161 West 23rd Street, Manhattan, NY 10011

The 4-story, 2-family house at 161 West 23rd Street in Chelsea, owned by Stuart Fish, has experienced several significant issues in recent years. Most notably, from 2021 to 2022, there were multiple complaints about non-compliance with New York City's vaccine mandate, with five separate incidents reported between September and November 2021, all concerning customer proof of vaccination not being checked.

The building has faced serious concerns regarding occupancy violations, with an active case from April 2023 detailing illegal occupancy of the 3rd floor as a house of prostitution, along with associated work without permits to create unauthorized room modifications. In mid-2023, there was a complaint regarding building shaking/vibrating that resulted in a violation being served. The property has multiple outstanding violations related to required inspections, including failures to file annual low pressure inspections from 2018 through 2023, and a violation issued in 2024 for not filing the 2023 external low pressure inspection.

An environmental control board violation from July 2023 noted spalling at the second and third floor levels in this mixed-use building. However, the building has maintained a clean record regarding bedbugs, with zero infestation reports filed for the past five years (2020-2024), and consistent passing results for rodent inspections, with the most recent inspection in June 2025 showing continued compliance. The building's certificate of occupancy and residential unit counts remain unchanged, with records consistent showing 1 residential unit and the building class as a 2-family house, despite the noted occupancy violations suggesting otherwise.