- Year built
- 1928
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 96
- Landmark
- Designated
186 Riverside Drive belongs to the most architecturally serious tier of the Drive: the late-1920s Emery Roth apartment houses that gave Riverside its mature pre-war skyline. Completed in 1928 at West 91st Street, the building arrived at the end of the decade-long boom that transformed Riverside Drive from a street of mansions into a wall of full-service cooperatives facing the park and the river.
Roth's hand is legible here. Where his Central Park West towers reach for verticality, his Riverside Drive work leans into a quieter neo-Renaissance vocabulary — buff brick disciplined by granite and terra-cotta, the facade organized into a clear base, shaft, and crown, and a roofline carrying the large medallions that distinguish 186 from its neighbors both at street level and from a distance. The building is divided into two wings, each served by its own passenger and service elevator, and each vestibule holds only three apartments — a layout that gives shareholders both intimacy and quiet, and explains the building's generous average unit size.
The corner site is the structural advantage. Riverside Drive exposures look west across the landscaped Drive to Riverside Park and the Hudson beyond — among the most permanent views in Manhattan, protected by parkland that will not be built upon — while the side exposures face a tranquil tree-lined park block. For buyers, 186 Riverside offers Roth pedigree, generously scaled pre-war layouts, river-park permanence, and an unusually accommodating board: pets are welcome, the flip tax is a clear 2% paid by the seller, and subletting is allowed with board approval — all at pricing typically more accessible than the Central Park West Roth landmarks.
Architecture and unit composition
The roughly 96 apartments span the building in configurations that run large by Upper West Side standards — a direct consequence of the three-apartments-per-landing plan. Homes range from very large one-bedrooms to sprawling classic-six layouts, with Roth's pre-war signatures throughout: high ceilings in the principal rooms, formal entry galleries, separated living and dining rooms, and 1928-era service infrastructure. Some apartments have been combined over the building's century, producing especially large family homes; others retain their original room counts.
The lobby sets the tone — a sprawling marble entry with the classic detailing of its age, meticulously maintained and attended around the clock. Riverside-facing apartments carry the river-and-park premium; the park-block exposures trade some of that view for quiet and afternoon light. Front apartments capture the building's signature park and river outlook directly.
Building operations
186 Riverside Drive operates as a full-service pre-war cooperative with a 24-hour attended lobby and full-time doorman, two wings each served by its own passenger and service elevator, a live-in superintendent, a fitness room, central laundry, bike room, private storage, a community room, and door-to-door mail delivery. The conversion from rental to cooperative ownership is believed to date to 1971, placing 186 among the earlier wave of Riverside Drive conversions.
The rules are clear and comparatively welcoming. Pets are welcome. A 2% flip tax is paid by the seller at closing. Subletting is permitted with board approval, subject to a sublet fee equal to 20% of the monthly rent; short-term rentals are not allowed. Board review follows established Riverside Drive pre-war norms, with documented financials and a primary-residence orientation among the central criteria.
Local Law 97
- 2024–2029 annual penalty
- $0 (under cap)
- 2030–2034 annual penalty
- $26,747/yr
- Per unit / month range
- $0 – $23
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
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 13, 2026 | 5F | $2,175,000 |
| Sep 3, 2025 | 1A | $523,750 |
| Aug 26, 2025 | 13A | $1,920,000 |
| Sep 7, 2023 | 6D | $775,000 |
| Jun 21, 2023 | 5BC | $4,055,000 |
| Oct 26, 2022 | 13A | $1,800,000 |
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 1-01251-0037) 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 Roth pedigree and the three-per-landing plan are the value story. You are buying generously scaled pre-war space designed by the West Side's defining residential architect, at a more accessible basis than his Central Park West landmarks.
River-park views are permanent. Riverside Park and the Hudson cannot be built upon; west-facing exposures hold their light and outlook indefinitely.
The rules are buyer-friendly. Pets are welcome, the flip tax is a transparent 2% on the seller, and subletting is allowed with board approval — flexibility uncommon among Drive pre-war co-ops.
Historic district status governs the exterior. Facade and window work is constrained by the Riverside–West End designation; interior renovation is subject to standard board review.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with architecture and views. Emery Roth authorship, the 1928 neo-Renaissance facade, the medallioned roofline, the marble lobby, and permanent river-park exposures are the building's most marketable assets.
Budget the 2% flip tax. It is paid by the seller at closing and should be factored into net-proceeds planning from the outset.
Apartment-level comping is essential. With large, varied, and sometimes-combined layouts, pricing should be set against the most comparable in-building and corridor trades, not a blanket per-square-foot figure.
Closing timelines are co-op standard — generally 6–10 weeks from contract to closing.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 186 Riverside Drive, also evaluate:
- 173 Riverside Drive — nearby Riverside Drive pre-war co-op
- 180 Riverside Drive — adjacent Drive pre-war peer
- 194 Riverside Drive — neighboring Riverside Drive cooperative
- 222 Riverside Drive — Drive pre-war co-op to the north
- 140 Riverside Drive — the Normandy, an Emery Roth Riverside Drive landmark nearby
- 280 Riverside Drive — Riverside Drive pre-war comparable
The Roebling Team at 186 Riverside Drive
The Roebling Team at Compass specializes in Central Park West, the Upper West Side, and the broader park- and river-facing Manhattan market. We publish this building profile because Riverside Drive buyers and sellers deserve building-specific intelligence — architecture, board culture, transactional mechanics, and pricing at the apartment level — not generic market commentary.
If you're considering a purchase or sale at 186 Riverside Drive, a 30-minute consultation is the right starting point.
The neighborhood
For the full corridor — architecture, schools, transit, and pricing across Riverside Drive — read The Roebling Team Guide to Riverside Drive.
Get the full picture on this building.
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