- Year built
- 1927
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 87
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Pet-friendly
- Subletting
- Permitted under the condominium declaration
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,178
- Listing discount
- 5.1%
- Recorded sales
- 106
- On record
- 2003–2026
The Pythian is one of the most architecturally extraordinary residential buildings on the Upper West Side. Designed by Thomas W. Lamb — the celebrated theater architect — and completed in 1927 as the Pythian Temple, the meeting hall of the Knights of Pythias fraternal order, it is an Egyptian Revival tour de force: a polychrome terra-cotta façade with a blue-glazed entry pavilion, Doric columns, and four seated Pharaonic figures evoking the colossi of Abu Simbel. Critics have described it as a "blockbuster synthesis of Egyptian, Babylonian and Assyrian motifs." No other residential building in the neighborhood looks remotely like it.
That singular architecture is the entire value proposition. The building's residential conversion — a restoration by David Gura that inserted windows into the originally near-windowless temple façade — produced condominium apartments with genuinely unusual character: floor plans threaded through the original steel trusses, private terraces, and in-unit washers and dryers. For a buyer who wants a one-of-a-kind home in a landmark-quality building, with condominium flexibility on top, The Pythian is without direct substitute on the Upper West Side.
Architecture and unit composition
Lamb's 1927 Pythian Temple is a masterwork of Egyptian Revival design — brilliant color, ancient motifs, and monumental ornament unlike anything else in the residential neighborhood. The residential conversion, designed by David Gura, was an inventive act of adaptive reuse: the largely windowless temple façade was opened with many new windows, and the interior volumes — built for assembly halls, not apartments — were reworked into roughly 87 residences.
The result is a housing stock defined by its idiosyncrasy. Apartments carry unusual floor plans, with rooms threaded through the building's original steel trusses; many include private terraces, and in-unit washers and dryers are common. Ceiling heights and layouts vary dramatically from line to line — the building rewards walking the specific apartment rather than reasoning from a typical floor plate.
Building operations
The Pythian operates as a full-service condominium with a doorman and a live-in superintendent. Amenities include a newly renovated fitness center, a children's playroom, and bike storage, and the building is pet-friendly. The private terraces and in-unit laundry found in many apartments are meaningful conveniences.
Common charges and property taxes are consistent with a full-service Upper West Side condominium. Because the building is an adaptive reuse of an unconventional structure, buyers should review current financial statements, board minutes, and any reserve study during due diligence, with attention to the maintenance history of the landmark-quality façade and the building systems. Model the full monthly carry at the apartment level.
Recent sales
The Pythian trades on architecture, and its pricing reflects the scarcity of what it offers: a landmark-quality Egyptian Revival building with genuinely one-of-a-kind apartments. Pricing is best read on a price-per-square-foot basis, but the building's architectural distinction and unusual layouts make apartment-level comparison essential — headline square footage alone understates the variation between lines. Value is driven by ceiling height, terrace access, layout, floor, and exposure. Apartment-level closing detail should be sourced from public records for full transactional context, and pricing should be validated against the most recent comparable sales at the time of offer.
Recent closings at this building, curated by The Roebling Team research desk. Apartment-level facts are independently verified before publishing; sale prices reflect the recorded transfer amount at the NYC Department of Finance.
| Date | Unit | Apartment | Price | PPSF | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 14, 2026 | 2H | $4,500,000 | off-mkt | ||
| Feb 24, 2026 | 6M | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,300 sf | $1,645,000 | $1,265/sf | -2.9% |
| Feb 12, 2026 | 1D | 1 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,395 sf | $1,350,000 | $968/sf | off-mkt |
| Jan 6, 2026 | 9D | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,370 sf | $1,745,000 | $1,274/sf | -1.7% |
| Dec 11, 2025 | 9B | 1,040 sf | $1,650,000 | $1,587/sf | off-mkt |
| Oct 15, 2025 | 8A | 1 BR · 1.5 BA · 765 sf | $1,075,000 | $1,405/sf | -2.3% |
| May 21, 2025 | 2D | 1 BR · 907 sf | $1,150,000 | $1,268/sf | -9.8% |
| Apr 7, 2025 | 4M | 1 BR · 1 BA · 876 sf | $940,000 | $1,073/sf | -4.6% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,178/sf across 3 sales. Median listing discount 5.1% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.
The retrade record
Lines that have traded more than once in the public record — the building’s appreciation arc, apartment by apartment.
Other recent transfers
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 30, 2021 | 6L | $1,100,000 |
| Dec 18, 2017 | 8H | $1,995,000 |
| Sep 24, 2013 | 9E | $2,300,000 |
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 1-01142-7501) 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; square footage from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.
What to know if you’re buying
The architecture is the asset. Lamb's Egyptian Revival design is the reason to buy here; it is also a maintenance responsibility. Diligence the façade and systems history.
Every apartment is different. Floor plans threaded through original steel trusses produce highly variable layouts and ceiling heights. Walk the specific line — do not reason from a typical plate.
Terraces and in-unit laundry are common — but not universal. Confirm which the specific apartment carries.
Condominium flexibility applies. Financing, pied-à-terre use, and subletting are governed by the condominium; closings run on condominium timelines.
Model the full carry at the apartment level and verify board policy at offer stage.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the architecture. The Pythian's Egyptian Revival façade and one-of-a-kind interiors are a marketing distinction no other Upper West Side building can match.
Show, don't summarize. Because layouts are so idiosyncratic, the apartment sells best in person and through careful presentation of its specific character — ceiling height, terrace, truss-defined volumes.
Pricing requires apartment-level context. Comparable sales vary enormously by layout, ceiling height, and terrace access.
Closing timelines are condo-fast. 30 to 60 days from contract to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 135 West 70th Street, also evaluate:
- 2250 Broadway (The Broadway) — 1992; condominium behind a preserved Thomas Lamb theater façade
- 243 West End Avenue (Coliseum Plaza) — Emery Roth 1925; nearby prewar cooperative
- 320 West End Avenue — Rosario Candela 1924; nearby West End Avenue prewar cooperative
- 235 West End Avenue (The Gemstone) — Bing & Bing 1928; nearby prewar condominium
- 165 West 66th Street — nearby Lincoln Square condominium peer
The Roebling Team at The Pythian
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in Central Park West, the Upper East Side, and the broader Park-facing Manhattan market — including the Upper West Side's most architecturally distinctive buildings. We publish this building profile because Upper West Side buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architecture, operational reality, and the mechanics of pricing at the apartment level — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 135 West 70th Street, 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 — comparable analysis at the apartment level, due-diligence priorities, and the pacing strategy that fits your timeline.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper West Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper West Side.
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