- Year built
- 1961
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 165
- Landmark
- No
1344 First Avenue is a sizable postwar cooperative on the eastern, riverward side of the Upper East Side — full-service doorman living at the value end of the neighborhood's deep co-op market. Completed in 1961, it belongs to the postwar wave of brick elevator apartment houses that filled in First and York Avenues, built for practical, light-filled apartment living and designed to deliver doorman service at attainable cost. At roughly 165 apartments, it is a mid-to-large building with the shareholder base to support full staffing and spread operating costs widely.
The location is the trade-off and the value. On First Avenue near 72nd Street, residents are a few avenues east of the Lexington and Park spines, closer to the river and the East River esplanade, in the quieter residential pockets of the Upper East Side — at pricing meaningfully below the central avenues. For buyers who want full-service doorman living on the Upper East Side without the central-avenue premium, this is precisely the tier 1344 First serves.
Architecture and unit composition
The 1961 vintage places 1344 First in the postwar idiom: an efficient brick elevator building with ground-floor retail along First Avenue, designed for functional apartment living rather than pre-war ornament. Layouts run to the postwar standard — studios, one-, and two-bedroom apartments with practical plans, ample closets, and large windows — with larger combinations and the better light and exposures on the upper floors.
With approximately 165 apartments, the building runs at the mid-to-large postwar density, and individual apartments are best evaluated at the unit level on floor, exposure, and renovation history.
Building operations
1344 First operates as a full-service postwar cooperative. A full-time doorman staffs the attended lobby, with a resident superintendent on site and central laundry and private storage in the building. As with most Upper East Side postwar co-ops, the board reviews purchases through a formal application and interview, and prospective buyers should expect financing requirements, a flip-tax structure, and sublet rules set by the proprietary lease and house rules — the specific financial terms are the policy slate we walk clients through, and the current percentages should be confirmed at offer stage.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $38,144/yr
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $152,634/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $19 – $77
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
The retrade record
Lines that have traded more than once in the public record — the building’s appreciation arc, apartment by apartment.
Recent transfers at this building, sourced from NYC Department of Finance records. Apartment-level detail (line, condition, asking-price context) verified upon consultation request.
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 3, 2025 | PHD | $815,000 |
| Jul 18, 2024 | 16D | $620,000 |
| May 4, 2022 | 5GH | $1,550,000 |
| Mar 11, 2022 | 2F | $730,000 |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 15A | $1,430,000 |
| Oct 1, 2021 | 18C | $880,000 |
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 1-01467-0001) and verified listing data. Apartment-level facts (line, condition, asking-price context) curated and cross-verified by The Roebling Team research desk. Not all transactions cross-verify with ACRIS records — sponsor and LLC purchases sometimes record at stipulated values rather than market price.
What to know if you’re buying
This is full-service postwar value on the Upper East Side. Doorman service and an elevatored building near the river, at pricing well below the central avenues.
The shareholder base supports carrying costs. A ~165-unit building spreads operating and capital costs across a sizable base — confirm the current maintenance, assessment history, and reserve position in diligence.
Co-op financial policy governs the purchase. Expect board review, financing limits, a flip tax, and sublet rules; confirm the current terms at offer stage.
Location is the value. First Avenue living near the East River esplanade, with the full Upper East Side amenity base a few avenues west.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with full-service value. The doorman service, the elevatored postwar building, and the attainable Upper East Side pricing are the marketing assets.
Price to the building's own comps. With ~165 units, the persuasive evidence is 1344 First's own recent trades adjusted for floor, exposure, and condition.
Closing timelines are co-op standard. Plan for roughly 6–10 weeks from contract to closing, subject to board package and approval pacing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 1344 First Avenue, also evaluate:
- 1206 First Avenue — postwar First Avenue cooperative nearby
- 1131 Third Avenue — postwar Lenox Hill cooperative for a comparable tier
- 1402 Third Avenue — postwar Upper East Side cooperative nearby
- 1355 First Avenue — newer First Avenue condominium nearby for a tenure contrast
- 160 East 65th Street — full-service Lenox Hill building nearby
The Roebling Team at 1344 First Avenue
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Upper East Side, Central Park West, and the broader Park-facing Manhattan market. We publish this building profile because Upper East Side buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — building operations, board culture, transactional mechanics, and apartment-level pricing — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 1344 First, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper East Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper East Side.
Get the full picture on this building.
The full comp set, a private valuation of your line, or current and off-market availability — sent to you directly.
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A broker’s honest answer to three questions — what your apartment would likely sell for today, what it costs to sell, and what you’d walk away with — for your apartment at 1344 First Avenue, in this market. Put together by a person, not an algorithm.