- Year built
- 1928
- Type
- Condominium
- Units
- 69
- Landmark
- Designated
- Pets
- Permitted under condominium rules
- Subletting
- Generally permitted under the condominium declaration
- Pied-à-terre
- Allowed
Every recorded sale at this building, 2013–2026
Price-per-square-foot over time, the line- and floor-premium curves, and every recorded sale.
- Median $/sf
- $1,722
- Listing discount
- -0.9%
- Recorded sales
- 86
- On record
- 2013–2026
Philip House is one of the defining prewar-to-condominium conversions of the modern Upper East Side. The building at 141 East 88th Street was constructed in 1928 to a Sugarman & Berger design for the Rhinelander Real Estate Company — one of the city's original real-estate dynasties — and occupied a full block-front on 88th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues for more than eight decades as a rental. In 2011 The Cheshire Group acquired the property for approximately $106 million and invested roughly another $50 million to reimagine the building as a 69-unit condominium, completing the conversion in 2013 and renaming it Philip House for Philip Rhinelander.
What makes the building matter within the Carnegie Hill inventory is the combination it offers. Buyers in this sub-neighborhood have historically chosen between two registers: the cooperative prewar buildings of Park and Fifth Avenue, with their board approval processes and financing restrictions, and contemporary new-development condominiums such as 180 East 88th Street. Philip House sits in a rarer category — a genuine 1928 prewar building, with the room scale, ceiling heights, and architectural gravity of the era, but held as a condominium. That structure gives buyers prewar character with condominium flexibility: no board approval in the cooperative sense, financing latitude, pied-à-terre and investment use, and faster closings.
The conversion itself was executed at the high end of the 2010s market. The Cheshire Group moved the principal entrance from Lexington Avenue to 141 East 88th Street, rebuilt the interiors, and engaged Victoria Hagan — one of the most established American interior designers — to direct the residential design language. ARCT Architecture P.C. handled the conversion architecture. The result is a building whose public spaces and residences read as considered and current while the exterior retains its landmarked prewar composition within the Expanded Carnegie Hill Historic District.
The location anchors the building's appeal. Carnegie Hill is among the most stable residential geographies in Manhattan — quiet, low-rise relative to Midtown, and anchored by the private-school cluster, the museums of the Fifth Avenue corridor, and Central Park to the west. Philip House delivers that address with a full-service amenity program that most prewar cooperatives of the era simply do not have.
Architecture and unit composition
The building's exterior is a textbook neo-Renaissance prewar composition. A three-story limestone base grounds the block-front; the eight upper stories rise in red brick, accented by limestone quoins at the corners and wrought-iron balconettes projecting at various levels. The signature architectural gesture is the pair of rooftop water towers, each expressed with Roman arches supported by Doric pillars and topped with molded limestone cornices — a detail visible from several blocks away and a rare instance of infrastructure treated as ornament. The full-block façade carries a double entry at its center, with entablature over each door.
Inside, the 2013 conversion produced 69 residential condominium units across the building's 13 stories, ranging from one-bedroom homes to substantial full-floor and penthouse configurations. Because the building began as a 1928 structure rather than a contemporary tower, the apartments carry prewar proportions — generous room dimensions, high ceilings, and layouts that reflect the era's residential planning — updated with new mechanical systems, kitchens, and baths under Victoria Hagan's design direction. The penthouse level takes advantage of the rooftop terrace and western skyline exposure.
The amenity program is a defining feature. Residents have a landscaped rooftop terrace connected to a club room with western views, a fitness center outfitted with Technogym equipment, and a suite of secondary spaces — children's room, game room, music practice room, cold storage, bike storage, and private storage units — that materially exceed what comparable prewar buildings in the corridor offer. Service is white-glove, with a 24-hour doorman and a live-in resident manager.
Building operations
Philip House operates as a full-service condominium. Day-to-day carrying costs comprise common charges and property taxes; because the building is a condominium rather than a cooperative, the tax and common-charge structure is transparent at the unit level and buyers underwrite the two lines separately. As with any early-2010s prewar conversion, buyers should confirm the current status of the building's reserve position, any capital projects, and the operating budget during diligence — a converted 1928 structure carries both the character and the maintenance profile of a prewar building, and the review that applies to any prewar conversion applies here.
Governance runs through a condominium board of managers rather than a cooperative board. Ownership transfers do not require the discretionary board approval characteristic of Manhattan cooperatives; the condominium's right of first refusal is the operative mechanism, and it is rarely exercised in practice. House rules, alteration procedures, and amenity policies are set by the board and documented in the offering plan and current governing documents, which the Roebling Research Library maintains for client diligence.
