1632 Second Avenue (The America)
1632 Second Avenue / 300 East 85th Street, New York, NY 10028
Yorkville, Upper East Side
BBL 1015470049 · BIN 1078565
- Year built
- 1987
- Type
- Condop
- Units
- 199
- Floors
- 37
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Pets permitted (dogs and cats)
- Subletting
- Unusually permissive — unlimited subletting and no purchase board approval under the condop structure (verify current terms at offer stage)
- 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
- $1,174
- Listing discount
- 1.4%
- Recorded sales
- 247
- On record
- 2003–2026
The America is the rare Upper East Side full-service building that combines architectural pedigree with genuine ownership flexibility. Designed by Helmut Jahn of Murphy/Jahn — the architect best known for postmodern landmarks elsewhere in the country — and developed by Ian Bruce Eichner, the 37-story tower fills the entire Second Avenue blockfront between 85th and 86th Streets. Its checkerboard facade, divided into four vertical sections and carried up onto the rooftop mechanical crown, makes it one of the most recognizable towers in Yorkville.
What sets the building apart in practice is its condop structure: a cooperative governed under condominium-style rules. The result is a building with no purchase board approval, unlimited subletting, and an explicit welcome to pieds-à-terre and investor buyers — a profile almost unheard of among the Upper East Side's full-service co-ops. For buyers who want doorman-building amenities without the gatekeeping and sublet restrictions of a traditional co-op, the America is a destination address.
The Yorkville location places residents near the Second Avenue subway (Q), Carl Schurz Park and the East River esplanade to the east, and the full Yorkville retail and dining grid. The full-block footprint gives the building light and air on multiple exposures.
Architecture and unit composition
The 199 residences span a 37-story tower with a wide mix of layouts, from studios and one-bedrooms to combined and family-sized homes. Many lines include private balconies or terraces. Jahn's design organizes the mass into four vertical sections and wraps the building in its signature checkerboard pattern — a postmodern gesture that distinguishes it from the plainer brick towers of the same era.
Because the building runs the full blockfront, exposures and views vary substantially by line and floor; higher floors capture open city and, on the east side, river-direction sight lines.
Building operations
The America operates as a full-service building with a 24-hour doorman and concierge and an unusually deep amenity package for the Upper East Side: an on-site parking garage, a fitness center, a heated indoor swimming pool, a dry sauna, a party room, a bike room, private storage, and laundry on every floor, with in-unit washer/dryers permitted. The condop structure means the day-to-day buying, selling, and subletting experience is closer to a condominium than a co-op. As always, buyers should review the building's financials, reserves, and any assessment history during due diligence, and confirm the current subletting and financing terms in writing.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $117,297/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $49
Facade safety — Local Law 11
The latest available filing classified the facade as SWARMP — Safe With A Repair and Maintenance Program: the engineer identified conditions requiring monitoring or repair before the next inspection cycle. The scope, timeline, and how the building funds the work are building-specific — we review the filings and board materials 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
As a cooperative, 1632 Second Avenue is best benchmarked on a price-per-room basis, with monthly maintenance and the building's amenity-heavy cost structure factored in. The building's defining feature for pricing is its flexibility: the absence of board approval and the permissive sublet policy widen the buyer pool to include investors and pied-à-terre purchasers who are shut out of traditional co-ops, which supports liquidity and turnover. The trade-off is an active owner-rental presence within the building, which buyers should understand. Pricing varies by line, floor, exposure, and whether a unit carries a balcony. Specific financing, sublet, and any flip-tax terms should be confirmed at offer stage.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | 1803 | 2 BR · 2 BA · 1,150 sf | $1,680,000 | $1,461/sf | -0.9% |
| Jun 2, 2026 | 505 | 1 BA · 500 sf | $590,000 | $1,180/sf | -0.8% |
| May 26, 2026 | 201 | 1 BR · 1 BA · 700 sf | $740,000 | $1,057/sf | -1.3% |
| Mar 11, 2026 | 2405 | 2 BR · 2.5 BA · 1,350 sf | $1,575,000 | $1,167/sf | -4.5% |
| Feb 4, 2026 | 1001 | 1 BR · 1 BA | $815,000 | -1.2% | |
| Oct 28, 2025 | 1004 | 1 BR · 2 BA | $980,000 | -5.8% | |
| Oct 7, 2025 | 2201 | 1 BR · 1 BA | $833,000 | -1.9% | |
| Sep 4, 2025 | 2202 | 4 BR · 4 BA | $2,000,000 | -11.1% |
Market read. Most recent trades (2026) cleared a median $1,174/sf across 4 sales. Median listing discount 1.4% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.
Other recent transfers
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 4, 2009 | 206 | $1,050,000 |
| Nov 21, 2003 | 2401 | $475,000 |
| Nov 21, 2003 | 2403 | $699,000 |
| Oct 2, 2003 | 301 | $325,000 |
| Aug 6, 2003 | 2304 | $1,695,000 |
| Jul 22, 2003 | 1407 | $618,000 |
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 1-01547-0049) 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 flexibility is the product. No board approval, unlimited subletting, and an investor- and pied-à-terre-friendly posture make this one of the most accessible full-service buildings on the Upper East Side. Confirm the current terms in writing.
Benchmark as a co-op. Despite the condop flexibility, this is a cooperative — price it per room and model the maintenance.
The amenity package is deep. Pool, garage, gym, and sauna are real, but they carry cost. Review the financials and reserves.
Mansion tax thresholds may apply on larger combined units. Run pricing through the Mansion Tax Calculator.
What to know if you’re selling
Market the flexibility. The condop structure is the building's strongest differentiator. The widest possible buyer pool — including investors — is available to you here.
Lead with the amenities and the architecture. The pool, garage, and Jahn-designed tower are distinctive marketing assets in Yorkville.
Price per room with maintenance in context. Buyers will weigh monthly cost against the amenity set.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 1632 Second Avenue, also evaluate:
- Manhattan House — large postwar full-service building with a deep amenity set
- 200 East 83rd Street — newer Yorkville-area condominium high-rise
- 180 East 88th Street — new-development condominium tower nearby
- 180 East 79th Street — established full-service co-op in Lenox Hill
- 40 East End Avenue — boutique East End condominium for comparison
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Upper East Side — read The Roebling Team Guide to Upper East Side.
The full playbook — what goes in the package, how boards read your financials, the interview, and the timeline — plus sample cover, reference, and personal letters you can adapt.
Considering a move at The America?
Request a private building brief with the relevant comparable sales, current and off-market availability, and an apartment-specific view of value.
Own an apartment here? See what it would sell for.
A Private Pricing Opinion — what your apartment at The America would likely sell for today, what it costs to sell, and what you’d walk away with — reviewed personally against condition, exposures, renovation quality, and the competition actually on the market.