesn't want a cubicle. They want exposed brick. They want a lobby that looks like an art gallery.
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Why the West Village Location Matters for Business
Location isn't just about the commute. It’s about talent. If you’re a high-end tech firm, you aren't just competing on salary. You’re competing on lifestyle.
96 Morton Street NYC sits right in the "Sweet Spot." You’re two blocks from the Hudson River Park. You’re a short walk from the 1, 2, 3, and L trains. More importantly, you’re surrounded by some of the best restaurants in the city. If you’re trying to recruit a top-tier engineer or a creative director, telling them their office is near The Spotted Pig or L'Artusi is a hell of a selling point.
But there's a downside. It’s expensive. Like, eye-watering expensive.
Rents in this building have historically hit the triple digits per square foot. It’s a prestige play. When a company signs a lease at 96 Morton, they are signaling to their investors and their competitors that they have the cash flow to sustain a West Village presence. It's a power move, plain and simple.
The Shift in Ownership
The paper trail of this building is a roadmap of NYC real estate cycles. In the early 2000s, it changed hands for what now seems like pennies. By the time the 2010s tech boom hit, the valuation skyrocketed.
In 2014, Medallion Financial Corp sold the building to a joint venture involving Kushner Companies and RFR Realty for around $127 million. At the time, people thought that was a huge number. But then they poured money into the infrastructure. They modernized the elevators. They revamped the HVAC systems.
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Fast forward a few years, and the building was refinanced and traded again, reflecting the insane demand for "boutique" office space. It’s currently managed with an eye toward sustainability and high-touch service, which is exactly what tenants like PayPal and various boutique private equity firms demand.
Addressing the Rumors: Is it Going Residential?
You’ll often hear whispers in the neighborhood about these big lofts being converted into condos. It happened to a lot of buildings on nearby Greenwich Street.
Honestly? It’s unlikely for 96 Morton.
The building is too valuable as a commercial asset. The floor plates are deep, which is great for open-plan offices but tough for residential layouts where every bedroom needs a window. Plus, the West Village is already saturated with ultra-luxury condos. What it lacks is high-quality, large-scale office space. This building fills a vacuum that the city's zoning laws usually make very difficult to replicate.
Navigating the Morton Street Vibe
If you’re visiting for a meeting or just wandering by, notice the lack of signage. 96 Morton doesn't scream for attention. There are no neon lights or massive logos on the facade. It’s discreet. That’s the "West Village Way."
The entrance is sophisticated. The lobby is often filled with rotating art installations. It feels more like a private club than a corporate headquarters. This is intentional. The goal is to blend into the residential fabric of the street while maintaining a high-security, high-tech environment inside.
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- Check out the ground floor retail. It often hosts high-end showrooms or quiet corporate entrances that keep the street level looking polished.
- Look up at the cornices. The preservation of the original 1910 detail is one of the best examples of adaptive reuse in the area.
- Note the proximity to the PATH train. For employees coming in from New Jersey, this is one of the most accessible parts of the city.
The Practical Reality for Tenants and Investors
If you're looking at 96 Morton Street NYC from an investment or leasing perspective, you have to understand the "Village Premium."
You are paying for the aura of the neighborhood. The building offers "loft-style" aesthetics with "institutional-grade" stability. Most loft buildings in New York are old and drafty with temperamental elevators. 96 Morton is the exception—it’s an old soul with a brand-new heart.
The building's success has actually pushed other developers to try and find similar "hidden gems" in the neighborhood, but there aren't many left. Most of the old printing houses have already been converted to apartments. This makes 96 Morton a bit of a unicorn in the real estate world.
Final Actionable Insights for the Neighborhood
If you are a business owner looking for space in this corridor, or even a local resident curious about the "big brick building" on the corner, here is the bottom line. 96 Morton is a barometer for the health of the NYC "Boutique Office" market.
- For Businesses: Don't expect "deals" here. Expect a long-term commitment and a high barrier to entry. If you want this space, you need a five-to-ten-year plan.
- For Residents: The building is a good neighbor. Commercial tenants in the West Village generally mean less "party noise" at night compared to residential neighbors or bars.
- For Real Estate Enthusiasts: Watch the leasing activity here. When 96 Morton has a vacancy, it’s usually filled quickly. If it stays empty for more than six months, that’s a sign that the NYC commercial market is in real trouble. Currently, it remains a high-demand asset.
To truly understand the value, walk the perimeter. Start at Hudson Street, walk west toward the river, and watch how the architecture changes. 96 Morton represents the bridge between the old industrial waterfront and the modern, high-tech West Village. It isn't just an office building; it's the physical manifestation of how New York reinvents itself without tearing down its history.
Keep an eye on the rooftop. Whenever you see those lights on late at night, you know some of the most influential fintech and creative minds in the city are still at work, tucked away in a quiet corner of the Village.