- Year built
- 1927
- Type
- Cooperative
- Landmark
- No
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 2BR median
- $1.8M
- Recent range
- $735K – $2.5M
- Listing discount
- 4.0%
- Recorded transfers
- 54
163 East 81st Street is a pre-war cooperative with two strong claims: a respected architectural pedigree and an unusually early conversion. Designed by Schwartz & Gross — one of the most prolific and accomplished pre-war apartment-house firms in New York, responsible for landmark buildings on Park, Central Park West, and across the East and West Sides — it was completed in 1927 with the firm's characteristic masonry confidence: red brick over a limestone base, Romanesque-influenced detailing, and an arched limestone entrance surround that gives the building real street presence on a Yorkville-edge block.
It then became a cooperative remarkably early, in 1947, decades before the great conversion wave of the 1970s and 80s. That long co-op history shows in the building's settled, owner-occupied character and the maturity of its governance. The location pairs Carnegie Hill quiet with Yorkville convenience — Museum Mile and Central Park to the west, the Lexington Avenue and Second Avenue subways and the neighborhood's dense restaurant and retail blocks all within easy reach.
At 42 apartments, it is a mid-sized full-service co-op with the staffing and shared spaces buyers on the East Side expect.
Architecture and unit composition
The Schwartz & Gross facade is the building's signature: red brick rising from a limestone base, Romanesque-style masonry detailing, and an arched limestone surround framing the entrance — a dignified, well-mannered pre-war front that reads as a peer to the firm's better-known work nearby. It is a substantial building of its 1927 vintage rather than a glassy newcomer, and it sits comfortably among the masonry stock that defines this corner of the Upper East Side.
Across 42 residences the layouts run to gracious pre-war proportions. Many apartments retain the features that draw buyers to this era: wood-burning fireplaces, high beamed ceilings, classic moldings, and the deep light-and-air of pre-war construction. The mix spans comfortable one- and two-bedroom homes to larger family-sized layouts.
Building operations
163 East 81st Street is a full-service cooperative. A full-time doorman staffs the entrance, a live-in superintendent runs the building, and shareholders share a laundry room, bicycle storage, individual storage units, and a children's playroom — a family-friendly amenity set for a building of this size.
The co-op's policies are clearly defined and favorable: it permits pets and allows pieds-à-terre, allows up to 50% financing, and carries a 2% flip tax paid by the buyer on resale. Purchases proceed through a standard board application and interview. The combination of pet and pied-à-terre flexibility with a long, stable co-op history makes this an accessible building for a range of buyers, including part-time New Yorkers.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- Per unit / month range
- —
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
Recent transfers 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 22, 2026 | 2B | 3 BR · 3 BA | $1,690,000 | +2.4% | |
| Feb 19, 2026 | 4A | 2 BR · 2.5 BA | $2,550,000 | +6.5% | |
| Oct 6, 2025 | 3A | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,825,000 | +1.4% | |
| Sep 29, 2025 | 6C | 2 BR · 1 BA | $970,000 | -15.7% | |
| Feb 26, 2025 | 3D | 1 BR · 1 BA · 860 sf | $735,000 | $855/sf | off-mkt |
| Nov 6, 2024 | 9A | 2 BR · 2.5 BA | $1,625,000 | -7.1% | |
| Aug 28, 2023 | 9CD | 3 BR · 2 BA · 2,000 sf | $1,915,000 | $958/sf | -4.0% |
| Jul 21, 2023 | 8C | 2 BR · 1 BA | $999,500 | -8.7% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2025) cleared a median $855/sf across 1 sale. Median listing discount 3.7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 19, 2025 | 7B | $2,050,000 |
| Nov 15, 2023 | 2A | $1,695,000 |
| Aug 5, 2022 | PHC | $1,250,000 |
| Oct 3, 2018 | MAIS-A/D | $750,000 |
| Oct 3, 2018 | GRD | $685,000 |
| May 16, 2017 | 3A | $2,000,000 |
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 1-01510-0030) 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 on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.
What to know if you’re buying
The architecture and the early co-op history are the foundation here — a Schwartz & Gross building with wood-burning fireplaces and pre-war proportions, run as a settled cooperative since 1947. Confirm the specific layout, fireplace, and exposure, and review the building's reserves and any current assessments.
The policies are buyer-friendly by pre-war standards: 50% financing, pets, and pieds-à-terre all permitted. Budget the 2% buyer-paid flip tax into your acquisition costs, since it applies at purchase rather than sale here, and prepare a full board package for the application and interview. For a part-time buyer or a family, the mix of flexibility, amenities, and location is the core of the value.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the pedigree and the flexibility. A Schwartz & Gross pre-war co-op that permits pets, pieds-à-terre, and 50% financing reaches a broad buyer pool — including the part-time and pet-owning buyers more restrictive boards turn away. Highlight the fireplaces, the playroom, and the doorman service alongside the architecture.
Price to the specific home — floor, exposure, layout, fireplace, and condition — and prepare the board package early. Make the flip-tax structure clear to buyers up front (it is paid by the purchaser at closing), since transparency on closing costs keeps a deal on track. A well-positioned apartment here competes effectively in the Carnegie Hill / Yorkville market.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 163 East 81st Street, these nearby Upper East Side cooperatives belong on the same list:
- 140 East 81st Street — full-service pre-war cooperative on the same block
- 133 East 80th Street — classic pre-war side-street co-op
- 151 East 83rd Street — pre-war cooperative in Carnegie Hill
- 140 East 83rd Street — full-service pre-war co-op nearby
- 175 East 82nd Street — Upper East Side cooperative a block south
The Roebling Team at 163 E 81st St Corp.
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in the Carnegie Hill and Yorkville blocks and the broader pre-war Upper East Side cooperative market. We publish this profile because buyers and sellers deserve building-level intelligence — here, that means understanding the Schwartz & Gross architecture, the building's flexible policy posture, and how the buyer-paid flip tax affects deal economics.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 163 East 81st Street, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
Get the full picture on this building.
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