- Year built
- 1910
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 16
- Floors
- 5
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Per the condominium rules (confirm specifics at offer stage)
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium declaration
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
1154 First Avenue is a boutique prewar condominium in Lenox Hill, on First Avenue near East 63rd Street — a low-rise walk-up building of 16 residences with ground-floor commercial space, converted to condominium ownership. It is one of the more accessible ways to own a genuine condominium on the Upper East Side: a small, prewar building where the appeal is condo flexibility and a convenient location rather than full-service amenities.
The location is practical and enduring. The building sits steps from Weill Cornell Medicine and the surrounding Upper East Side medical corridor, within an easy walk of Marymount Manhattan and Hunter College, and close to the East Side's transportation and retail. For buyers — often including those tied to the nearby hospitals and universities — who want ownership and flexibility at an entry point below the neighborhood's full-service prices, the building's boutique walk-up structure is the draw.
The building is for buyers who value condo flexibility, a Lenox Hill address, and proximity to the medical and university corridor, and who don't require doorman-tower services.
Architecture and unit composition
1154 First Avenue is a prewar low-rise masonry walk-up of roughly five stories, holding 16 residences along with ground-floor commercial space typical of an avenue location. The plan is compact and efficient — a boutique building where the residences run across the smaller and mid-size layouts characteristic of a prewar walk-up condominium. As a walk-up, floor level carries particular weight in value here, alongside exposure, light, and renovation condition.
The building reads as intimate and residential, with the ground-floor commercial component part of its avenue setting. Apartment-level factors drive pricing far more than any building average, and the low-density, prewar character is central to the appeal.
Building operations
1154 First Avenue operates as a boutique, low-overhead condominium — a walk-up building without the staffing of a doorman tower. Common charges reflect the minimal services and the building's scale, which is part of what keeps the entry point accessible. Buyers should model the full monthly carry, confirm the current service level, and review the building's financials and any capital history during due diligence, as is prudent for a boutique prewar condominium. The ground-floor commercial component is part of the building's economics and worth understanding at diligence.
What to know if you’re buying
It's a genuine condominium at an accessible entry point. Condo flexibility — pied-à-terre use, subletting, foreign and LLC/trust ownership, simpler financing — in a boutique building priced below full-service towers.
It's a walk-up — floor level matters. In a building without an elevator, floor level meaningfully affects value and appeal; factor it into any purchase.
The location suits the medical and university corridor. Steps from Weill Cornell and close to Hunter and Marymount Manhattan — practical for buyers tied to the nearby institutions.
This is a low-density, minimal-service building. Boutique scale and low common charges rather than doorman-tower amenities.
Mansion tax thresholds apply. At this building's pricing, the $1M cliff can be in play on larger residences. Run pricing through the Mansion Tax Calculator.
Variable board financial policy — confirm at offer stage. Financing percentages, sublet terms, and pet specifics should be confirmed in writing before you commit.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the condo flexibility and the location. The ownership structure, the accessible entry point, and the medical-corridor convenience are the story; marketing should foreground them.
Position the floor honestly. In a walk-up, floor level is a real factor; pricing and marketing should reflect it.
Pricing requires apartment-level comps. With 16 residences, floor, exposure, layout, and condition all move the number.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 1154 First Avenue, also evaluate these nearby Upper East Side buildings:
- 1076 First Avenue — nearby First Avenue building
- 1206 First Avenue — nearby First Avenue building
- 1344 First Avenue — nearby First Avenue building
- 1355 First Avenue — nearby First Avenue building
The Roebling Team at 1154 First Avenue
The Roebling Team at Compass works the full Upper East Side and Lenox Hill market, including its boutique condominiums. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers of specific buildings deserve building-level intelligence — architecture, amenity reality, and apartment-level pricing context — rather than generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 1154 First Avenue, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point. We'll bring the full context this page provides plus the transactional specifics your situation requires.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper East Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper East Side.
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