The Newbury (1659 Second Avenue)

The Newbury is an early-1970s masonry high-rise in the restrained modern idiom of its era — vertical massing, efficient floor plates, and apartment volume prioritized over facade detail, distinguished at street level by its landscaped circular driveway. The roughly 258 apartments span the configurations characteristic of the period: studios and one-bedrooms through larger two- and three-bedroom layouts across the 30 stories.

Interior signatures are those of upper-tier post-war construction: ceiling heights generally in the 8-to-9-foot range, large windows, practical kitchen and bath layouts (many renovated over the building's life), and ample closet infrastructure. The building's height means a meaningful share of apartments occupy upper floors with open city exposures, and the highest lines reach toward East River and skyline views. Layouts, dimensions, and finishes vary by line and floor and are best read against the current floor plan and the offering plan.

Staffing includes a full-time doorman and concierge and a live-in resident manager. The rooftop suite has outdoor adult and children’s pools, an outdoor shower, sundecks, a shaded awning, and a solarium lounge and party room with a catering kitchen and two changing rooms. Other facilities include a fitness center, bike room, private storage, laundry with fifteen washers and sixteen dryers, and a package room with cold storage. The attached garage provides direct building access and a reported shareholder discount. Confirm current access rules, charges and garage terms.

The substantive diligence items are the co-op's financials: reserve adequacy, recent and planned capital work (facade cycles and Local Law 97 compliance planning are standard considerations for towers of this vintage), and any current assessments — all of which your attorney should review alongside the financials, minutes, and house rules.

Recent sales

Recent transfers 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. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2025): a median $1,227/sf (floor-adjusted) across 3 sales. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 0.6% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.

Sales sourced from NYC Department of Finance recorded transfers (BBL 1-01532-0022). 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 on co-ops is not officially recorded, figures shown are approximate.

This is a full-service co-op — plan for a board process. A board package, financial review, and interview are standard. Confirm the building's current financing, liquidity, occupancy and subletting requirements from its application instructions and governing documents.

Confirm facility access and costs. Obtain the current rules and fees and assess the spaces during a visit; their presence does not guarantee future value.

Floor and exposure drive price. Inspect actual upper-floor East River or skyline sightlines and compare prices with lower floors using matched sales rather than assuming a fixed view-value hierarchy.

Scrutinize the building's finances. Reserves, recent and planned capital work (facade, Local Law 97), and any assessments matter more than architecture in a tower of this vintage; review them with your attorney.

Supply current facility information. Provide access rules, charges and photographs showing actual condition, including any restrictions or seasonal schedules.

Apartment-level positioning drives price. Floor, exposure, layout, and renovation quality move value far more than building-wide averages in a tower this size.

Closing timelines are co-op standard. Plan for roughly 6–10 weeks from contract signing to closing, plus board package preparation and interview.

If you're considering The Newbury, also evaluate:

• 1725 York Avenue — East River Tower, nearby Yorkville co-op
• 1408 Second Avenue — full-service Lenox Hill co-op down the avenue
• 535 East 86th Street — nearby Yorkville full-service building
• 180 East End Avenue — Gracie Towers, nearby Yorkville co-op with rooftop pool
• 60 East End Avenue — white-glove Yorkville co-op near Carl Schurz Park