1178 Madison Avenue

The building reads as classic Carnegie Hill: a limestone base grounding the composition, a dark-brick body above with restrained period ornament, and a vaulted, attended lobby behind the entrance. At 15 stories and roughly 102 apartments, the per-unit footprint is generous — the signature of true pre-war family layouts rather than the compact configurations of later decades.

Apartments carry the period's hallmarks: herringbone oak floors, beamed ceilings, formal entry galleries, separated living and dining rooms, and the deep closet and service infrastructure of 1920s luxury design. A number of homes retain wood-burning fireplaces, staff or maid's rooms, and semi-private elevator landings. Madison Avenue lines look over the avenue's retail and the Carnegie Hill streetscape; 86th Street exposures carry the crosstown light, and higher floors gain open sky with partial park-direction views to the west on favorable lines.

1178 Madison operates as a white-glove pre-war cooperative: a 24-hour doorman and concierge, an attended vaulted lobby, a live-in superintendent, a bike room, central laundry, and private storage. As a 1926 masonry building, the capital cycle centers on facade and Local Law 11 work — the 1999 restoration is part of that ongoing stewardship — alongside elevator modernization and the maintenance of original detail.

The board's terms are open on three points. Pets are permitted, pied-à-terre ownership is allowed, and the building permits financing up to 50% of the purchase price — terms that broaden the buyer pool. Renovation scope is shaped by the board's attention to preserving period character. The building is outside the Carnegie Hill Historic District, so work runs through the cooperative's alteration requirements and the applicable city permits; determine any additional approvals from the specific scope of work.

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.

Market read. Most recent trades (2026 to date) cleared a median $1,326/sf (floor-adjusted) across 2 sales. Floor-adjusted means each sale is restated to a constant mix of floors, so the figure can differ from the plain median of the sales listed above. Median listing discount 2.9% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.

Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01498-0014). 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.

Confirm the reported policies. Pets, pied-à-terre ownership, and financing to 50% are reported for the building; verify the current terms in writing and present them with their conditions.

The Carnegie Hill corner is the location story. Central Park, the Met, and the Madison retail spine are all within an easy walk.

Pre-war architecture is a feature to document. Herringbone floors, beamed ceilings, fireplaces and room proportions reflect 1920s design where they survive; confirm which features each apartment retains.

Renovation runs through the board. 1178 Madison is outside the Carnegie Hill Historic District; plan scope around the building's preservation posture, the cooperative's alteration requirements, and the city permits the specific work needs.

Lead with vintage, service, and flexibility. The 1926 pedigree, 24-hour doorman-and-concierge operation, and accommodating board policy are the headline assets.

Price at the apartment level. Floor, exposure, layout, and renovation history 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.

If you're considering 1178 Madison Avenue, also evaluate:

• 1115 Madison Avenue — Carnegie Hill Madison Avenue co-op nearby
• 64 East 86th Street — full-service building on the 86th Street corridor
• 111 East 85th Street — Philip Birnbaum's 1971 Carnegie Hill co-op
• 1100 Park Avenue — pre-war Carnegie Hill Park Avenue co-op
• 1160 Park Avenue — pre-war Carnegie Hill Park Avenue co-op