By Gus Saltonstall
An Upper West Side building that most recently served as home to a financially embattled private school is set to sell to a different neighborhood institution for tens of millions of dollars, as first reported by Bloomberg.
Geneva School of Manhattan, a “classical Christian school,” according to its website, currently located at 138 West 90th Street, is purchasing Manhattan Country School’s former six-floor building at 150 West 85th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus, court records show.
Manhattan Country School permanently closed in 2025 after declaring bankruptcy. According to a court filing on Thursday, bankruptcy advisers selected Geneva School of Manhattan’s $33.2 million bid to purchase the West 85th Street building.
The bid still needs to be approved by a New York state bankruptcy judge, which is expected to take place.
Proceeds from the sale of the building are expected to be used by Manhattan Country School to pay off nearly $30 million in debt.
Manhattan Country School opened in 1966 with a guiding principle of “radical love” and a mission of providing its students with academic excellence, intellectual freedom, social awareness, confidence, and first-hand knowledge of the natural world, according to its website.
On the other side of the transaction, Geneva School of Manhattan was founded in 1996 and bills itself as “the only classical Christian school in the city.”
“Our approach blends the enduring elements of classical learning and the eternal message of Scripture within the context of a supportive and vibrant community,” reads an “About” page on Geneva’s website.
It is not immediately clear what Geneva School plans to do with the new building if the sale is approved.
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Bummer – was hoping that this might be turned into more much-needed housing.
Sounds difficult to convert to housing. Curious who the other bidders were and what other uses were on the table.
It would be market rate or condos if this was bought and turned into housing.
I’m happy it’s a school.
For some reason, can’t quite put my finger on it, this does not sit well with me? There are so many more useful things this building could become rather than what it may be used for.
Enlighten me, Patricia. What are these things more useful than a school?
Happy it is remaining a school. We need schools on the UWS.
Mannes College of Music occupied the building for many years (1984 to 2015).
I remember Mannes having 85th St blocked off and setting up rows of chairs in the street for free concerts by their talented students. Magical!
Nice to see. I’ve been to other cities and I’ve seen beautiful buildings just abandoned and deteriorating. Look at the Rockefeller Building in Cleveland Ohio. I was able to go inside forty years ago before it was just abandoned. It broke my heart to come back a few years ago and find out it had been abandoned since the late 1990s.
So glad the building will remain an educational building….perfect for it. I remember Mannes College of Music was there, and it was ideal for such, with a small auditorium . Regarding much needed housing….have you seen how many vacant apartments are around….especially in newly-constructed “luxury” buildings? Maybe of prices became more affordable – or should I say more realistic, the housing problem could be solved!
Good news. The building will most likely not remain idle much longer and be utilized productively as an educational institution.
What is going to happen to the Geneva School/former Catholic building?
Congratulations Geneva School! Love this in our neighborhood! Could not be more thrilled.
It’s an interesting and to me, bittersweet sign of the times that a school opened in 1966 with the guiding principle of “radical love” is being replaced in 2026 with a “classical Christian” school.
Wasn’t this originally the Mannes College of Music? And didn’t THEY sell the building for tens of millions to Manhattan Country School? And now MCS is selling it for MORE millions to ANOTHER school?
Interesting.