1020 Fifth Avenue
1020 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028
BBL 1014950001 · BIN 1046777
- Year built
- 1925
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 13
- Floors
- 14
- Landmark status
- Not an individual landmark; in the Metropolitan Museum Historic District
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission records, updated February 2026
- Subletting by shareholders
- Not permitted
- Maximum financing
- Financing not allowed; cash purchases only
- Flip tax
- 2% of the purchase price, paid by the buyer
- Doorman
- Full-time doorman
- Flip tax
- 2% of the sale price.
- Subletting
- Not permitted — an owner-occupancy building.
Compiled by The Roebling Research Desk from the building’s offering plan, amendments, and related building documents (primary source dated 2026). Board policies can change by amendment — confirm at the offer stage.
Every recorded sale at this building, 2007–2025
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 4BR+ median, 2023–2025
- $8.2M
- 2 qualifying sales
- Recent range
- $8M – $8.3M
- Listing discount
- 12.9%
- Recorded transfers
- 12
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1020 Fifth Avenue is among the most architecturally and culturally distinguished pre-war cooperatives on the Gold Coast — a 1925 Warren and Wetmore commission that translated the firm's institutional architectural vocabulary (most familiar from Grand Central Terminal) into a 13-apartment Fifth Avenue residential composition. The building occupies the northeast corner of 83rd Street and Fifth, directly opposite the Metropolitan Museum of Art's main Fifth Avenue facade — among the most architecturally substantial settings of any Manhattan apartment building, and a positioning that fundamentally shapes both the daily life and the resale dynamics of the apartments inside.
What architecturally distinguishes 1020 Fifth from neighboring pre-war Fifth Avenue peers is the staggered floor plate design. Warren and Wetmore organized the building so that six of the 13 apartments enjoy large primary salons measuring approximately 20'9" by 40'2" — substantial rooms by any Manhattan apartment standard — with extra-high ceilings ranging from 14 to 18 feet. The result is apartments that read closer to a great-house architectural scale than to a typical pre-war Manhattan apartment, even before the additional architectural detail and finish work that Warren and Wetmore deployed throughout the building. For buyers responsive to scale and proportion, the staggered-floor apartments at 1020 Fifth are among the most distinctive interiors in pre-war Fifth Avenue inventory.
The building has carried a meaningful cultural register across its century. Georgette Mosbacher, the former U.S. Ambassador to Poland, has lived in a full-floor apartment here. Ward Melville, the early-20th-century business figure who shaped Stony Brook University, was a resident. Hedge fund principals and global business figures have populated the inventory across the building's modern era. The building's positioning across from the Met has made it a magnet for residents whose connections to the museum's institutional culture are part of their identity — board members, donors, curators, and patrons.
What structurally differentiates 1020 Fifth from peer Gold Coast pre-wars is the combination of 13-apartment scale, the staggered architectural premise, and a particular institutional posture reflected in the building's policy framework: financing prohibited, subletting prohibited, applications submitted in four physical copies to the property management office on Lexington Avenue.
Architecture and unit composition
The 13 apartments span configurations from approximately 4,000 sf simplexes (in the smaller floor plates) to substantially larger configurations exceeding 6,500 sf (in the larger staggered-floor apartments with the oversized salons). The duplex inventory is meaningful — Warren and Wetmore's original design accommodated several duplex configurations, some of which have been preserved across the building's century.
Pre-war architectural signatures throughout: 11–18 foot ceilings depending on the apartment (with the 14–18 foot ceilings concentrated in the six staggered-floor apartments), formal entry galleries, library-living-room combinations, multiple primary suites, formal dining rooms with full butler's pantries, service wings, separate service entrances and elevators.
Park-facing apartments on the western flank have direct views across to the Metropolitan Museum and Central Park beyond — among the most architecturally framed Park views in Manhattan inventory, with the Met's monumental facade providing visual anchoring. Views vary by floor and position, and no view is protected without a recorded instrument.
Building operations
1020 Fifth operates as a full-service pre-war cooperative with full-time doorman, attended elevator, on-site superintendent, and private storage. The building's small unit count (13) produces an institutional culture characteristic of the smallest tier-one Gold Coast co-ops — residents and staff know each other across multi-decade tenures.
The application process is unusually traditional: four physical copies of the board application are required, submitted to the property management office at 770 Lexington Avenue. Confirm the current package format and delivery instructions with management, and allow time to assemble the copies and supporting documents.
