144 East 36th Street
144 East 36th Street, New York, NY 10016
- Year built
- 1916
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 37
- Floors
- 9
- Landmark
- No
- Amenities
- Live-in super, marble lobby, elevator, central laundry, bike room, private basement storage
- Pets
- Cats and dogs permitted per listing records
- Financing
- 75 percent maximum (25 percent minimum down) per listing records
Murray Hill's side streets between Park and Third Avenues are the neighborhood's quiet core — brownstone rows, carriage houses, the Morgan Library two blocks west — and 144 East 36th Street is a textbook example of the small pre-war elevator co-op that anchors them. The building went up in 1916, in the first generation of apartment houses built as the side streets converted from single-family rows, and its block is among the best in the neighborhood: Sniffen Court, the ten-house carriage mews at 150–158 East 36th Street that became one of New York's earliest designated historic districts in 1966, sits immediately next door and effectively freezes the streetscape east of the building.
The design is attributed in brokerage and architectural records to George and Edward Blum, the Paris-trained brothers whose ornamented terra-cotta and brickwork distinguishes more than a hundred New York apartment houses of the era — including seven Park Avenue cooperatives that remain core corridor inventory. We carry the attribution honestly: it is plausible and widely repeated, but we have not located it in city primary records, and buyers who care should weigh it accordingly. What is beyond dispute is the building's pre-war fabric — high ceilings, defined entry foyers, oversized windows, and a marble lobby that survives.
The co-op's history is unusually well documented in The Roebling Research Library, because the original conversion paperwork is on file. The Plan of Cooperative Organization was first offered to the public on November 13, 1969 — making this one of Murray Hill's earliest tenant conversions, a full decade before the 1980s wave — under sponsor Maria Ronay. The numbers are a period piece: a $336,600 stock offering against an $855,000 total building purchase price. The plan was declared effective May 12, 1970 with 61 percent of tenant-occupants subscribing, and closed on or about October 1, 1970. More than a half-century of continuous shareholder operation is its own form of due diligence.
Architecture and unit composition
The building rises nine floors on a 62-foot-wide mid-block parcel, with roughly four apartments per floor in the original configuration and a single professional unit at the base. The stock runs from one-bedrooms through combined two- and three-bedroom spreads, with pre-war proportions throughout — entry foyers, real dining areas, deep closets, and hardwood floors — and renovated units have added open kitchens and, in some cases, in-unit laundry. South-facing rears overlook the low mews scale of the block's interior; front units face the brownstone streetscape. Because the building is small and the lines vary, condition and renovation quality drive pricing more than floor height does.
Building operations
This is a self-service co-op run lean: live-in superintendent, voice intercom rather than a doorman, elevator, central laundry, bike room, and private basement storage. Buyers trading down from full-service buildings should price the difference deliberately — maintenance here reflects a small staff, and the trade is package logistics for materially lower carry. The offering plan, first amendment, and the cooperative's insurance certificate are on file in The Roebling Research Library and available to clients during diligence.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $11,960/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $27
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 8, 2026 | 6B | $1,050,000 |
| Apr 7, 2026 | 4C | $755,000 |
| Nov 14, 2025 | 1C | $680,000 |
| Oct 8, 2025 | 9A | $875,000 |
| Jun 20, 2025 | 7A | $850,000 |
| Nov 21, 2024 | 3CD | $1,540,000 |
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 1-00891-0059) 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
The block is the asset. Sniffen Court next door is landmarked; the streetscape east of the building cannot meaningfully change. Walk the block at night before offering — the quiet between Lexington and Third on 36th is the product, three blocks from Grand Central.
Calibrate service expectations. No doorman, no amenity floor — a super, an elevator, and low maintenance. For buyers who don't need staff, this is the efficient trade; for frequent travelers who do, it isn't.
The board framework is moderate. 25 percent down, pets and pieds-à-terre permitted, and sublets with board approval per listing records — flexible by pre-war co-op standards, but every policy here is thinly documented publicly. We verify the current terms against board documents during diligence; run the Co-op Board Qualification Calculator before offering.
Underwrite condition, not just price. In a 36-unit building the renovation spread is wide and same-line comparables are scarce. Budget honestly with the Renovation Cost Calculator, and remember washer/dryer installations require board sign-off.
Verify the fee stack. The flip tax question, sublet fees, and financing limits should all be confirmed with the managing agent at offer stage — public documentation is thin, which is typical for boutique co-ops of this vintage.
What to know if you’re selling
Market the pre-war fabric and the provenance. A 1916 building with a Blum attribution, a marble lobby, and a landmarked mews next door is a story generic Murray Hill listings can't tell. Use the specifics.
Position against the doorman alternatives. Your buyer is cross-shopping full-service Murray Hill buildings at meaningfully higher maintenance. State the carry difference plainly — for many buyers at this price point, the monthly delta is the deciding line.
Price to condition. The building's sales history rewards renovated units and discounts estate condition sharply. If selling unrenovated, anchor the ask to the renovation math rather than to the building's renovated comps.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 144 East 36th Street, also evaluate:
- 160 East 38th Street (Murray Hill Mews) — the post-war full-service co-op alternative two blocks north
- 137 East 36th Street (Carlton Regency) — full-service post-war co-op directly across the street; the doorman alternative
- 7 Park Avenue — pre-war Murray Hill co-op at scale; the step-up in size and service
- 40 Park Avenue — post-war full-service co-op on the avenue
- 35 Park Avenue — full-service co-op alternative at 36th and Park
- 108 East 38th Street (The Towne House) — Art Deco tower nearby; the architectural alternative
- 30 Park Avenue — post-war co-op at the 36th Street corner; the avenue-address alternative
The Roebling Team at 144 East 36th Street
The Roebling Team at Compass works Murray Hill and the broader Midtown East corridor as part of our Manhattan-wide co-op practice. We publish this building profile because Murray Hill buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — conversion documentation, policy framework, and block-level context — not generic neighborhood commentary.
If you're considering a transaction at 144 East 36th Street, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.