- Year built
- 1958
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 98
- Landmark
- No
112 East 81st Street — the same corner cooperative addressed as 120 East 81st Street — is a 1958 full-service co-op at the crossroads of East 81st Street and Lexington Avenue, in the heart of Carnegie Hill. The late-1950s vintage places it at the leading edge of the post-war elevator-building wave that filled the Upper East Side's residential cross streets after the war: buildings designed for efficient, light-filled living rather than ornamental drama, and prized today for exactly that combination of practicality and prime location.
The location is the asset. The building sits a short walk from the Metropolitan Museum, the Madison Avenue retail spine, and Central Park to the west, with the Lexington Avenue 4/5/6 line and P.S. 6 essentially at the door. This is one of Manhattan's most stable residential districts — family-oriented, culturally anchored by Museum Mile, and convenient in a way the avenue's pre-war landmarks can't match on price.
What sets this building apart for buyers is the package of amenities and an accommodating board. It runs as a true full-service co-op — doorman, live-in super, gym, on-site garage, laundry, bike room, and storage — while permitting pets and carrying no flip tax, with maintenance that folds in basic utilities and cable. That combination of post-war convenience, on-site parking, and buyer-friendly rules is unusual at a Carnegie Hill address.
Architecture and unit composition
At 16 stories and roughly 98 to 101 apartments, 112 East 81st averages a generous footprint per unit — a figure that points to comfortable post-war layouts rather than the compact configurations of later white-brick towers. The building is known for center-gallery floor plans that organize scale and light around a formal entry gallery, with formal dining rooms and well-proportioned living areas. A number of homes have private terraces, abundant closet space, and the modern convenience of in-unit washer/dryers; renovation condition varies apartment to apartment.
The corner siting at 81st and Lexington gives many lines cross-light and open exposures, and higher floors gain open sky with skyline glimpses on favorable lines. Select homes carry rear or terrace exposures that trade the avenue energy for quiet. Exposures vary by line and altitude.
Building operations
112 East 81st Street operates as a full-service post-war cooperative with a full-time doorman, a live-in superintendent, a fitness room, on-site garage parking, central laundry, a bike room, and private storage. Maintenance includes basic utilities and cable. As a 1958 building, the capital cycle centers on facade and Local Law 11 work, elevator modernization, roof, and mechanical systems — items prospective buyers should review through recent financial statements and board minutes.
The board's posture is comparatively open: pets are permitted, and there is no flip tax — a meaningful difference at resale relative to the many Carnegie Hill co-ops that charge a transfer fee. Renovation scope follows the proprietary lease and house rules.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- Per unit / month range
- —
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The facade passed its last inspection with no required repairs — nothing to budget for here, and no facade assessment on the horizon for roughly five years.
QEWI = Qualified Exterior Wall Inspector — the licensed engineer the city requires to sign the report (the independent expert, not the managing agent). Source: NYC DOB facade filings (FISP) · The Roebling Research Library.
See the full facade history →Recent sales
Sales context at 112 East 81st, kept general:
- The roughly 100-unit scale supports a moderate cadence — a building of this size typically sees a handful of closings per year.
- Pricing spans a range tied to apartment size, floor, exposure, terrace presence, and renovation condition, with the larger center-gallery layouts at the top.
- Post-war co-ops on prime Carnegie Hill corners generally hold value well given the durable appeal of the location, while trading below the neighborhood's pre-war landmarks.
What to know if you’re buying
The amenity package and rules are the differentiators. A full-service co-op with an on-site garage, gym, pet-friendly board, and no flip tax is an uncommon combination at this address.
The corner location is the everyday story. The Met, Central Park, Madison retail, the 4/5/6 line, and P.S. 6 are all within an easy walk.
Post-war efficiency at a Carnegie Hill address. Center-gallery layouts and full-service convenience, generally at a more accessible basis than nearby pre-war landmarks.
Review the capital plan. A 1958 building's facade and mechanical cycle is the key diligence item — read recent financials and minutes.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with service, parking, and no flip tax. The full-service operation, on-site garage, and the absence of a transfer fee are headline selling points.
Price at the apartment level. Floor, exposure, terrace, and renovation condition drive value across the building's mixed inventory.
Closing timelines are co-op standard. Plan on roughly 6–10 weeks from contract to closing, subject to board package and approval pacing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 112 East 81st Street, also evaluate:
- 111 East 85th Street — Carnegie Hill full-service co-op
- 64 East 86th Street — full-service building on the 86th Street corridor
- 1250 Third Avenue — post-war Upper East Side full-service building
- 201 East 80th Street — nearby post-war full-service co-op
- 1100 Park Avenue — pre-war Carnegie Hill Park Avenue co-op
The Roebling Team at 112 East 81st Street
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Upper East Side, Central Park West, and the broader Park-facing Manhattan market. We publish this profile because Carnegie Hill buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architecture, amenities, board culture, and apartment-level pricing — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 112 East 81st, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
Get the full picture on this building.
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