- Year built
- 1957
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- No
Beekman Place is one of the most exclusive addresses in Manhattan — a two-block riverfront enclave, tucked between East 49th and 51st Streets, that has drawn the city's most private wealth for a century. It is the kind of street most New Yorkers never have reason to walk down: a quiet cul-de-sac of townhouses and a handful of cooperatives overlooking the East River, deliberately removed from the traffic of Midtown a few blocks west. 12 Beekman Place is one of the enclave's full-service co-ops, a thirteen-story white-glove building designed by the prolific Manhattan architect H. I. Feldman and completed in 1957.
The building's appeal is the address and the service. This is a superbly staffed cooperative — around-the-clock door staff, a live-in resident manager, an on-site parking garage, and a planted resident garden terrace — in a location that buys something money rarely can in Manhattan: genuine quiet and privacy, with the East River at the end of the block. For buyers who want the Beekman lifestyle in a full-service building rather than a townhouse, 12 Beekman Place is a natural choice.
The board's terms are workable for a building of this caliber: financing is permitted up to 65%, a 2% flip tax is split evenly between buyer and seller, and subletting is allowed with board approval — a balanced posture that keeps the building owner-occupied while offering reasonable flexibility.
Architecture and unit composition
Feldman designed 12 Beekman Place in the clean mid-century idiom of the late 1950s — a thirteen-story apartment house whose character lies in its scale, its staffing, and its setting rather than in applied ornament. The building's quiet exterior suits Beekman Place, where the appeal is discretion rather than display.
The roughly 69 residences span the range of post-war layouts, with the light-filled, practical floor plans of a 1957 building. The defining feature of the better homes is the view: lines oriented toward the East River capture open water and bridge vistas that are among the finest in Midtown, and the higher floors hold the best of them. As in most buildings of this vintage, layouts and light vary line by line; the river-facing and upper-floor homes are the ones buyers chase.
Building operations
12 Beekman Place runs as a superbly staffed, around-the-clock white-glove cooperative. Full-time door staff attend the lobby, a live-in resident manager oversees the building, and shareholders enjoy an on-site parking garage — a genuine luxury in this part of Midtown — alongside bicycle storage, a central laundry, and the planted Beekman Terrace garden courtyard. The staffing and the garage are the building's operational signatures, the things that distinguish a full-service Beekman co-op from the enclave's townhouses.
The board's policies are clear and balanced. Financing is permitted up to 65% of the purchase price; a 2% flip tax applies on sale, split evenly between buyer and seller; and subletting is allowed with board approval. As with any cooperative, purchases proceed through a board package and interview, and maintenance covers the building's substantial staffing and operating costs. The garage, the staff, and the riverfront setting all factor into the building's carrying costs and its enduring appeal.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $15,140/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $18
Facade safety — Local Law 11
Safe to live in today — but the last inspection flagged repairs that are due on a deadline, so facade work and its cost are coming. Whether that’s a real concern depends on the scope, the timing, and how the building plans to pay for it — reserves or an assessment — which is exactly what we’d dig into for you.
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
With roughly 69 residences, turnover at 12 Beekman Place is moderate to light — a building this size in an enclave this exclusive typically sees a handful of homes trade in a given year, and shareholders tend to stay. Pricing reflects the Beekman premium for privacy and river views, the building's full-service staffing and on-site garage, and the quality of the individual home, with river-facing and higher-floor lines commanding the clearest premiums. The building's sales record tracks recorded transfers as they post.
What to know if you’re buying
This is a white-glove cooperative, so plan for a board package and interview and for the carrying costs that come with around-the-clock staffing and a garage. The financing cap is 65%, so bring a solid cash position; budget your half of the 2% flip tax into your closing costs as well.
Buy for the view and the service. The river-facing and upper-floor lines are the ones to chase — open water and bridge vistas are the building's defining luxury — and the around-the-clock staffing, live-in resident manager, on-site garage, and garden terrace are the lifestyle you are paying for. Review the building's financials and any planned capital work, and weigh the value of the Beekman address: genuine quiet and privacy at the river's edge, a few blocks from Midtown.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the address and the service. Beekman Place is among the most private and prestigious enclaves in Manhattan, and a full-service co-op with around-the-clock staff, an on-site garage, a garden terrace, and East River views is exactly what its buyers want. Make the location, the staffing, and the view the centerpiece of the marketing.
Price against the other full-service cooperatives of Beekman and Sutton, and lead with the river-facing and higher-floor homes' open views. The on-site garage is a genuine differentiator in this part of Midtown — highlight it. The board's balanced terms — 65% financing, a shared flip tax, sublets with approval — keep the building owner-occupied and stable, a quality this buyer values. Use the enclave's low turnover to frame scarcity: a full-service home on Beekman Place rarely comes available.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 12 Beekman Place, also evaluate nearby Beekman and Sutton cooperatives:
- 1 Beekman Place — prestigious Beekman Place cooperative
- 2 Beekman Place — boutique Beekman Place cooperative
- 455 East 57th Street — pre-war Sutton Place cooperative
- 345 East 56th Street — full-service Sutton-area cooperative
The Roebling Team at 12 Beekman Place
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in Beekman Place, Sutton Place, and the river-facing East Side cooperative market. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers evaluating a white-glove Beekman co-op deserve building-specific intelligence: how the staffing, garage, and board terms shape the building's value, which lines hold the best river views, and how a home at 12 Beekman Place should be priced.
If you're considering a purchase or sale here, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
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