Recent sales
Philip House trades as a prewar-condominium hybrid, and its pricing reflects that dual identity. On a dollars-per-square-foot basis, the building generally sits above the surrounding prewar cooperative inventory — buyers pay a premium for the condominium structure, the amenity package, and the design pedigree of the conversion — while remaining a value relative to the most expensive contemporary new-development pricing in the immediate area. The buyer pool skews toward primary-residence families drawn by the Carnegie Hill school cluster and toward buyers who specifically want prewar architecture without cooperative constraints.
Pricing at Philip House is best read at the apartment level rather than by building average. Line, floor, exposure, ceiling height, and the extent of the original 2013 finish install versus subsequent owner renovation all drive meaningful variation. Higher floors and units with the building's better light and layouts command the strongest dollars-per-square-foot; lower and interior-facing units trade at a discount. Because the condominium structure permits investor and pied-à-terre ownership, the resale audience is broader than a comparable cooperative's, which supports liquidity. Apartment-level transaction detail is available through public records and the Roebling Research Library.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25, 2026 | M1 | 4 BR · 3.5 BA · 3,253 sf | $5,962,500 | $1,833/sf | -3.8% |
| May 21, 2026 | 7A | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,700 sf | $2,995,000 | $1,762/sf | off-mkt |
| Oct 1, 2025 | 9D | 3 BR · 2.5 BA · 2,060 sf | $4,300,000 | $2,087/sf | -4.4% |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 10A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 980 sf | $1,750,000 | $1,786/sf | -2.5% |
| Sep 3, 2025 | 5 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,575 sf | $2,700,000 | $1,714/sf | -1.8% |
| Jul 2, 2025 | 5F | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,575 sf | $2,700,000 | $1,714/sf | -15.6% |
| Apr 11, 2024 | 3A | 2 BR · 2 BA · 980 sf | $1,400,000 | $1,429/sf | -17.6% |
| Jun 21, 2023 | 9F | 4 BR · 3.5 BA · 2,615 sf | $5,400,000 | $2,065/sf | -3.5% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,722/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount -0.9% over ask.
The retrade record
Lines that have traded more than once in the public record — the building’s appreciation arc, apartment by apartment.
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 1-01517-7502) 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
You're buying prewar character in a condominium wrapper. This is the building's central value proposition — 1928 architecture and room scale with condominium flexibility. If prewar proportions matter to you but a cooperative board process does not fit your situation, Philip House is squarely in your search.
Condominium flexibility is real. No cooperative board approval; the condominium's right of first refusal is the operative mechanism and is rarely exercised. Financing latitude, pied-à-terre use, investment ownership, and faster closings all apply. Subletting is generally permitted under the declaration — confirm current rules at offer stage.
Diligence on a prewar conversion applies. The building was reconstructed in 2013, but the underlying structure dates to 1928. Review the offering plan, current financials, reserve position, any capital projects, and the house rules during diligence. The Roebling Research Library maintains these materials for clients.
Mansion tax thresholds apply. At Philip House price points, the $1M mansion tax and its higher-value cliffs frequently apply. Run pricing through the Mansion Tax Calculator.
Underwrite the full carry. Model common charges, property taxes, insurance, and utilities together. Condominium tax lines are transparent at the unit level — use that transparency.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the hybrid. The building's strongest marketing story is the combination of genuine prewar architecture and condominium flexibility — a rarer offering in Carnegie Hill than either a pure prewar cooperative or a contemporary condominium. Buyers who specifically want that combination are your core audience.
Condominium liquidity is an advantage. With no cooperative board approval, pied-à-terre and investor buyers permitted, and faster closings, the resale audience is broader than a comparable prewar cooperative's. Price and position to that wider pool.
Pricing requires apartment-level context. Comparable sales at Philip House are meaningful but heterogeneous — floor, line, exposure, ceiling height, and renovation status all drive variation. Anchor pricing to the closest true comparables rather than the building average.
Closing timelines are condo-fast. Expect 30–45 days from contract signing to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering Philip House, also evaluate:
- 180 East 88th Street — DDG 2019; the marquee contemporary Carnegie Hill condominium; custom hand-laid brick and bronze detailing
- 2 East 88th Street — Pennington & Lewis 1929–1930 cooperative; one of the most architecturally distinguished cross-street co-ops on the UES
- 21 East 87th Street — prewar Carnegie Hill cooperative; board approval required
- 17 East 89th Street — prewar Carnegie Hill cooperative
- 14 East 90th Street — prewar Carnegie Hill building near Central Park
- 15 East 91st Street — prewar Carnegie Hill cooperative near the Park
The Roebling Team at Philip House
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Upper East Side, Carnegie Hill, and the broader Park-facing Manhattan market — including the prewar-conversion condominium category that Philip House represents. We publish this building profile because condominium buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architecture, operational reality, transactional mechanics, and the realities of pricing at the apartment level — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at Philip House, 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 — financial structuring, due diligence priorities, comparable analysis at the apartment level, and the pacing strategy that fits your timeline.
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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