Application and transaction fees
Fees below are from building management's published schedule, as of September 2026. They are shown as published, item by item; no total is added because the total depends on the transaction. Deposits are listed apart from nonrefundable charges.
- Terms
- Equal to 2% of the purchase price
- Rate
- 2% of the purchase price
- Paid by
- Buyer
Source: building management's published schedule, as of September 2026
Purchase
5 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fees | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $65 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Stock Transfer Processing Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $450 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Managing Agent's Fee | Paid by Shareholder | When At closing | Amount $900 (Seller is an Individual); or $1000 (Seller is an Estate) | Refundable Non-refundable |
| New York State Stamp Tax | Paid by Shareholder | When At closing | Amount $0.05/share | Refundable Non-refundable |
Ownership transfer
4 items
Fees and charges
| Item | Paid by | When | Amount | Refundable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application Processing Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $600 | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Background Check FeePer applicant | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $100 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Credit Report FeePer applicantRequired | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $75 per applicant/occupant | Refundable Non-refundable |
| Messenger Fee | Paid by Buyer | When With the application | Amount $65 | Refundable Non-refundable |
Management updates its schedule without a public filing. The date is when management last updated the page, not when a rule changed. Confirm the current schedule with management before you apply.
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the building's costs and purchase requirements.
Own an apartment here? Request an apartment-specific pricing review.
Financing and purchase requirements
- Maximum financing
- Financing not allowed; cash purchases onlySource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Sublet and pied-à-terre policy
A condominium owner leasing a unit and a co-op shareholder subletting are different rules, and a building-wide rule is different from a restriction on one apartment. This is the building's rule; confirm it for the specific apartment.
- Subletting by shareholders
- Not permittedSource: The Roebling Research Desk's building record
- Pied-à-terre ownership
- Not verified
Considering an apartment here? Send Corey the listing to discuss the sublet and pied-à-terre rules for that apartment.
Building staffing and amenities
- Doorman
- Full-time doormanSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Live-in superintendent
- YesSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
- Elevator
- YesSource: NYC Department of City Planning records (PLUTO)
- Amenities noted
- StorageSource: The Roebling Team's building profile
Staffing and amenities as our building profile and recent listing records describe them. A feature not listed is not confirmed absent. Outdoor space, parking and some facilities can belong to particular apartments or to a separate owner; confirm access for the specific apartment.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $36,689/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $235
- Modeled exposure split equally across 13 units (the residential count on the city's lot record). Not an assessed amount; co-op shareholders are typically charged by share allocation.
Source: NYC LL84 benchmarking and PLUTO · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
See full Local Law 97 analysis — emissions history, scenarios, methodology →Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the inspector (QEWI) identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair, with repairs due by the deadline stated in the filing. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials for you.
How to read this, and where it comes from
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — a licensed professional engineer or registered architect who meets DOB’s FISP qualifications and signs the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent).
Penalties shown are amounts DOB assessed against filings on record across 2005–10 to 2025–30. The FISP dataset does not record whether they were paid, contested or remain open, so treat the figure as history rather than a current balance and confirm the building’s standing with the managing agent.
Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library. City data last refreshed October 2026.
Management & transfer contacts
- Flip tax
- 2% of purchase price (paid by Purchaser)
- Sublet policy
- Not Allowed
- Policies and fees
- Managing Agent's Fee $900 (individual)/$1000 (estate); Stock Transfer Processing Fee $450
- A per-share “stamp” charge is usually the New York stock transfer tax, which can be rebated in full on a claim filed with the New York State Tax Department (Tax Law §280-a). Ask the managing agent whether the line is the tax or an administrative charge, and how any rebate is handled.
Recent sales
Recent transfers at this building, from The Roebling Research Library. Prices are the transfer amounts recorded with the NYC Department of Finance; apartment-level detail is checked against the building’s own file in The Roebling Research Library before publishing.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2025 | 12 | 4 BR · 3.5 BA · 3,500 sf | $8,000,000 | $2,286/sf | +0.0% |
| Apr 17, 2023 | 9 | 4 BR · 4.5 BA | $8,300,000 | -12.6% | |
| Feb 18, 2022 | 4 | 4 BR · 4.5 BA | $13,500,000 | -18.2% | |
| Nov 14, 2017 | 7 | 5 BR · 4,700 sf | $16,500,000 | $3,511/sf | -13.1% |
| Dec 18, 2013 | 8 | 4 BR | $18,000,000 | -28.0% | |
| Jul 5, 2007 | 9 | 3 BR | $11,750,000 | +17.5% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $2,286/sf (recorded) across 1 sale. Median listing discount 12.9% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.
