Philip House (141 East 88th Street)

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.

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

Recent closings 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) cleared a median $1,725/sf (floor-adjusted) across 1 sale. 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 0.0% from the last ask.

Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01517-7502). 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 from recorded condo declarations and offering plans.

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.

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.

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 — Gaetan Ajello's 1924-1925 Upper East Side cooperative
• 14 East 90th Street — prewar Carnegie Hill building near Central Park
• 15 East 91st Street — prewar Carnegie Hill cooperative near the Park