205 East 78th Street
205 East 78th Street, New York, NY 10075
Lenox Hill, Upper East Side
BBL 1014337501 · BIN 1076312
- Year built
- 1925
- Type
- Cooperative
- Units
- 218
- Floors
- 20
- Landmark
- No
- Pets
- Permitted (pet-friendly)
- Financing
- Cooperative — minimum 25% down (maximum \~75% financing)
- Flip tax
- Reported at 2% of sale price or $20/share, whichever is greater; confirm the exact terms with the managing agent
Every recorded sale at this building, 2003–2026
Bedroom-by-bedroom medians, the full transfer record, and how units trade against ask.
- 1BR median
- $720K
- Recent range
- $320K – $1.8M
- Listing discount
- 3.9%
- Recorded transfers
- 320
205 East 78th Street is the prewar Art Deco cooperative of the corner of Third Avenue and 78th — a 20-story, late-1920s tower whose glazed terracotta ornament, geometric brickwork, setbacks, and water-tank crown mark it as a genuine Art Deco building, not a postwar box. Inside, a renovated coffered-ceiling Art Deco lobby, wood-burning fireplaces, high beamed ceilings, and windowed kitchens and baths give the apartments the character of the era. It is an accessible, character-rich ownership address on a well-connected Upper East Side corner.
Its position in the market is defined by that prewar character, the cooperative structure, and the value pricing. As a co-op, purchases run through a board — application, financials, and interview — with a minimum 25% down payment and a transfer fee, and subletting is limited. In exchange, the building offers something the postwar and new-construction stock cannot: authentic Art Deco detailing, wood-burning fireplaces, and prewar proportions, at a price point that sits well below the corridor's amenity condominiums. The board is notably flexible on the ways buyers may purchase — co-purchasing, guarantors, gifting, parents buying for children, and trusts are all permitted.
The location is the Third Avenue corner at 78th — a connected, retail-rich stretch of the Upper East Side, steps from the 6 at 77th Street, close to the Second Avenue subway's Q, the crosstown bus at 79th, and Central Park to the west.
Building operations
205 East 78th Street operates as a full-service cooperative with a lean amenity plant: a 24-hour doorman, a live-in superintendent, central laundry, private storage for rent, and a bike room. There is no garage, gym, pool, or roof deck — the building's appeal is character and location, not amenity depth. Maintenance covers electricity, heat, and hot water. Buyers should confirm the specific unit's maintenance, review the building's financial statements, reserve position, and any active assessment during diligence, and — for a building of this age — review the engineering reports and any façade or mechanical capital work with care.
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
The latest available FISP filing classified the facade as Safe — no repairs were required at that inspection. Facade inspections run on a fixed five-year cycle; future inspection, repair, and any assessment decisions remain building-specific.
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 →Management & transfer contacts
- Sublet policy
- Subletting is permitted after 5 years
- Pied-à-terre
- Pied a terres are welcome here
Recent sales
205 East 78th Street trades as a character-driven, value-oriented Upper East Side cooperative where prewar detailing, room count, and condition drive value rather than view altitude or amenity depth. The co-op structure narrows the buyer pool to primary and pied-à-terre purchasers who clear the board's requirements, and the limited subletting keeps investor demand modest. Recorded sales auto-populate from public records; unit-level history and current comparables are maintained in The Roebling Research Library and shared with clients during diligence. Per-room and per-layout comparables — not building-wide per-foot averages — are the correct basis.
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 | vs. Ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2026 | 7K | 1 BR · 1 BA | $925,000 | +3.4% |
| Apr 14, 2026 | 20A | 1 BR · 1 BA | $815,000 | -1.2% |
| Jan 16, 2026 | 5K | 1 BR | $715,000 | -4.7% |
| Dec 12, 2025 | 9F | 1 BR · 1 BA | $749,000 | +0.0% |
| Dec 1, 2025 | 17H | 2 BR · 2 BA | $1,130,000 | -9.2% |
| Sep 19, 2025 | 10T | 2 BR · 1 BA | $800,000 | -5.9% |
| Sep 17, 2025 | 2E | 1 BA | $320,000 | -4.5% |
| Aug 20, 2025 | 5S | 1 BA | $400,000 | +0.0% |
Market read. $/sf is measured on the latest sales with reliable square footage (2024): a median $1,148/sf across 3 sales. The building has traded as recently as 2026. Median listing discount 2.8% from the last ask — a recurring negotiation gap worth pricing into any offer or listing strategy.
Other recent transfers
| Date | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 26, 2017 | 11T | $835,000 |
| Apr 19, 2011 | 8T | $510,000 |
| Oct 6, 2010 | 3A | $465,000 |
| Dec 10, 2009 | 9G | $245,000 |
| Dec 9, 2009 | 8S | $215,000 |
| Oct 6, 2005 | 9B | $565,000 |
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 1-01433-7501) 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
Understand the co-op requirements. Expect board approval — application, financials, and an interview — a minimum 25% down payment, and a transfer fee reported at 2% of sale price or $20/share, whichever is greater (confirm the exact terms). Subletting is limited to roughly two of every ten years after about two years of owner-occupancy. The board is flexible on purchase structure: co-purchasing, guarantors, gifting, parental purchasing, and trusts are permitted.
Buy the character and the layout. The Art Deco detailing, wood-burning fireplaces, and prewar proportions are the value. Price the specific apartment's configuration, light, and condition, not a per-foot average.
Model the tax picture and carry. As a cooperative, a share of maintenance is tax-deductible; the building is eligible for the co-op/condo abatement for qualifying primary residents. Factor both into the carry. Run the True Monthly Carrying Cost Calculator.
Diligence the building. For a late-1920s co-op, review the financial statements, reserve study, board minutes, any assessment, and the engineering and façade capital picture.
What to know if you’re selling
Lead with the Art Deco character. The glazed terracotta, the water-tank crown, the coffered lobby, and the wood-burning fireplaces are the marketing headline — authentic prewar character the postwar stock can't match.
Price by layout and condition. Room count, light, fireplace, detailing, and renovation state drive value here. Comparable analysis is layout-specific, not per-foot.
Set expectations on the board and subletting. Buyers should be prepared for the co-op process, the 25% down requirement, and the limited-sublet policy; a well-prepared board package is essential.
Sell the corner location. A connected, retail-rich Third Avenue corner, steps from the 6 and the Second Avenue subway, close to the Park.
Comparable buildings
If you're considering 205 East 78th Street, also evaluate:
- The Eastmore (240 East 76th) — the flexible condop nearby; the flexible-ownership alternative
- 160 East 65th Street (The Phoenix) — postwar Lenox Hill co-op; a value-oriented cooperative peer
- 200 East 74th Street — full-service white-brick co-op corner tower; the full-service co-op alternative
- 255 East 77th Street — new-development condominium nearby; the newer-construction alternative
- Trump Palace (200 East 69th) — tall view-driven Lenox Hill condominium; the amenity-and-view alternative
- Manhattan House (200 East 66th) — the landmarked postwar-to-condominium benchmark; the architectural alternative
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 205 East 78th Street?
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 205 East 78th Street 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.