Full closing history with price-per-square-foot over time, the complete retrade record, and every line that has traded.
Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01495-0001). Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified in The Roebling Research Library. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price; square footage on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
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What to know if you’re buying
Financing is not permitted. 1020 Fifth requires 100% cash purchases. Alongside 740 Park, 820 Fifth, 834 Fifth, 998 Fifth, and the rest of the tier-one Gold Coast cash-only inventory, this is the building's central screening mechanism.
Subletting is not allowed. Buyers must intend full owner-occupancy. The building does not accommodate investment-grade or absentee ownership.
The 2% buyer-paid flip tax is structural. On a $20M apartment, that's $400,000 of additional buyer-side closing cost on top of mansion tax and standard items. Lower in percentage than 740 Park's 3% but applied to substantial purchase prices.
The four-physical-copies application process is real. Buyers should plan to coordinate with their broker and attorney to produce four complete physical packages, and build that time into the schedule from contract to board submission.
Board approval: financing is not allowed (cash purchases only) and subletting is not permitted. Confirm the board's current liquidity, occupancy and application requirements from the governing documents and application instructions.
The staggered-floor apartments are differentiated inventory. Six of the 13 apartments have the oversized salons and very high ceilings; the other seven do not. Pricing and apartment selection should reflect this differentiation. Buyers seeking the most architecturally distinctive Warren and Wetmore inventory should target the staggered-floor configurations.
The outlook is the asset. The Met opposite and Central Park to the west; views depend on floor and position, and no view is protected without a recorded instrument.
What to know if you’re selling
Marketing is largely private. Most 1020 Fifth transactions occur with limited or no public marketing. The buyer pool is small, institutional, and accessible primarily through private broker networks.
Pricing requires apartment-level context. Comparable sales are sparse given turnover velocity, and the staggered-floor architectural premium produces meaningful within-building variation. Pricing benefits from broker familiarity with the building's specific inventory history.
Prepare buyers for the four-copy application. Tell prospective buyers early that the board package is submitted in four physical copies, so the requirement does not slow the path from contract to board submission.
Closing timelines are co-op standard but the package work is heavier. 6–10 weeks from contract signing to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 1020 Fifth Avenue, also evaluate:
- 998 Fifth Avenue — McKim, Mead & White 1912; the building that launched the Fifth Avenue luxury tradition; cash-only
- 1040 Fifth Avenue — Candela 1930; Jackie Kennedy's building; trust purchases permitted
- 1030 Fifth Avenue — pre-war Fifth Avenue, comparable Carpenter era
- 1107 Fifth Avenue — Carnegie Hill 1925; Marjorie Merriweather Post triplex history
- 1148 Fifth Avenue — Carnegie Hill pre-war
- The Brentmore (88 CPW) — comparable scale and intimate institutional culture on CPW
More Fifth Avenue buildings
- 1009 Fifth Avenue (Benjamin N. Duke House) — 1899 by Welch, Smith & Provot
- 1010 Fifth Avenue — 1925 co-op by Fred F. French Company
- 1016 Fifth Avenue — 1926 co-op
- 1025 Fifth Avenue — 1955 co-op
- 1030 Fifth Avenue — 1925 co-op by J.E.R. Carpenter
- 1035 Fifth Avenue — 1925 co-op by J.E.R. Carpenter
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, transit, and pricing across Fifth Avenue — read The Roebling Team Guide to Fifth Avenue.
The full playbook — what goes in the package, how boards read your financials, the interview, and the timeline — plus sample cover, reference, and personal letters you can adapt.
How to read the facts on this page. Items attributed to an offering plan describe the building as it was offered at that filing — unit mix, square footage, the amenity program as planned. They are not a statement about how the building operates today. Tax and compliance figures are sourced separately to current City records and carry their own dates. House rules, staffing and fee policy can change by board resolution without any public filing: treat every policy line here as a starting point for diligence and confirm it with the managing agent. Where this page compares one building or neighborhood to another, that is our analysis of the recorded record — it names the measure, the period and the sample it rests on, and it is an observation about medians rather than a prediction about any particular apartment.
Considering a move at 1020 Fifth Avenue?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
646.939.7375 · c.cohen@compass.com